BACK BOX

Rob Hawkins speculates on a future classic that may have readers laughing their socks off, but he has his reasons

Rob Hawkins Contributor

When my niece called me last summer To my surprise, the Mk2 is much better – I Mk1 Ka will definitely become as collectible to ask what to do with her 2009 Ford couldn’t find any traces of structural corrosion as a Mk1 Fiesta, but would I want one? Ka Studio 1.2 that had been in her – which came as a huge shock because it’s Not a chance if I had to constantly fear the family since new but was probably about to associated with Fiat (it shares many components threat of rust. The Mk2 Ka may not be as fail the next, imminent MoT test, I volunteered with the 500 including its 1242cc petrol popular in future classic car circles, but it will to look over it and see whether I could fix engine), a company that is also known for once undoubtedly be accepted and this one with its anything to ensure it would last another year. producing rot-boxes. green (now faded to yellow) exterior paintwork However, she didn’t need the car anymore, so It wasn’t all plain sailing with this Mk2 Ka, is hard to miss. What appealed the most about I also offered to sell it for her. This was during but nothing too uncommon for these models. it was how simple it was to maintain. the Covid pandemic, so the car was delivered The brakes (discs at the front, drums at the rear) There was a time when Ford fans scoffed at to me and I set about servicing it, including dragged until I’d cleaned them up. There was Mk1 and Mk2 Fiestas, exclaiming that anything replacing the timing belt, rustproofing the water inside some of the chassis legs, which front-wheel drive wasn’t worthy of classic car underside, getting it through the MoT and even I drained and dried before rustproofing the status. Now, this is all many of us can afford. painting the plastic wheel trims. underside. The rear beam and suspension was The Ford Ka will head in the same direction,

I have to admit that I wasn’t looking forward covered in surface corrosion, but only needed so maybe now is the time to buy one and to the prospect of reviving a then 11-year-old cleaning and painting. The wheel trims had all either put it away or simply use and look after Ford Ka. The first generation of the Ka was in faded, but I revived them with a vinyl/plastic it. In my opinion, a Mk2 would be less hassle. my opinion, an utter disaster. It looks quirky, paint. The plastic thermostat housing cracked Unfortunately, I decided to sell this Mk2 Ka for but you could almost hear the rust crunching open and leaked all its coolant on the way to the £1500 because I didn’t need another car on its way through the sills. Many of these early MoT test, but only cost £30 for a new one. my driveway. I reckon that in another decade cars have rotted to pieces and those that have After getting to grips with this Mk2 Ka, it or two I’ll be kicking myself when their values survived are starting to appreciate in value.survived are starting to appreciate in value. got me thinking about emerging classics. The got me thinking about emerging classics. The have quadrupled. have quadrupled.

NEXT ISSUE OUT WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7

THE BEST (AND WORST) OF BL

Why not every car with a BL badge deserves the ridicule

Plus… we report on spring’s classic auctions, plus an update on our projects and all the latest news.

BUYING A VW T2

Get on the summer holiday trail with your own private accommodation on wheels

DOWNLOAD THE DIGITAL ISSUE OF CLASSIC CAR BUYER FROM AS LITTLE AS 94p!

Visit: www.pocketmags.com or download it via the App Store; search ‘Classic Car Buyer’.

ORDER FROM YOUR NEWSAGENT NOW!

Classic Car Buyer is available through any good newsagent. To ensure they save/ deliver your copy every week, complete this form and hand it to your newsagent.

