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What ’s

It ’s a valid que stion w he n it come s to the auto motive wo rld, which has of te n revisite d name s f rom the past when creating its nex t gene ration of new models A nd reusing old badge s is a subje c t that we take a b r ief lo ok at in this we ek’s ‘5 of the Be st ’ , which you’ll f ind in its u sua l p o sition at the e nd of the news page s

It ’s not of te n we quote S hake sp e a re in CCB, but I’ll make a n exc e ption he re: “ W hat ’s in a na me? T hat which we c a ll a rose by a ny othe r na me would s me ll ju s t a s swe et ” T he su g g e s tion is that the na ming of thing s is l a r g e l y ir r e l eva nt. B u t fa s t fo r wa r d to th e 21s t c e ntu r y a n d we f ind ple nt y of c a r ma nufac ture r s dis agre e ing W hy else would Citro ë n de cide to adopt the histo r ic A mi na me fo r its miniatu re four whe ele d all ele c tr ic cit y device that’s ju s t g o ne o n s a l e in the UK? T h e re mu s t b e evi d e n c e to sugge st that using a much love d old badge will some how give the newc ome r a he ad s t a r t T he Fre nch are on a roll at the moment when it c ome s to re cycling old m o de l na me s, with Re nault having alre ady unveile d the retro st yle d ele c tr ic Re nault 5 that ’s due on s ale by 20 24 A nd a s this is sue of CCB g o e s to pr int, the s a me c ompany is about to unve il a new Re nault 4, a m o de l that ’s s

the

FE ATURES

Paul G uinn

Editor

CL ASSIC INTEREST

AS S IC SCE N ES

ORDERS

NEC’s Pride of Ownership revealed

The Lancaster Insurance Pride of Ownership competition is set to reach its conclusion at next month’s Classic Motor Show with a total of 20 finalists selected from an impressive array of more than 80 entries.

The finalists will be brought together to form the centrepiece of the three day extravaganza at the NEC, Birmingham, where the eventual winner will be crowned The selection process involved judging not just the condition and overall presentation of each car

but also its history and rarity

This year’s competition features a wide spread of entrants The oldest is Paddy Doherty’s 1938 Austin 10 Cambridge, with

the newest a Bentley Turbo R from 1998, owned by Aaron Patel Other finalists include Ian Croft’s ex Graham Hill 1968 Lotus Elan, Adrian Liepins’ 1960 TVR Grantura, plus a 1972 Aston Martin DBS V8 owned by Adrian Howells

More highlights include a 1976 William Clyclo and a 1985 Honda Acty at the rarer end of the spectrum, owned by Louise Barrett and Philip Egan respectively, while Stephen Cheape’s 1981 Ford Fiesta Popular and David Roberts’ restored 1985 Nissan Sunny stand out as rare surviving examples of once common

everyday cars

Mick Jones’ 1983 BMW 316 Baur Convertible, Jamie Eglinton’s 1992 Rover Mini, Andrew Ray’s 1993 Vauxhall Nova GSi and Lez Dix’s 1995 Ginetta G33 also feature, bridging the ’80s into the ’90s as a reflection of the ever broadening classic car scene

The winner of the competition and two runners up will each receive a trophy and a year’s free insurance, plus the chance to display their car at the next event held by the organisers

The three day Lancaster

Insurance Classic Motor Show, scheduled to take place at Birmingham’s NEC, opens its doors on Friday, November 11 For further

Family affair

A1 9 0 3 P a n h a rd

L e v a s s o r t h a t ’s b e e n i n t h e s a m e f a m i l y o w n e r s h i p f ro m n e w m a k i n g i t p o t e n t i a l l y u n i q u e a m o n g i t s p e e r s i s s e t t o t a k e p a r t i n t h i s y e a r ’s L o n d o n t o B r i g h t o n Ve t e r a n C a r R u n , t a k i n g p l a c e o n S u n d a y, N o v e m b e r 6

