‘When I was growing up a Ferrari 308 GTS was the car to have’ p6
6
The List: we hand a lucky reader the keys to his dream car – a Ferrari 308 GTS Qv
80
Life Cycle of a Classic: Colin McRae’s Hillman Avenger gives up its secrets
Eyewitness report from the deadly 1954 Carrera 88 Panamericana road race
S P EC I A L I ST H E L P Insurance 206 | Services 214 | Clubs 217 BUY I N G O R S E LL I N G? Go to classiccarsforsale.co.uk 4
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THE MONTH IN CARS 14 Goodwood Revival 33 Jaguar D-types in action, Jackie Stewart’s racing career celebrated – from Cooper-BMC to Tyrrell 003 F1 car – and the Cerv-II concept makes an appearance 18 Brighton Speed Trials Special-bodied Lotus shines beside the seaside 21 Sywell Classic American might touches down in Northamptonshire 22 Hampton Court Concours Alfa Romeo 6C scoops top prize 25 Events planner As the nights draw in, there’s plenty to do 113 Your letters How imitating your boss in his Gordon-Keeble isn’t wise 116 Next Month There’s lots to look forward to in January’s Classic Cars
the insiders 43 Quentin Willson wonders why the Ford Thunderbird lacks a UK fanbase 45 Tom Tjaarda gets his judging jacket out, despite a Bentley breakage 47 Simon Kidston heads to Singapore, where a Ferrari Dino was a highlight
owning COVER Epic Restoration Not only had this Aston Martin DB6 been stripped down 18 64 years ago, the parts were all mixed up with a DB5 project. This is its 1220-hour journey to perfection 80 COVER Life Cycle By the time a young Colin McRae got his hands on this Hillman Avenger it had already been a motor show star and rally car. The other owners in its life tell the rest of its story 100 The Collector Owners Alex Aldous and Tim Sawyer show Classic Cars around their chicken shed full of Thirties Jaguars, a Singer Chamois, Rover P6 3900S estate and more 119 Our Cars Phil tries to give his E-type sharper steering, Sam samples a Rolls Silver Shadow, Russ does a spot of grinding with his Alfa and Nigel updates us on his patience-reliant Scimitar
driving 6
COVER The List Reader Graham Brooks had owned faster cars but he included a Ferrari 308 GTS QV, on his 10-car wishlist. We put him in one for the day to find out why 48 COVER Trident Tested As Maserati celebrates its 100th year, we bring together the six models to buy now – Ghibli, Indy, Merak, 3200GT, Quattroporte III and BiTurbo 72 Aston Martin DB7 at 20 The Ian Callum-designed DB7 rescued Newport Pagnell from the doldrums. We bring a straight-six coupé and V12 convertible together to find out why 84 Vauxhall Viva HB We take a rare survivor of this million-and-a-half-selling saloon out for the day and discover that it has traffic-stopping nostalgic appeal COVER Eyewitness Photojournalist Boyd Harnell was on the frontline of the last Carrera 88 Panamericana, chasing the race in his Oldsmobile Coupe. 60 years on he relives the adventure
buying
Tested: the six Maseratis to buy now 48 Trident
s ub scrib e
26 Smart Buys Quentin Willson’s cars to buy include the Mini 1275 GT, Rover P5B and Ferrari Testarossa, while his Classic on the Cusp tip is the Bentley Continental R 30 Market Watch Russ Smith analyses this month’s market movers 35 Temptations Six cars for sale that may prove impossible to resist in the month ahead 38 Barn Finds Nigel Boothman reveals the fate of an Aston Martin haul, early Jaguar E-type, TVR 3000S, two bubble cars and a Citroën Traction Avant 106 COVER Buying Guide Eight steps to choosing a trouble-free Isetta bubble car 114 Books and Models New releases on coachbuilder Saoutchik, a Lightweight E-type life story and coachbuilder Zagato, plus the best scale models reviewed by Sam Dawson 128 Dealer adverts 129 Ads on Test Citroën DS21 (p129), Mercedes-Benz 190 SL (p130), Siata Daina Gran-Sport (p132) and Triumph TR4A IRS (p135) 190 Advertise your classic for free 226 Classic Punts A reader recalls a Ferrari 330 GTC sold to avoid a scary engine bill
For the best-value deals, call today on 01858 438884, visit greatmagazines.co.uk/classics or p110