Name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Address: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

POWERFUL ’70s COUPES

We try to choose between Jaguar’s XJ-C and the Mercedes C107 The printed version of ClassicCarBuyer is available in ASDA, Tesco, Morrisons and WH Smiths, plus all good newsagents

www.classicsworld.co.uk Kelsey Media The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL

EDITORIAL

Tel: 01959 541444 ccb.ed@kelsey.co.uk GROUP EDITOR PAUL WAGER FEATURES EDITOR JEFF RUGGLES DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR MATT BELL PRODUCTION EDITOR AARON MCKAY EDITORIAL ASSISTANT JOE MILLER SENIOR CONTRIBUTORS Iain Wakefield, Jack Grover, Peter Simpson CONTRIBUTORS Ian Cushway, Paul Guinness, Ian Seabrook, Nigel Fryatt, Simon Goldsworthy, Paul Walton, Maurice Hardy DESIGN ATG Media

ADVERTISEMENT SALES

TANDEM MEDIA MANAGING DIRECTOR Catherine Rowe catherine.rowe@tandemmedia.co.uk

ACCOUNT MANAGER Laura Crawte laura@tandemmedia.co.uk 01233 228754

PRODUCTION

TANDEM MEDIA AD PRODUCTION MANAGER Andy Welch 01233 220245 ccb@tandemmedia.co.uk

MANAGEMENT

Chief Operating Officer: Phil Weeden Chief Executive: Steve Wright Retail Director: Steve Brown Audience Development Manager: Andy Cotton Events Manager: Kat Chappell Print Production Manager: Georgina Harris Print Production Controller: Kelly Orriss Subscription Marketing Director: Gill Lambert Subscription Marketing Manager: Rochelle Gyer-Smith SUBSCRIPTIONS

UK 51 issues of Classic Car Buyer are published per annum UK annual subscription price: £142.80 Europe annual subscription price: £199 USA annual subscription price: £199 Rest of World annual subscription price: £225

UK subscription and back issue orderline: 01959 543747 Overseas subscription orderline: 0044 (0) 1959 543 747 Toll free USA subscription orderline: 1-888-777-0275 UK customer service team: 01959 543 747 Customer service email address: subs@kelsey.co.uk Customer service and subscription postal address: Classic Car Buyer Customer Service Team Kelsey Publishing Ltd The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL Find current subscription offers at: shop.kelsey.co.uk/cbu Buy back issues at shop.kelsey.co.uk/buyerback Already a subscriber? Manage your subscription online: shop.kelsey.co.uk/site/loginForm

CLASSIFIEDS

TEL: 0906 802 0279 (premium rate line, operated by Kelsey Media. Calls cost 65p per minute from a BT landline; other networks and mobiles may vary. Lines open Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm)

Email address: cars@kelseyclassifieds.co.uk Classic Car Buyer Classifieds, Kelsey Publishing Ltd, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 6AL DISTRIBUTION

Marketforce (UK), 3rd Floor, 161 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9AP Tel: 0330 390 6555

Distribution in Northern Ireland and the Republic Of Ireland Newspread Tel: +353 23 886 3850

PRINTING

Mortons Print, Lincolnshire, 01507 523456

Kelsey Media 2021 © all rights reserved. Kelsey Media is a trading name of Kelsey Publishing Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden except with permission in writing from the publishers. Note to contributors: articles submitted for consideration by the editor must be the original work of the author and not previously published. Where photographs are included, which are not the property of the contributor, permission to reproduce them must have been obtained from the owner of the copyright. The editor cannot guarantee a personal response to all letters and emails received. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Publisher. Kelsey Publishing Ltd accepts no liability for products and services offered by third parties. Kelsey Publishing Ltd uses a multi-layered privacy notice, giving you brief details about how we would like to use your personal information. For full details, visit www.kelsey.co.uk, or call 01959 543524. If you have any questions, please ask as submitting your details indicates your consent, until you choose otherwise, that we and our partners may contact you about products and services that will be of relevance to you via direct mail, phone, email or SMS. You can opt out at ANY time via email: data.controller@kelsey.co.uk or 01959 543524

Part of the Classics World Family www.classicsworld.co.uk Kelsey Media takes your personal data very seriously. For more information of our privacy policy, please visit https://www.kelsey.co.uk/privacy-policy/. If at any point you have any queries regarding Kelsey’s data policy you can email our Data Protection Officer at dpo@kelsey.co.uk.

KELSEYmedia