I t w a s 1 1 9 y e a r s a g o t h a t S i r G e o rg e

W h i t e , a B r i s t o l b a s e d b u s i n e s s m a n a n d l a t e r t h e f o u n d e r o f t h e B r i s t o l

A e ro p l a n e C o m p a n y, p a i d £ 7 5 0 f o r t h e P a n h a rd L e v a s s o r a s a 2 1 s t b i r t h d a y p re s e n t f o r h i s s o n , S t a n l e y

T h e F re n c h c a r re m a i n s

i n t h e W h i t e f a m i l y t o t h i s d a y, w i t h S t a n l e y ’s g r a n d s o n al s o S i r G e o rg e W h i t e ge a r i n g u p t o d r i v e t h e m u c h l o v e d h e i r l o o m o n t h i s y e a r ’s v e t e r a n r u n

T h e P a n h a rd L e v a s s o r, f e a t u r i n g a 2 4 l i t re f o u r c y l i n d e r e n g i n e , w a s s u p p l i e d n e w w i t h f o u r s e a t e r t o n n e a u c o a c h w o r k b y L a b o u rd e t t e I t w a s fi n i s h e d i n w h i t e w i t h re d d e t a i l i n g , b u t w a s l a t e r c h a n g e d t o t h e f a m i l y ’s t r a d i t i o n a l d a r k g re e n a n d b l a c k l i v e r y T h e s u b s e q u e n t i n t ro d u c t i o n o f n u m b e r p l a t e s s a w t h e c a r re g i s t e re d a s A E 1 0 , w h i c h i t s t i l l c a r r i e s t o d a y T h i s y e a r ’s L o n d o n

t o B r i g h t o n i s t h o u g h t t o b e t h e P a n h a rd L e v a s s o r ’s 2 0 t h , i t s fi r s t h a v i n g t a k e n p l a c e i n t h e 1 9 5 0 s T h e c a r w a s i n h e r i t e d b y t h e c u r re n t S i r G e o rg e i n 1 9 6 4 , u p o n t h e d e a t h o f h i s g r a n d f a t h e r. T h e f u l l s t o r y o f A E 1 0 c a n b e f o u n d i n t h e o ffi c i a l L o n d o n t o B r i g h t o n Vet e r a n Ca r R u n

Finalists

details or to order tickets, visit necclassicmotorshow com To save £2 on your ticket price, use the code CCB when booking online

Scramble tickets on sale

Tickets are now available for Bicester Heritage’s Winter Scramble, set to take place on January 9, 2023, following the success of the recent October event

Visitors to the latest Scramble were able to enjoy a display celebrating two unexpectedly connected cars as part of the ‘Family Ties’ section

It marked the diversity of designers for a range of marques, bringing over 20 cars together from such illustrious brands as Skoda,

Prodrive, Lamborghini and Jaguar The ever popular autojumble and Trader Village retur ned to Hangar 113, meanwhile, giving attendees a chance to pick up some memorabilia and browse the range of products on offer

‘Winter Wagons’ will headline January’s Scramble, with an assortment of estate cars and woodies planned for the feature display To find out more or to book tickets, visit scramblers bicesterheritage co uk

The car in its original factory supplied colour scheme

Adrian Howells’ Aston Martin DBS V8 is a real head tur ner

Christopher Bailey’s 1964 Gilber n GT is a handsome rarity.