c o ntact us
See p226
5
1969 Aston martin db6
Lumped together with bits of Aston Martin DB5, this restoration called on years of specialist experience just to sort it out. Balancing the needs of an on-point restoration and time-earned patina was the next challenge
64
A s t o n m a r t i n D B 6 e p i c r e s t o r at i o n
e p i c
r e s t o r a t i o n s
‘It looked like someone had made a start at doing half a job’ Tony Wrighton dreamed of owning a DB6, but when an opportunity arose, it was in a big pile of bits. Sorting it out was just the start... Words: BEN FIELD Photography: RICHARD PARDON
65
l i f e
c y c l e
The life story of a
Hillman AVENGER Rally Car
After performing motor show duties in Paris, this 1600GT went to Scotland to go rallying with a succession of enthusiasts, including a raw but keen newcomer by the name of C. McRae Esq Words: Ivan Ostroff Main photograph: LYNDON MCNEIL
1973 A glamorous first assignment for OKV 571M
After rolling off the production line Hillman Avenger 1600GT, chassis number R48441 00169W5A, was registered on December 19 to Chrysler UK Ltd and put on display at the 1974 Paris Motor Show.
1974 Rallied successfully by Maconochies
for Chrysler worldwide. That car stayed on top of its class for about five years.’ One bizarre experience with the Avenger sticks in Gemmell’s mind. ‘I was competing against Jimmy McRae in Ireland and we both broke down. ‘Eventually we got the Avenger going again but Jimmy’s Firenza was finished. So, after the rally I towed him all the way to the Belfast Vauxhall dealer, who arranged to get
After the show, the car went to OKV and Macpherson in typically all-out Chrysler UK’s action on the Galloway Hills Rally, 1977 competition department where Wynne Mitchell was chief engineer. ‘Maconochies was the best Scottish dealership then and our competition manager Des O’Dell wanted to support them. He got us to convert the car to Group 1 spec.’ The Avenger was then campaigned by Ian Gemmell, Jimmy’s car back to Scotland. This was Maconochies’ sponsored driver in the during the worst of The Troubles. We had British Rally Championship. ‘Gemmell was to drive through the Shankill Road with a great driver,’ says Mitchell. In the 1975 these two very brightly marked rally cars. It Circuit of Ireland he finished eighth overall, was terrifying.’ first in 1600 Group 1 class and second overall in Group 1. A brilliant result.’ Gemmell has fond memories of the 1976 A rally car for £1500 Avenger. ‘It was a great car. We won the On April 1 the Avenger Tour of Mull and the first-ever Knockhill was bought by Angus rallycross, and we were third in Group 1 of Macpherson of Auchterarder, the British Rally Championship. And we Perthshire. ‘As a young man got an award for getting the most publicity in the Seventies I drove the
80
service car for rally driver Arthur Jasper,’ says Macpherson. After the Mintex Rally presentation at the Grand Hotel in Scarborough in February 1976 Arthur, Jimmy McRae and I were chatting when Ian Gemmell joined us. Ian revealed that Maconochies was switching to Ford, so he would be getting an Escort RS2000. That meant Avenger OKV 571M was going to be put up for sale. ‘At that time I wanted to get hold of a competitive rally car. Thanks to Ian, OKV was very well-known, still fairly modern, and I was told I could have it for £1500. I sold everything I could, then pleaded with my mother to lend me the rest of the money I needed. She agreed. So, with £1500 in my pocket I charged off to Kilmarnock. Soon OKV 571M was mine.’ Macpherson entered most of the smaller Scottish events to get experience, and his times began to improve. Ian Gemmell, who soon became a good friend, persuaded Macpherson to take advantage of the Avenger’s proven strength on tarmac by rallying it in Ireland. ‘The first Irish event that year was the Tour of Ulster. I was rubbish,’ admits Macpherson, ‘but I’d already got the bug for tarmac after servicing Arthur Jasper’s car on the Tour of Mull; I knew that OKV and me just had to do it!’
