Classic Car Mart September Preview

ROW SELL YOUR CAR FOR FREE – SEE PAGE 103 FRONT Our pick of six fantastic FWD motors for all budgets See Page 75

Vol. 15 No.10 September 2009

www.classic-car-mart.co.uk

THE NUMBER 1 MARKETPLACE FOR BUYING AND SELLING CLASSIC CARS

DAIMLER DART SP250 WHY THIS BRIT DESERVES A SECOND LOOK

WITH

WIN! £200 WORTH OF MG PARTS

51 PAGES OF CARS FOR SALE

ALL YOU NEED TO FIND YOUR NEW CLASSIC

£3.50

PLUS

Vol.15 No.10

SMART ROADSTER £54K ASTON DB6 LANCIA GAMMA HONDA N600

PRIDE AND JOY - 1955 BUICK SPECIAL TRIPLE-COLOUR FOUR-DOOR COUPE FINALLY HITS UK ROADS PRO RESTO TECHNIQUES

CAPRI’S COMPETITION SECRET HISTORY MINIS

6,000 COMPETITION MILES IN MINIS A MINOR

JAGUAR COMPETITION XK150MINIS DRIVEN

PERIOD LIVING: STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD WITH THIS SIXTIES KIT

Classic Car Mart

CONTENTS

SEPTEMBER 2009 WWW.CLASSIC-CAR-MART.CO.UK

94

�Not many of the SP250's rivals could claim to have eight cylinders under the bonnet.�

E U S IS W E N T A E R G R U O Y IN 08 PLUGS & LEADS The fight to save Vauxhall is on, while Ford honours a hero and ‘new’ Healey hits 142mph

14 NEW PRODUCTS BMW shocks, Mustang service parts – we’ve got all the latest garage gear here

19 WHAT’S ON A look forward to two of the year’s big shows: Beaulieu Autojumble and the NEC Classic

20 DRIVE ON Our two-page round-up of the UK’s best classic car events

23 POSTBAG A call to scrap the scrappage scheme and beer up for grabs in the prize crossword ON THE COVER

27 COMPETITION Win MG parts worth £200 or a polish kit

ON THE COVER

ON THE COVER

27 PRIDE & JOY

36 GARAGE LIFE

A 1955 Buick Special is just one of your great cars on show here

Our team of pros tackle a misfiring Midget, rusty Renault and a patchwork Minor

32 BURIED TREASURES

42 STAFF CARS

Mike Worthington-Williams uncovers a tasty TR6 and a Bentley R-Type

Paul Wakely’s Honda N600 treats him to a few sleepless nights... and a ride home on a low-loader

27

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! P44

48

SAVE 20% PLUS FREE GIFT 66

ON THE COVER

94 BUYER’S GUIDE Fancy a proper British sports car? Then why not try a Daimler SP250 ‘Dart’

103 CARS FOR SALE Whichever car you’re after, we’ve got hundreds here to tempt you

36

178 CLUB GUIDE Your handy list of UK classic car clubs

182 CLUB FOCUS 87 MODERN CLASSIC

Meet the good people of the Lancia Gamma Consortium and their cars

Why Smart’s bargain underrated roadster is the one to watch

186 BACKWARD GLANCE

88 BOOK REVIEWS

From snuff to flying cars, there’s plenty to entertain you in these classic motoring ads

58 THE LOST TRAVELLER

Tuning ‘Spridgets’, guides to Triumph TRs… it’s been a busy month

190 WHEEL NUT

Three side-valve Moggies make the 71-day trip from South Africa to the UK

90 PRODUCT GUIDE

ON THE COVER

48 JAGUAR XK150 It put Jaguar on the map and revitalised the British car industry, says Keith Moody ON THE COVER

ON THE COVER

66 CAPRI’S SECRET HISTORY Paul Guinness looks at the car that transformed Ford’s European operations ON THE COVER

75 SIX OF THE BEST Our hand-picked selection of the best frontdrive classics around

83 TRADING POST Classic Car Mart’s buying section starts here

85 AUCTION NEWS A 1934 Riley MPH makes £195k, plus demand for modern exotica increases

Seven of the best period add-ons that will bring out the best in your car

Paul Wakely ponders the joys and pitfalls of gadgets

192 NEXT ISSUE Find out what’s coming up in October’s CCM

87

CHECK OUT LOADS MORE NEWS AT WWW.CLASSIC-CAR-MART.CO.UK

142mph in a straight line is already achieved.