Moder n classic finalists include Andrew Ray’s ’93 Nova GSi

The current Sir George White, son Philip and the Panhard Levassor

Jaguar exits sports car sector after 75 years of production

Jaguars, set to go on sale from 2025, it’s thought the company has no current plans for another low slung coupe or convertible The loss of the F Type, which launched in 2013 and effectively replaced the long running XK, marks the end of the traditional Jaguar sports car

Jaguar has announced that its F Type roadster and coupe will be discontinued by the end of 2023, bringing to an end 75 years of combustion engined sports cars a lineage that stretches back to the record breaking XK120 of 1948 and includes legendary models like the ’61 E Type

With Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) developing a new line up of high end all electric

Heritage Garage for Bentley

Bentley Motors has announced the opening of its new Heritage Garage, with part of the original

Crewe factory site being repurposed to house some of the most historically significant Bentley models of the last 103 years

The Heritage Garage complements the existing Bentley Lineage exhibition in nearby CW1 House, providing a showcase for

The move is certain to disappoint marque enthusiasts around the world But to ensure the Jaguar sports car exits in style, JLR has announced an ‘F Type 75’ edition, sitting at the top of what will be the model’s final year line up

Entry level F Types will still be available with the current 2 0 litre (296bhp) four cylinder engine For 2023, however, the V8 powered flagships will be built solely in ‘F Type 75’ guise, with the 5 0 litre supercharged models offering either 444bhp or 567bhp depending on

the 42 car Bentley Heritage collection The Heritage Garage will house 22 cars from the collection, currently spread from 1919 onwards but eventually focusing on those models built at Crewe which means all Bentleys from 1946 onwards

specification In its most powerful all wheel drive R spec, the ‘F Type 75’ delivers 516lb ft of torque helping it to hit 60mph in 3 5 seconds, with a limited top speed of 186mph The special edition ‘75’ models will range in price from £78,330 for the V8 coupe to £108,065 for the F Type R AWD convertible

JLR hasn’t announced how many of the ‘F Type 75’ it plans to build The final figure is likely to depend on customer demand and the ongoing challenges of global component supply issues. Commenting on the demise of the Jaguar sports car as we know it, JLR’s Matthew Beaven said: “For 75 years, Jaguar has been renowned for producing extraordinary sports cars that deliver performance, agility and maximum driver reward The F Type special editions hold true to these principles, adding unique interior and exterior design

For the first time ever, the facility enables every car in the Bentley Heritage collection to be kept on site at the company’s Crewe HQ The collection has undergone major expansion over the last 18 months, and now represents the marque’s entire history

Head of Bentley Heritage, Mike Sayer, commenting at the official opening of the Heritage Garage, said: “As we continue to evolve, we want our guests and colleagues from all areas of the company to be able to share the rich history of Bentley Motors ”

details to celebrate this lineage before Jaguar becomes an all electric brand from 2025 ”

Jaguar is currently facing a number of challenges, as reported in the October 5 issue of CCB A combination of supply issues and falling demand has seen the marque drop behind Alfa Romeo in terms of European sales, with production of its two remaining saloon models the XE and XF officially ‘paused’ (and unlikely to restart, according to some sources), while the company’s SUVs struggle to halt the sales slide.

The loss of the F Type in 2023 brings to an end the 75 year reign of Jaguar sports cars, which began in 1948 with the XK120 and continued through its XK140 and XK150 successors The 1961 debut of the E Type pushed Jaguar to the forefront of the sports car sector, its combination of sensational styling and supercar like performance at a non supercar price guaranteeing its status as an automotive icon

The Jaguar sports car evolved into a grand tourer via models like the E Type Series 3 and subsequent XJ S, while the XK8 and XKR of 1996 injected more driver appeal into the marque’s line up It was via the F Type of 2013 that Jaguar truly rediscovered its ability to develop a focused sports car, albeit at a premium price and with a distinctly upmarket spec Now though, the F Type will shortly be bidding farewell taking with it Jaguar’s place in the traditional sports car sector

The ‘F Type 75’ edition will mark the end of the traditional Jaguar sports car.