h i ll m a n av e n g e r l i f e cyc l e
Current owner Barrie Jordan inherited the Avenger already restored to original Maconochies spec 81
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T R I DE N T T E ST E D With marque appeal on a high, a 100 years of breeding and a staircase of affordability, now is the time to bag a Maserati Words: RUSS SMITH Photography: CHARLIE MAGEE & RORY GAME
M
aserati. There are perhaps two ways to define the marque. On the one hand it can be the thinking man’s Ferrari; packing the same kind of performance and style while being less, shall we say, obvious. On the other, Maseratis are the perfect grown-up life choice for those schooled in the foibles of Alfa Romeo ownership but seeking a greater challenge. Just be aware, once you’ve been poked by the three-pointed stick, there seems to be no way back. All the owners I met and talked to are either in a long-term relationship with their Maserati, have owned a string of them, or indeed have kept acquiring more – five of them in one case. Acquisition is less of an issue than it might be with Ferraris, because Maseratis are cheaper to buy. Don’t expect to run one on a shoestring, but where buying’s concerned, pretty much whatever your budget is, there’s a Maserati to suit.
48
49
Willson’s Smart Buys
Quentin takes a punt on a smart alternative to the Mini Cooper, Margaret Thatcher’s favourite motor and a Ferrari that’s suddenly everyone’s favourite ‘Mini 1275 GT values must surely move up’ With Mini Cooper values still soaring, the 1275 GT Clubman looks like it could be pulled up in the vapour trail. And the Cooper’s replacement of 1969 is a much less common sight. We never cherished the fastest Clubman like its famous forebear and of the 110,000 built by British Leyland in 1969-80 only a few hundred are known to survive. Perhaps it was the go-faster stripes, the parts-bin BL interior, Dunlop Denovo run-flat tyres (standard from 1977) or the dominance of the Ford Escort, but such a tiny survival rate is truly staggering. Find an early, original car with the dinky 10in steel Rostyle wheels that hasn’t been re-shelled and you’ll have one of the rarest, most undervalued Minis around. The first Mini to be fitted with a tachometer and using the Austin 1300 GT’s close-ratio gearbox, the 60bhp Clubman GT wasn’t as fast as the Cooper S, with that square front and single carburettor limiting the top speed to just 90mph. Early road testers didn’t like the noise at high speed and in December 1970 a revised differential was fitted, giving better heave through the gears. But the 1275 GT surprised everybody by winning the British Touring Car Championship in 1978 and ’79. Always seen as an example of Lord Stokes’ woeful cost-cutting policy, the sporty Clubman fell from grace quickly with many crashed, rusted away, scrapped and lost forever. Only in the last few years have values and interest started to perk up. Prices aren’t consistent though, with projects available for less than £3k £10k £7k
and really nice cars up at £10k. Average runners are where the potential lies and if the bodyshell is original there’s financial scope to restore a tired car into something that could edge towards £15k. Best buying comes from pre-1974 cars (chassis numbers start at S20D 101 A), but check it’s not a standard Clubman with a 1275 engine transplant and a replacement VIN plate. With so few survivors, finding a genuine car may be hard – but such extreme rarity means values must surely move up. ‘The Rover P5B remains unbelievably cheap’ The ministerial Rover