FEAT OF ENDURANCE

A

n Austin-Healey endurance car built by Denis Welch Motorsport has achieved one of its prime targets, exceeding the top speed of its works predecessor during a one-hour constant-run test. Built last year as a replica of the record-breaking 1954 works Healey that achieved a 132.81mph average over 1000 kilometres, the idea behind the newcomer was to ‘exceed all nonsupercharged Healey records’.

Late 2008 tests proved the car’s straight line speed to be in excess of 142mph, but further work was required on its suspension and aerodynamics to suit the two-mile circular Millbrook track chosen for the record attempt.

As part of the preparations, a wind tunnel test also took place at MIRA earlier this year, to see if improvements could be made to the aerodynamic efficiency of the Healey shape, with various lessons learned regarding airflow through the body and engine. Subtle modifications are now underway that, although not detracting from the original specification of the car, might make the ultimate goal of 150mph constant running more achievable.

8 Classic Car Mart September 2009

The project is the brainchild of Jeremy Welch, owner of Denis Welch Motorsport, and was initiated in memory of the previous record-breaking car that took the 24-hour record in 1954.

‘Our 2008 tests showed us just how difficult record breaking can be,’ explained Jeremy. ‘After all, the works did take the world record, so they must have got a lot of things right. We’re starting from scratch and are determined to make this a faithful recreation of the 1954 car, so we

Wind tunnel testing was recently undertaken.

are limited in many ways. Our experience in racing Healeys for over twenty years helps, but this is a whole new ballpark, testing our ingenuity and skill in so many ways. We love a challenge – and this is the kind of development work that we enjoy most.’

Jeremy hopes to break the 1000km endurance record later this year, and you can keep up to date on all the latest progress by logging on to www. healeyendurance.com.

Plugs & Leads: News

Have you got a plug or a lead you’d like to promote through Classic Car Mart?

These pages can provide valuable FREE publicity for you, your company, your club or your organisation. Send full details to: Plugs & Leads, Classic Car Mart, CSL Publishing, Alliance House, 49 Sidney Street, Cambridge CB2 3HX. Or email Paul Guinness direct at: paul.guinness@hotmail.co.uk

CLUB SHOWCASE

T

he 2009 Meguiar’s Club Showcase – now a traditional feature of the NEC’s Classic Motor Show each November – will once again offer classic car enthusiasts the opportunity to experience the crème de la crème of vehicles from the UK club scene, with sixteen entries on show from a variety of different marques.

Each vehicle will have been awarded top honours at its marque national event during the year, and eight entries have already been confirmed – including VolksWorld’s ‘Best in Show’ VW Camper Pick Up, Jensen International’s President’s Cup-winning Jensen 541 S, Mercedes-Benz’s ‘Master Class Winner’ 200E Saloon, GTI International’s ‘Best in Show’ Mk I Golf and the Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club’s 25th Anniversary ‘Car of the Day’ Jaguar XJ-S. The final day of the Meguiar’s Club Showcase will see an independent judging team tasked with selecting the Meguiar’s ‘Best In Show’ winner.

BENTLEYS OUT IN FORCE

T

he Bentley Drivers’ Club’s recent 63rd Annual Concours d’Elegance and Summer Rally saw a good assortment of cars heading for the stunning setting of Broughton Castle, Oxfordshire – with more than 1,000 members and Bentley owners supporting the event.

The Concours cars were displayed in front of the Castle moat for judging, with awards for the deserving winners being presented by Lord and Lady Saye and Sele – the BDC’s hosts at Broughton Castle. For a picture gallery visit: www.bdcl.org.

Bentleys from all eras were on display.

20 YEARS OF MIDDLEBRIDGE

T

It’s 20 years since the Middlebridge Scimitar was launched.

his year sees the 20th anniversary of the Middlebridge Scimitar, the re-launched version of the sporting Reliant which hit the market in 1989.

Sadly the whole project ended in failure though, with a mere 77 Scimitars sold – cars that are now highly sought after among Middlebridge fans.