Jaguar’s sports car fame reached its peak via the E Type’s launch of 1961

more than 60 years after the launch of the

Famous connection

MG’s record growth

The rise of revitalised MG in the UK shows no sign of abating, with the company’s January to September 2022 sales figures seeing a year on year increase of almost 67 per cent with 38,312 new cars registered compared with an overall market decline of 8 2 per cent

A1931 Rolls Royce 20/25 that for many years carried Dame Vera Lynn to the annual Ditchling Fair in her East Sussex home village is due to go under the hammer with H&H Classics as this issue of CCB hits the shops

The car, complete with original spec Thrupp & Maberly coachwork and distinctive yellow and black colour scheme, has been in the same family ownership for the last six decades A familiar sight around the village of Ditchling throughout that time, it carries an estimate of £25,000 £35,000 Launched in 1929, the 20/25

was powered by a 3669cc OHV straight six engine, making it usefully faster than its 20hp predecessor The model remained in production until 1936, with a total of 3827 rolling chassis sold to a wide range of independent coachbuilders

This smart survivor has been treated to a service and full check over and comes complete with its original handbooks, plus a collection of old MoTs and invoices dating back to the 1960s To find out more, head to handh co uk

The latest figures give MG an overall market share of 3 17 per cent during the first nine months of this year, making it the 12th bestselling

manufacturer Crucially, this latest success gives MG a significantly larger share of the UK market than historic marques like Citroen (1 89 per cent), Fiat (1 27 per cent), MINI (2 67 per cent), Renault (1 84 per cent) and Land Rover (2 8 per cent)

In addition to its current range of SUVs and all electric models, MG will be rejoining the two seater roadster sector in 2024 when it finally launches the production version of its electric Cyberster concept car

Trophy for A35

A1958 Austin A35 that was used in the ’59 RAC Rally, as well as many other motorsport events over the years, took top honours at the Lakeland Motor Museum’s recent Classic Drive & Ride In Day The little Austin was awarded the Awesome Autumn Trophy from around 100 classics gathered at the museum for the popular meet

The A35 was bought new by motorsport enthusiast Bob Smith, from Windermere, who was active in the Fur ness Motor Club It was used in various rally events before being traded in for a new Mini It was sold on to a family in Millom and stayed there until 1999

“Bob is a good friend of mine and in the 1990s I managed to track down where his Austin had ended up,” explains current owner,

R e cy c l e d c a r n a m e s

Simon Smith “He was able to buy it back and set about restoring it I acquired it in January 2020 and have continued the restoration since then.”

Given the success of their original versions, it’s perhaps not surprising to see well known nameplates reappearing on new look models in later years Check out this quintet of favourites

The original Beetle went down in history as one of the longest lived models and the biggest seller of all time, built and sold in Mexico until as recently as 2003 Moribund in Europe and the USA since the late ’70s, however, the Beetle name reappeared in 1997 when the front wheel drive New Beetle hit the road

The original Rover 75 was launched in 1949, marking the start of the long running P4 series The 75 stayed in production for a decade, though the P4 as a range lived for 15 years The Rover 75 then made a comeback for the 1999 model year, when Rover’s impressive new executive saloon made its debut

Launching at the same British motor show of October 1998 as the Rover 75, Jaguar’s latest executive saloon was not only unashamedly retro styled but also took its name from one of its forebears of the 1960s The reinvented S Type divided opinion but proved successful, remaining on sale through to 2007

Exactly 50 years after the original rear engined Fiat 500 came the new for 2007 car of the same name, this time a front wheel drive hatchback that’s still going strong a decade and a half later Cute styling and an abundance of neat retro touches have ensured its lasting appeal to a new generation of fans

The original Mini Clubman was the flat fronted saloon and estate that arrived at the end of the 1960s, updating Issigonis’ miniature marvel after a decade on sale But the new MINI Clubman of 2007 was estate only, based around the second generation ‘R56’ MINI and best known for its oddball door layout

Volkswagen Beetle Rover 75

Jaguar S Type

Fiat 500

Mini Clubman

Vera Lynn (second from right) was chauffeured to Ditchling Fair in the 20/25.