is looking interesting. The London trade is sniffing nice ones out and pricing them as high as £15k, yet there are still plenty of private sellers with proper low-mileage cars at around £6k. It hasn’t moved significantly in price for a while, held back by a slightly fusty image and high restoration costs. All the classic ingredients are there: wuffly 3.5 V8, leather-lined cabin, smooth ride, decent speed and powerful road presence. The market has always seen the coupé as more desirable, but I think the saloons are under-appreciated. This is an incredibly colour-sensitive classic with Admiralty Blue, Black, Bordeaux Red and Arden Green best colours and black or buckskin interiors most favoured. The official transport of prime ministers and other high-up politicos through the Seventies, the final batch of P5B saloons off the line was bought up by the government in 1973 and put into storage, which is why anything that’s factory black with an M, N or P registration could once have carried someone special to the door of Number
Mini 1275 GT clubman climber Still not seen as Mini enough to excite buyers
£6k Square ‘Clubman’ front kept 1275 GT off the catwalk
£5k £4k £3k
Rose along with all Minis after production ended
£2k £0 1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2014
The 1275 GT didn’t replace the Cooper in our hearts, but as numbers fall enthusiasts are now giving it the love it deserves
26
10. The Queen still has an Arden Green ’73 saloon (I’ve driven it), so this is a classic with unimpeachable connections. A private seller in Devon has a ’73 Burnt Grey saloon with 62,000 miles and service history for £5250 and Ace Classic Cars in Leeds has a fine 1970 Bordeaux Red saloon with 60,000 for £7450 – both are sensible money and look good value compared to prices of contemporary Jaguar and Mercedes saloons. Go for the best you can find because shabby interiors, rusty wings and smoking engines will cost fortunes to restore. A mint, warranted-mileage P5B at less than £10k has the most potential for decent gains, especially when you consider how much a full-on restoration would cost. Look at one in the metal and they seem unbelievably cheap. The P5B has morphed from just an old Rover into a cool Seventies luxo-barge. I think the Buick-engined P5 could soon become a real climber. ‘It’s taken us 30 years to appreciate the Testarossa’ This one’s already exploded in price but everyone’s asking when it will peak. Only three years ago a decent Testarossa could be yours for £30k, yet this week I saw a 1989 with 15,000 miles for an astonishing £95k. After years of seeing it as too gauche and flamboyant, the Miami Vice drug-dealer’s ride has been steadily rising month by month. Yet we shouldn’t be surprised. Spend time in one and you wonder why there was so much negativity. Modena’s redhead doesn’t feel intimidating at all, is blissfully easy to drive with a lovely gear gate, pliant ride and roomy cabin. Ferrari’s
tradi n g Finding an original-body 1275 GT gets you a fun car and could pay
£12k
Rover p5b saloon a right royal ride Rightfully pulled up by rise in whole classic market
£10k
£8k
False spike attributable to a few strong sales
£6k
Price gains generally steady but unexciting
£4k
An unusually successful month for Ferraris with more than two seats, topped by this 250 GTE Year
Make/model
Where & when
Sold for
Above est % above
1972
Alfa Romeo Junior Z
Historics/Aug 30
30,240
5,240
21.0
1975
Alfa Romeo Spider 2000
Historics/Aug 30
12,432
2,432
24.3
1957
Aston Martin DB MkIII project
Bonhams/Sep 6
93,340
33,340