To mark the anniversary of the Middlebridge launch, a reunion meeting has been arranged, taking place on August 16th at the Curborough Sprint Circuit, between Burtonon-Trent and Lichfield (well signposted off the A38) – and it’s hoped that a good proportion of surviving Middlebridge Scimitars will be in attendance. The event is being held in conjunction with the Reliant Scimitar Sabre Owners’ Club’s National Sporting Weekend.

For more details of the event or to read all about the Middlebridge project, check out Mick Gaughran’s excellent website: www. middlebridge-scimitar.co.uk.

Metro finally gets its own ‘proper’ club.

Classic Car Mart September 2009 9

WORLD CLASS In the second part of our series looking at Jaguar’s world-famous coupes, Keith Moody gets behind the wheel of an XK Pictures: John Colley & Keith Moody

I

t’s hard to underestimate just what an important car the Jaguar XK was. Not only did it introduce the world to one of the most important engines ever made, the car also put Jaguar on the map and revitalised an ailing British motor industry.

Unveiled in 1948, it arrived at a time of great economic and individual hardship.

Britain was broke and the pressure was on for its manufacturing businesses to export or face extinction. Imports into the UK were regulated, jobs were created and wages restrained in a bid to get the country back on its feet.

Before the Second World War, the majority of Jaguar’s sales and exports

48 Classic Car Mart September 2009

came from its saloons, so it was crucial that the company got production of its new Mk V under way as quickly as possible. But what if it could use the same underpinnings and mechanicals to build a new sports car to create a ‘halo’ effect around the brand? The race was on.

If this new sportster was to be successful, it had to completely redefine the market. Previous rakish, smallengined and nimble designs like the SS90 of the Thirties wouldn’t appeal to the US market. What Jaguar needed was a package that cast aside the dour austerity of post-war life and oozed glamour, promise and hope. What it needed was a hero car.

The stakes were high. But if Jaguar could pull it off, it would transform the company from a tiny manufacturer to one of the most prestigious marques in the world. If it failed, Jaguar would be dead in the water.

A BEATING HEART The starting point for creating this new car had to be a new engine – this would also give the car its name. For Jaguar boss Sir William Lyons and his team, the power plant had to fulfil a simple criteria.

First of all, it needed to form the basis of a series of new units that offered improved power and performance over its rivals. The second criteria was that

Road Test: 1957 Jaguar XK150 FHC

it needed to be so far advanced that it would avoid costly ongoing development changes. It also needed to be cost effective to manufacture. Oh, and it had to look stunning. Just another day at the office, then, for Lyons.

The team worked day and night to get the power unit off the drawing board and into a prototype. An arbitrary figure of 160bhp had been decided on, which would make it the most powerful production engine of the time. The new car also had to be capable of 100mph in unmodified form, making it the fastest car in the world.

For a time, Jaguar worked on designs for a four-cylinder unit, but they

eventually decided a six was the way to go: it would be smoother, more refined and more palatable for US customers, with whom so many of the cars needed to find homes. Tests on a six-cylinder unit began in September 1947 and didn’t stop until the team had reached their goal.

It was packed with innovations, one of my particular favourites being the highlyefficient double over-head camshaft design. Here, the direct action of the cams on the valves via tappet buckets without pushrods reduced the weight, alleviating wear and allowing for greater rpm in safety. The twin cams were driven by a Duplex timing chain arrangement operated via sprockets, which could be

finely adjusted but would also allow the camshafts or head itself to be removed without upsetting the timing.

Such was the strength of the XK unit that it remained in production until 1992 in 4.2-litre guise. And it continued to look stunning.

A COMPLETE PACKAGE To accommodate the new engine, a new chassis would be required, too – one that would not only suit the driving style of a sports car, but which could also be used in Jaguar’s new saloon. As a result, the XK120’s chassis was 18in shorter and 5in narrower than the saloon and boasted incredible torsional rigidity �

Classic Car Mart September 2009 49

MINOR MIRACLE

Three side-valve Moggies made the 71 day trip overland from Cape Town to 2008’s Morris Minor Diamond Jubilee celebration at Stanford Hall. Steve Wilson explains this epic journey

I

t was Brian Stock’s idea. Fifty-two years old but much younger in appearance and outlook, Brian is a long-time Morris Minor fan, although he’s also into Rileys.