AND LATEST PRICES FROM THE

PREVIEW: WB & SONS, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, OCTOBER 29

Ju s t w h e n y o u t h i n k W B & So n s c a n ’t p u l l a n y m o re m a g i c o u t o f i t s a u c t i o n h a t , a l o n g c o m e s i t s n e x t s a l e o n O c t o b e r 2 9 w i t h a n o t h e r s u p e r b l i n e u p o f d e s i r a b l e r a r i t i e s , t r a d i t i o n a l c l a s s i c s a n d o n e o ff s T h i s t i m e t h e re ’s a re a l s p o r t i n g b i a s , h o w e v e r, wi t h a ho s t o f h o t h a t c h e s a n d p o w e r f u l v a r i a n t s t o g e t p u l s e s r a c i n g

How about a Peugeot 205 GTI 1 9 fro m 1992? It’s t h o u g h t t o b e u n i q u e i n y e l l o w a n d c a r r i e s a g u i d e p r i c e o f £ 1 4 , 0 0 0 £ 1 8 , 0 0 0 A l s o g u a r a n t e e d t o a t t r a c t a t t e n t i o n i s a 19 8 8 Va u x h a l l N o v a G T E t h a t ’s c o v e re d o n l y 3 5 , 0 0 0 m i l e s a n d i s g u i d e d a t £ 1 4 , 0 0 0 £ 1 6 , 0 0 0 A n d f ro m t h e p o s t 2 0 0 0 e r a o f h y p e r h a t c h e s c o m e s a n A l f a R o m e o 1 4 7 G Ta , 3 . 2 l i t re Bu s s o V 6 a n d a l l ; t h e b e a u t i f u l re d e x a m p l e i s g u i d e d a t £ 1 2 , 0 0 0 £ 1 5 , 0 0 0 , b u t i f y o u p re f e r a sa l o o n t h e re are t w o e x a m p l e s of th e e q u i v a l e n t 1 5 6

G Ta

A c o u p l e of co n t e m p o r a r y f a s t S u b a r u s a re al s o i n c l u d e d , w i t h a d e s i r a b l e 1 9 9 9 I m p re z a W R X Ty p e R A L i m i t e d e s t i m a t e d a t £ 1 2 , 0 0 0 £ 1 6 , 0 0 0 , j o i n e d b y a 2 8 0 b h p t w i n t u r b o l o a d l u g g e r i n t h e s h a p e o f a 20 0 1 L e g a c y G T B ‘ E t u n e ’ , g u i d e d a t a n a l l u r i n g £ 7 0 0 0 £ 9 0 0 0 A d d i n g a m u c h l u x u r i o u s s l a n t i s a Ja g u a r S Ty p e R fro m 2 0 0 2 , w i t h a pa i r o f B e n t l e y A r n a g e s o ff e r i n g y e t m o re p re s t i g e

R e w i n d i n g b a c k t o t h e ’ 8 0 s o n c e m o re , a n i m m a c u l a t e 1 9 8 3 F o rd S i e r r a X R 4 i i s e s t i m a t e d a t £ 1 4 , 0 0 0 £ 1 6 , 0 0 0 , a n d y o u ’ l l a l s o fi n d a c o u p l e o f C a p r i s o n e a 1 9 8 6 2 0 L a s e r t h a t c o u l d c o m m a n d a s m u c h a s £ 1 5 , 0 0 0 M e a n w h i l e , a ve r y ti d y 1 9 8 5 V W G o l f C a b r i o l e t m i g h t o ff e r a cu t p r i c e ro u t e t o G T I o w n e r s h i p , w h i l e f o r