55.6
1970
Aston Martin DBS project
Silverstone/Sep 20
33,350
9,350
39.0
1956
Austin FX3D taxi
H&H/Oct 8
17,640
7,640
76.4
1923
Bentley 3-Litre Tourer
H&H/Oct 8
156,800
36,800
30.7
1963
Bentley S3 Flying Spur
Bonhams/Sep 6
74,300
29,300
65.1
1965
Commer Cob
Bonhams/Sep 13
9,775
2,775
39.6
1960
Daimler SP250 Dart
Historics/Aug 30
30,520
6,520
27.2
1962
Daimler SP250 Dart project
H&H/Oct 8
16,800
2,800
20.0
1960
Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina
Silverstone/Sep 4
707,250
282,250 66.4
1961
Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2
RM/Sep 8
296,800
56,800
23.7
1964
Ferrari 330 America 2+2
RM/Sep 8
224,000
49,000
28.0
1965
Ferrari 330 GT 2+2
Bonhams/Sep 13
270,300
50,300
22.9
1970
Ferrari Dino 246 GT
Bonhams/Sep 13
315,100
65,100
26.0
1972
Ferrari 365 GTC/4
Bonhams/Sep 13
169,500
29,500
21.1
1975
Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2
Bonhams/Sep 6
28,750
13,750
91.7
1982
Ferrari 400i auto
RM/Sep 8
36,400
16,400
82.0
1989
Ferrari 328 GTS
RM/Sep 8
156,800
61,800
65.0
1989
Ferrari F40
RM/Sep 8
761,100
186,600
32.5
1992
Ferrari 512 TR
RM/Sep 8
145,600
45,600
45.6
1978
Fiat Abarth Rallye 131
Bonhams/Sep 13
69,820
19,820
39.6
1967
Ford Mustang Shelby GT350
Bonhams/Sep 13
149,340
29,340
24.5
1961
Jaguar E-type 3.8 roadster
Bonhams/Sep 6
77,660
57,660
288.3
1964
Jaguar E-type 3.8 coupé
RM/Sep 8
109,200
19,200
21.3
1969
Jaguar E-type SII 2+2
Historics/Aug 30
36,400
6,400
21.3
1973
Jaguar E-type V12 roadster
Bonhams/Sep 6
68,700
18,700
37.4
1987
Jaguar XJ-SC V12 cabrio
Historics/Aug 30
15,960
5,960
59.6
1989
Jaguar XJ-S V12 convertible
Bonhams/Sep 6
20,700
4,700
29.4
1990
Lamborghini Countach 25th
RM/Sep 8
224,000
44,000
24.4
1963
Lancia Flavia Coupé
Historics/Aug 30
13,440
6,440
92.0
1960
Maserati 3500GT
Bonhams/Sep 13
98,940
18,940
23.7
1966
Mercedes-Benz 230SL
Bonhams/Sep 13
104,540
39,540
60.8
1967
Mercedes-Benz 250SL
Historics/Aug 30
94,080
29,080
44.7
1991
Mercedes-Benz 560 SEC
Silverstone/Sep 20 32,200
10,200
46.4
1964
Mini Cooper 1275S comp
Bonhams/Sep 13
85,500
35,500
71.0
1984
Peugeot 205 T16
RM/Sep 8
156,800
61,800
65.0
1973
Porsche 911 2.4S Targa
Silverstone/Sep 4
195,500
60,500
44.8
1975
Porsche 911 2.7S
Silverstone/Sep 20 26,450
6,450
32.3
1971
Triumph TR6
Historics/Aug 30
2,872
31.9
tradi n g £0 1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
Under-appreciated P5B saloon looks great value compared with contemporary Jags and Mercs
P5B is good to drive, handsome and cheap – and the Queen’s got one
high
11,872
low
Lotus Cortina only made regular money despite having been Colin Chapman’s own car, with just 24,000 on the clock Year
Make/Model
Where & when
Sold for
Below est % below
1968
Fiat Vignale Eveline project
Bonhams/Sep 6
1150
1850
61.7
1962
Ford Thunderbird
RM/Sep 8
44,800
15,200
25.3
1968
Ford Mustang fastback
Historics/Aug 30
32,480
9520
22.7
1962
Jaguar Mk2 3.8 project
Historics/Aug 30
7500
2000
21.1
1971
Lamborghini Espada SII
RM/Sep 8
84,000
26,000
23.6
1959
Lancia Appia Coupé
RM/Sep 8
23,520
6480
21.6
1969
Lotus Cortina II
RM/Sep 8
22,400
17,600
44.4
1938 MG SA Tourer
Bonhams/Sep 6
44,750
13,250
22.8
1950
MG TD
Bonhams/Sep 6
9,775
2,225
18.5
1951
MG TD
Historics/Aug 30
7000
8000
53.3
1968
Mini Moke
Bonhams/Sep 6
9,200
1800
16.4
1973
Morgan 4/4
Bonhams/Sep 6
10,925
3075
22.0
1973
Rolls-Royce Corniche
H&H/Oct 8
16,240
5760
26.2
1980
Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith II
H&H/Oct 8
5320
2180
29.1
1954
Sunbeam Alpine MkIII roadster
Bonhams/Sep 6
20,833
4167
16.7
1962
Trojan 200 microcar
Bonhams/Sep 13
12,075
2925
19.5
27