And when he turned up to talk to me, in his home town of Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, he was driving a Model T Ford – evidently a man of eclectic tastes. He told me how he had missed the Morris Minor’s 50th anniversary celebration in the UK in 1998, and so was determined to get to the Diamond Jubilee ten years later – driving all the way, of course.

Thus was the Mad Odyssey born. And

Brian was talking about it at a Riley rally when an Australian he’d never met before – Phil Evans – immediately volunteered himself as co-driver of Brian’s 1949 Minor saloon, affectionately known as Floppy.

Next man to join the plan was fellow Port Elizabethan Colin Stock, who had been interested in old cars for years. He had an Imp awaiting restoration, but decided he needed another classic and was promptly pointed in the direction of Morris Minors by Brian, subsequently ending up with a ’56 Series II saloon. Yet when Colin was told about the proposed Odyssey, he wasn’t too tempted... at first. It all sounded a bit crazy to Colin, a cautious man by nature. But,

encouraged by wife Marilyn, he carried out some research, talking to journalists and rally drivers who had run similar routes, and was eventually persuaded that the thing was possible. It wasn’t long before Colin was ‘on board’.

Meanwhile, down in New Zealand, fellow Morris fan Sheila Masters was having a Minor Convertible restored when she read about the Odyssey on the internet, persuading her farmer husband, Mark, that they should ship their ragtop – affectionately known as Alice – to Cape Town and tag along. And then there were three.

SETTING OFF April 3, 2008, arrived – and the three Minors were ready for the off. Yet despite preparations continuing right up until the last moment, the intrepid explorers managed to leave without any details of exchange rates, and Colin’s ‘cash passport’ card hadn’t been activated. To make matters worse, the New Zealanders’ car had been held by Customs as it needed their passports to be released – but Mark and Sheila had needed them to fly over with. And so they duly arrived at Customs and retrieved Alice, leaving only four days before setting off in order to get acquainted – as well as to fit the sump guard, electric fan and modified wheel rims to take the readily available tyre choice (165/13 Continentals).

58 Classic Car Mart September 2009

The Lost Traveller: By Steve Wilson

In fact, Continental ending up sponsoring the expedition, their tyres proving extremely durable – with just one puncture between all three cars over a total of 11,000 hard miles. Brian had also linked up with the SOS Children’s Villages charity, raising money and awareness for them as they went.

The start of the Odyssey could have been better, though. Fifty miles along the road to Cape Agulhas, the continent’s most southerly point, Floppy’s radiator sprung a leak. And the crew then discovered that, despite the intention that each car should carry 20 litres of water for people and machines combined (along with the food, fuel, spares and camping gear), none of them had a single drop on board. Still, the radiator was sealed with additive and fixed properly in Kimberley.

The real troubles, however, would prove to be with Alice, the New Zealand car. Unlike Brian and Colin’s regularly used Minors, Alice was a recently completed rebuild that hadn’t had a proper shakedown run.

‘The bonnet was up almost immediately,’ explained Brian, with the earth strap having been omitted and a hard-to-trace faulty distributor causing starting problems and persistent misfiring.

The official send-off from Cape Town’s waterfront by 58 Minors and their owners had been a memorable day though, with support from the local club being most welcome – despite putting them behind �

�

Classic Car Mart September 2009 59

STEP OUT OF THE SHADOWS For too long, Daimler’s quirky but fantastic dart has been overlooked by driver’s wanting a proper British sports car.

CCM sets the record straight Photos: Magic Car Pics (www.magiccarpics.co.uk)

EVOLUTION � Apr 1959: The Daimler Dart is announced at the New York Auto Show � Sep 1959: The car is launched in the UK as the SP250 to keep Dodge happy; the first cars have recesses behind the door handles. � Oct 1960: Hard top becomes available. � Feb 1961: Private UK buyers can now specify an automatic gearbox; previously this was available only to

T

here’s no shortage of fast British roadsters from which to choose if you’re after a desirable classic.

The problem for many is that most decent Brit sportsters are rather predictable, but there are exceptions, and the Daimler SP250 is one of the most frequently overlooked. Perhaps it’s because of the rarity; with just 2,645 built during a five-year production run, there aren’t many to go round.