t h o s e af t e r a ro t a r y t w i s t t h e re ’s a s u p e r b e x a m p l e o f a n e a r l y M a z d a R X 7 f ro m t h e s a m e y e a r F o r t h o s e p re f e r r i n g t w o s e a t s , a n M G F a n d a l a t e r T F a re j o i n e d b y a sm a r t M 1 0 0 L o t u s E l a n S E f ro m 1 9 9 1 , a Mk 1 A u d i T T a n d a 20 0 0 Po r s c h e B o x s t e r S , w h i l e e a r l i e r c a r s i n c l u d e t w o F i a t X 1 / 9 s , a 19 7 4 Al f a S p i d e r, a 1 9 6 7 S u n b e a m A l p i n e a n d a 19 6 4 A u s t i n H e a l e y 3 0 0 0 A s f o r t r a d i t i o n a l t i n t o p c l a s s i c s , t h e re ’s a 1 9 5 4 Au s t i n A 4 0 S o m e r s e t , a 1 9 6 8 M o r r i s M i n o r a n d a VW B e e t l e f ro m t h e s a m e y e a r, w h i l e a Ma e s t ro C i t y X a n d M k 1 Va u x h a l l A s t r a 1 3 0 0 a re bo t h p o t e n t i a l F e s t i v a l o f t h e U n e x c e p t i o n a l c o n t e n d e r s F o r t h e f u l l c a t a l o g u e , s e e w b a n d s o n s . c o m .

Endowed with a 3.2 litre V6 Busso engine driving its front wheels, the Alfa Romeo 147 GTa is one of the more unruly hot hatches This superb looking 2004 car wears a GTA registration number and is estimated at £12,000 £15,000.

UK supplied from new and until recently displayed in a Mazda main dealer’s classic collection, this 1985 RX 7 has covered 73,000 miles and looks to be in exceptional condition It’s estimated at £18,000 £22,000.

Perhaps one for brave souls only, this 1964 Citroën DS has been imported from sunny Califor nia, so is likely to be more solid than it first appears It’s far from a weekend project, but at an estimated £3000 £4000 it could be a worthwhile one

A rare pre war example in right hand drive, this 1937 Fiat 500 ‘Topolino’ is a UK car, sold new to a buyer in Dundee It’s in very good condition with plenty of history, and is expected to command £8000 £12,000

In immaculate condition with a documented history and 35,000 miles from new, this 1988 Vauxhall Nova GTE is something of a unicor n It’s guided at £14,000 £16,000

The Renault Juvaquatre was a pre war design that remained in production in estate bodied Dauphinoise guise until 1960 This 1957 example is in excellent condition and was driven to the auction house. It’s guided at £4000 £6000.

A very clean example in excellent condition, this 1983 Ford Sierra XR4i looks the part in white and comes with its original pepperpot wheels in the boot. It’s guided at £14,000 £16,000.

One of the more traditional classics in the sale is this lovely 1954 Austin A40 Somerset Very smart in grey with a leather interior showing just the right amount of patina, it’s estimated at £4000 £6000.

A one owner car with 42,000 miles and lots of paperwork, this humble 1988 Maestro City X 1 3 isn’t immaculate but is an impressive survivor It carries a guide price of £1000 £3000

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This 1999 Subaru Impreza WRX is a desirable Type RA Limited variant produced for the Japanese market. Imported a few years ago, it shows the equivalent of 95,000 miles and is expected to sell for £12,000 £16,000

NEWS, REVIEWS AND LATEST PRICES FROM THE AUCTION HOUSES

PREVIEW: SWVA, ONLINE, OCTOBER 28

British classics will feature heavily when SWVA puts around 70 cars under the hammer during its final classic auction of 2022 on October 28 The sale itself will once again be held behind closed doors, but viewing appointments are available during the weekdays beforehand at the firm’s Poole headquarters

As usual, the first cars to cross the block will be offered with no reserve, and there are some surprising entries These include a 1 951 Armstrong Siddeley limousine (one of only 122 long wheelbase examples built) and a Sunbeam Talbot 90 from 1955 in need of some restoration work Meanwhile, a ’ 55 MG TF imported from Califor nia looks like a superb project ahead of the winter, w hile a 1978 MGB GT offers a similar opportunity for those looking for a tin top

