Innholdsfortegnelse for 12/31/2025-01/07/2026 i Classic Car Buyer

The future of Jaguar Land Rover Chief Creative Officer Gerry McGovern still remained uncertain as we went to press. Widespread reports suggested that he had been sacked from his role after more than two decades with the carmaker, but JLR has since denied that McGovern’s employment had been terminated. A statement from the JLR Press Office read: “It is untrue that we have terminated Gerry McGovern’s employment, and we do not intend to further comment on speculative stories.” Whether McGovern remains as design chief is unclear, as is why it took JLR two weeks to respond to the initial reports. Regardless, it has kept Jaguar among the headlines.…

MG MIDGET (1961-1974) Perhaps the most famous of our trio of A-Series-powered MGs is the Midget, which used the engine in its traditional in-line form, driving the rear wheels. Launched in 1961, the Midget was appealing, but not exactly a new idea. As well as rebooting a name from the past, it was essentially a rebadged version of the Austin-Healey Sprite Mk2 – itself a revised version of the original ‘Frogeye’ Sprite that had been launched in 1958. The early Midget was a very simple car with tried and tested underpinnings and the well-established 948cc A-Series. Changes came quickly though. In 1962 the Midget got a 56bhp 1098cc motor, and by 1964, the Midget Mk2 had arrived with further tweaks to the 1098cc motor, wind-up windows to replace the old…

MARCH VOLKSWORLD SHOW 2025 saw VolksWorld Show take place at its new home, the South of England Showground in Ardingly. Despite an M25 junction closure complicating travel and the threat of rain, the UK’s largest air-cooled Volkswagen event enjoyed strong success, with over 1000 visitors heading to West Sussex. The iconic VolksWorld Concours impressed once again, featuring standout vehicles such as Steve McQueen’s custom Beach Buggy from The Thomas Crown Affair and a 1952 T2 Bus fitted with furniture and carpet from Winston Churchill’s office. Judges awarded winner Ales Boughen’s Beetle, Pickled Perfection, an exceptional 99.5 out of 100 points, with only two points separating the top four cars. More than 600 vehicles formed numerous club displays, with awards including Best Aircooled for a restored T2 Campervan and Best Club…

Excitement is building ahead of the 83rd Goodwood Members’ Meeting, which will see Jenson Button reunited with the Brawn BGP 001 in which he won the 2000 Formula One Drivers’ championship. Button will return to the cockpit of the car for an on-track demonstration at the Goodwood Motor Circuit, marking his debut at the Members’ Meeting and celebrating his career following his retirement from professional racing. It will be the first time he has driven the car since 2019, when he last piloted it to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his 2009 championship triumph. The Brawn BGP 001 was the first and only car produced by the Brawn GP team and became one of Formula One’s most remarkable success stories. During the 2009 season, Button and teammate Rubens Barrichello won…

Rustival, the all-inclusive car show launched in 2024 by YouTubers Ian and Carly from HubNut, Steph from IDRIVEACLASSIC and Matt from Furious Driving, is back for a fourth outing. Its mantra of attracting everything “from clapped out to concours” will once again be put into practice at the British Motor Museum on April 18, 2026. Just like before, every vehicle is welcome regardless of age, condition, marque or styling, which has led to the unofficial title of “the UK’s friendliest car show.” As well as cars, the event features talks from experts in the industry (including surprise guests and popular YouTubers), brilliant displays from clubs and enthusiast groups, pop ups from industry professionals, creator spaces, interactive activities and more. Friendship Corner will also be back by overwhelming demand – this…

There are some people with whom you could just talk for hours. John Mitchell is one such individual. His journey through the automotive industry has been long and varied; he was at the coalface during Ford’s halcyon days of the late 1970s and 1980s when it produced proper halo products that sprinkled some welcome stardust on the bread-and-butter models that became favourites for fleets and families alike. Keen to find out more, we caught up with John at the Classic Ford Show earlier in the year to discuss his career and gain a unique insight to machinations of Ford in its heyday. John’s Ford journey began at AVO (Advanced Vehicle Operations) right after his apprenticeship. “I was very lucky to get a job at AVO… my first ever car that…