Whatever the grounds for the SP250 being overlooked, there are plenty more reasons why you want one – not least of all the performance on offer. There’s also no body rot to worry about – the glassfibre shell is tougher than most and rarely needs any significant TLC. Unless the car has been really neglected it’s unlikely that you’ll need to spend much on keeping an SP250 going – they’re strong and with superb parts availability it’s never an issue getting the

94 Classic Car Mart September 2009

export markets and the police. � Apr 1961: B-Spec cars go on sale with an adjustable steering column, front and rear bumpers, reserve fuel tank and windscreen washers. There’s also a stronger rear axle, a stronger chassis and revised interior trim. � Apr 1963: The C-Spec SP250 arrives with standard heater, cigaratte lighter and built-in trickle charger socket. � Sep 1964: Production ends.

bits you need. The SP250 made its debut in April 1959 at the New York auto show, where it was unveiled as the Dart. But Dodge had already registered the name and started getting very vocal when the new arrival was unveiled – forcing Daimler to come up with the rather bland SP250 moniker instead.

After some minor bits of re-engineering the car made its debut at the October 1959 Earls Court Motor Show, where it was announced that 7,500 would be sold in the first three years. Production would then settle down at the rate of 3,000 a year, the bulk of cars going to the US. In the event, fewer than 3,000 cars were made in a fiveyear production span, with just 1,200 lefthand drive editions being produced. The car may have been a failure in its day, but it only makes for a less predictable and thoroughly desirable classic now.

Crucially, while it may not be the prettiest sporting classic, the SP250

has got a huge amount going for it.

Affordability and exclusivity are just two of its key attributes, but it’s also pokey, frugal and very well put together. It’s great to drive too, thanks to its willing engine, supple ride and agility through its light weight. You want more? Well how about great parts back up, with just about everything available off the shelf.

It’s easy to upgrade too, and thanks to that glassfibre bodyshell there’s no need to worry about corrosion ever striking.

With just a pair of seats it’s not the most practical classic ever, but it’s one of the most usable classic sports cars going – at any price.

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR Bodywork With its glassfibre bodyshell, visible corrosion isn’t something that afflicts the SP250 – although under the skin there are

Buyer’s Guide: Daimler SP250 (1959-1964)

all sorts of potential rust issues. However, while bodyshell rot isn’t something to worry about, there are other possible maladies as glassfibre was in its infancy when the SP250 was being produced. The key affliction is crazing of the gel coat, although the SP250’s skin is so thick that serious cracking is unlikely. If major fissures are evident it’s more likely that the car has been crunched at some point, so check that the inner wings aren’t rippled.

If the car has never been in an accident, any crazing will be cosmetic only, and it will affect the bodywork forward of the windscreen the most. However, the plastic around the door handles as well as the boot hinges can also be affected; grinding back and re-gelling will effect a permanent repair if done properly.

The chassis may be very simple in its construction, but it’s also made of steel and it’s unlikely that it’ll be completely free

of corrosion. You need to start at the front and work backwards, examining every bit of the chassis; putting it up on ramps is the only way of doing this properly.

The tubular cross member at the front is usually rusty; this houses the mountings for the body as well as the steering box.

New crossmembers are available and they’re easy enough to replace, with four hours usually seeing the job through.

Nearby are the front suspension turrets, which also rot out when water gets in through the steering column apertures; it gets trapped then eats its way out.

Whichever turret houses the steering column is less likely to have corroded because the column helps prevent water getting in – but both sides are susceptible to a degree. Plating is usually perfectly acceptable, but if the corrosion has really taken a hold (which is rare), it will be necessary to replace the entire

turret. That’s not a problem at all – once you’ve removed the bodyshell to gain access to it…

Rust will obviously weaken the turrets, but even if the metal is untouched by corrosion there’s a chance that the welds will have cracked around the mounting brackets for the lower wishbones. Any cracks are easy to spot on a clean chassis, but if it’s caked in grime or oil you could miss them – which could prove costly.

That’s because fixing them properly means stripping the chassis, which involves removing the engine. While in theory it’s possible to leave the powerplant in place to do the work, the reality is that access is restricted and the problem may not be fully eliminated.

Post-1961 cars have a stronger chassis, extra bracing for the B-posts and stiffening beams underneath the door apertures. It’s all susceptible to rot and although all the �

Classic Car Mart September 2009 95

! " # " # $ % " # % & ' ( ) ( " * + , - . !"#""" $ # %

$ & # $ % #

'

! " # #

$ % & #

#'# #

# ( # #

# ) *