The MG selection continues with an earlier GT in Black Tulip, a 1 972 ’B ro adster, a moder n TF fro m 2005, a 1 965 Midget and a 1 961 MGA that carries an alluring £14,000 £15,000 guide price These are joined by a late Tr iumph TR7 Convertible, while pre war Brits include a 1934 Austin Seven Opal estimated at a mere £2000 £3000 and a 1935 Morris Eight Saloon that remarkably has had only two owners from new Minis are popular too, with a 1995 Mayfair bookended by a 1959 example imported from Portugal and one of the final Cooper 500 cars For those preferring their saloons a little larger, a 1954 Jaguar ‘Mk1’ 2 4 is joined by a 2001 XJR and a D aimler 2 50 V8, while those looking for a Rover will have the choice between a P4 in 9 5 guise, two V8 powered P6s and a beautiful P5 in 3 Litre Coupe form Crossing over to Germany, a 1971 BMW 1600 2 and a

1989 E30 325i SE join an E34 generation 520i SE from 1995 that’s e xpected to sell for under £2000, while a five cylinder Mercedes 190E 2 5D in excellent condition looks set to attract lots of interest

Elsewhere, you’ll also find t wo Reliant Scimitar GTEs, a similarly ro omy a nd very charming Tr iumph Herald Estate, a pair o f J apanese two seaters in the shape of a Mk1 Mazda MX 5 and a Mk2 To yota MR2, an Austin Healey Frogeye Sprite and even a 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser diesel For the full catalogue, see swva co uk

Subject to lots of restoration work over the past five years, this 1973 Citroën DS23 Pallas is now in very sound condition and is said to drive well At an estimated £17,000 £19,000, it could be a real bargain.

Joining one of the first Minis in the sale is one of the last. This 2000 Rover Mini Cooper Sport 500, as the name suggests, is one of the

500 cars built Showing a warranted 31,000 miles, it carries the same £10,000 £12,000 estimate as its 1959 forebear

This Mk1 Mini known as an Austin 850 in Portugal, where it was originally sold is a very early car, having been built in October 1959 It’s now UK registered and, though it needs a little TLC, looks to be excellent value at an estimated £10,000 £12,000

This 1971 BMW 1600 2 originally began life in orange but was repainted Deep Brunswick Green in 2000. A solid example that was recently recommissioned and is now ready to go, it’s estimated at £8000 £10,000

equipped with overdrive. It comes with plenty of paperwork and is estimated at £3900 £4900

Standing out among the

is this Armstrong Siddeley limousine, one of just 122 long wheelbase cars made It’s an older

from long term

and comes with plenty of

£17,000

car

This beautiful 1965 P5 3 Litre Coupe is one of several big Rovers in the sale. In lovely condition throughout, it’s fitted with the rare manual gearbox and is expected to sell for £8000 £9000

Incredibly, this 1935 Morris Eight Saloon has had just two owners from

using it to tour Europe in Latterly

due

issue,

A smart example of the lesser spotted and retrospectively titled Jaguar

looks superb in gold with

leather

immaculate under

This 1962 Daimler SP250 ‘Dart’ has had

three keepers from

and has been subject to a complete photographic restoration Supplied with all the invoices for the work carried

MARKET TRENDS Twin-Cam Sports Cars

MGA TWIN CAM (1958 1960)

To keep up with the likes of Triumph and Austin Healey on the race circuit and rally stage, the boffins at MG developed a high performance version of the MGA based around an enlarged (1588cc) B Series block with an all new alloy DOHC cylinder head

Producing 108bhp (against the standard 1 5 litre OHV engine’s 72bhp) at 6700rpm, the MGA Twin Cam had a very different character and significantly greater performance than the standard car As well as the new engine, the Twin Cam had four wheel disc brakes and unique Dunlop perforated steel disc wheels, giving it a racy and moder n appearance

Unfortunately, the Twin Cam suffered from running and reliability issues in service Modifications reduced but never solved the problems and the

Price gaps narrowing

engine gained a reputation as highly strung, as well as being both expensive to make and costly to sell The Twin Cam was withdrawn from sale after just two years and a production run of 2111 examples