We’re down in London’s New Bond Street this week, with a scene from spring 1975 which the caption suggests was originally used to illustrate a feature on the number of empty shops. Not that the cars in shot suggest anyone is struggling: we see a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow and a Series 1 Jaguar XJ12, then only a few years old. Although between the two there is a neat counterpoint in the shape of what appears to be a Fiat 125. On the other side of the road, almost hidden by the FX4 taxis, we see the familiar nose of an Aston Martin DB6. Closer to the camera we see a pair of BMWs – unusual for the day – including what looks like a CS coupe and the precursor to…

The 2026 Classic Motor Show has been the subject of confusion over the date of the event. Organisers have confirmed that show will run from November 13-15, despite previously listing a date of November 6-8, which also appeared on the 2025 carrier bags and programmes. Such is the popularity of the season finale, some visitors had already booked travel and hotels for the earlier date, and were left frustrated by the announcement. “Thank you for all your comments, you’re right to question this,” read a post by organisers on social media. Printed materials went out showing dates that were originally being considered. We understand this has caused confusion, and we are very sorry. “Tickets weren’t on sale at the time, but we appreciate how frustrating mixed messages can be and…

Combustion-engined cars look set to be allowed to remain on sale in the European Union beyond 2035 following intensive lobbying from national governments and some of the industry’s biggest companies, including Volkswagen, Renault, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Stellantis. More lenient rules drawn up by the European Commission (EC) have amended the total ban on new ICE cars that was due to come into force from 2035 – though they still need formal approval from the European Parliament, however. The new revision keeps the door open for manufacturers to sell plug-in, full and mild-hybrid vehicles, as well as traditional internal combustion petrol and diesel models past the 2035 date. However, it’s not exactly a sweeping U-turn; the 100 per cent tailpipe emissions reduction target has been reduced, but only to 90 per…

OWEN SHEPHERD, SOUTH WESTERN VEHICLE AUCTIONS (SWVA.CO.UK) What sale trends have you noticed in 2025, and how was it for you? 2025 has seen a far more nuanced market than the pandemic highs. Buyers have been noticeably more selective and better informed, but confidence is very much still there for the right cars. Well-presented, correctly described vehicles with strong provenance and realistic estimates have continued to sell extremely well, often exceeding expectations. Conversely, over-ambitious pricing or poorly prepared entries have been found out very quickly. For us, it’s been a healthy and encouraging year, with solid sell through rates of over and around the 90 per cent mark. What was your biggest or most remarkable auction of 2025? Our standout sale this year was undoubtedly our inaugural Classic & Performance…

Some 55 years after the name first emerged, the Range Rover is established in public consciousness as a luxurious icon. But when it broke cover in 1970, things were far more rugged and functional. The brief had simply been to create a more civilised Land Rover, not the prestige executive vehicle it would eventually become. The idea stemmed from Solihull’s recognition that the original Land Rover was compromised as a road car, even in Tickford-built station wagon form. A prototype dubbed the Road Rover had been developed as early as 1951, based on the Rover P4 and more akin to a high-riding estate than an offroader. With Land Rover sales still buoyant, however, it was quietly shelved. By the early 1960s, Rover’s management was eyeing the US market. Fact-finding trips…

The Mazda MX-5 is one of the best sports cars of the 1990s – of that, there is no doubt. But the biggest difficulty today is finding one that’s in good, rot-free condition, let alone one with tiny mileage and known provenance. This one, though, is probably as good as they get. A standard MX-5 1.8i, it has had four owners from new, but one of them long-term, and has covered just 19,150 miles from new. Supplied by Donald’s Garage Mazda of Peterborough in April 1998, and owned as a demo by the garage for three months, the second owner had the car until May 2001. The third owner acquired it as a three-year-old car and kept it all the way through to 2024, before it passed into the hands…