The combination of rarity, originality and performance makes the Twin Cam valuable today easily the most expensive of all MGA types Prices at auction have risen steadily over the past decade, by a total of around 50 per cent between 2012 and 2022 They levelled off during 2019/2020 but the trend now seems to have retur ned Twin Cams essentially exist either as projects (worth £10,000 £20,000 depending on exactly how complete they are) or as fully restored cars in very good condition or better, with very little middle ground The going rate is currently quite tightly packed in the £40,000 £50,000 area

LOTUS ELAN (1962 1973)

Like MG, Lotus opted to put a bespoke DOHC head on a production block when the company needed more power for a new sports car, choosing the new ‘tall deck’ version of the Ford Kent unit with its strong bottom end, short stroke and light thin wall casting Ex BRM and future Jaguar engine designer Harry Mundy, Cosworth founders Mike Costin and Kevin Duckworth, and engine ‘breathing’ guru Harry Weslake were among those who had input into the design of the aluminium head

The Lotus twin cam engine technically had three cams since the original Kent camshaft was retained in the block to drive the distributor and oil pump Originally

Private sales show rises

displacing 1498cc, the engine debuted in the Lotus Elan in 1962, making 100bhp at 5700rpm; but after just 22 examples were made, the capacity was increased to 1558cc for 105bhp When in optional SE spec the Elan had 115bhp (later 118bhp), while the version in the Sprint with bigger valves made 126bhp at 6500rpm.

A star performer when new and a perennial favourite since, the Elan’s values have stayed consistently strong over the years The most desirable (pristine early 1600s, late Sprints and those prepped for racing or with competition history) followed the familiar trend of getting well ahead of the rest of the pack price wise, peaking in 2019, with that gap then dramatically closing A really superb Sprint is now £50,000 £60,000 while a merely very good one is £40,000 £45,000, which is roughly the same figure as for a fully restored and well set up S2 or S3 Older restorations or more average examples of those fetch £20,000 £30,000

FIAT 124 SPIDER (1966 1981)

The Fiat 124 saloon set new standards for family cars in the late 1960s with its spacious cabin, keen roadholding, lightweight body and all wheel disc brakes enough to make it a European CoTY winner in 1966 And in the Italian tradition, it wasn’t long

before sporting versions of the 124 were launched, starting with the 124 Sport Coupe (designed and built by Fiat) and then the Sport Spider roadster, which was the work of Pininfarina and sat on a shortened version of the 124 platform This was the first outing of the famous Fiat ‘Lampredi’ twin cam engine, soon to appear in sporty versions of the saloon and other Fiat models, then to become a unit favoured by specialist car makers and engine converters on account of its compact size, ease of maintenance, reliability and tuneability

The original Sports Spider had a 1 4 litre twin cam making 89bhp, later growing to 1 6 , 1 8 and 2 0 litre variants making up to 116bhp Pininfarina would take over sales of the Spider from Fiat in 1981, continuing the model with the same engine until 1985

The 124 Spider combines all the desirable features of an Italian sporting classic, but this is not really reflected in its values Despite frequent predictions that Spider prices will soon be on the rise, this has never really been delivered Auction results tick up between 2017 and 2019 but have now dropped back to their 2016 level The going rate is currently £10,000 £15,000 for a tidy example, although there’s better evidence of rising values in private sales and more average cars, now in the £8000 £10,000 bracket.

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For many years, ‘twin-cam’ spoke of potent performance and advanced engineering. Here’s how the values of three sports cars defined by engines with two camshafts have been faring Project or perfect

MARKET TRENDS Two-Box Saloons

CITROËN GS (1970 1979)

The GS was supposed to do for small family cars what the DS had done for large saloons 15 years earlier Conceptually, it was something of a melange of existing Citroën thinking (an air cooled engine like the 2CV, hydropneumatics suspension like the DS) but in an advanced package The slippery teardrop shape, Kamm tail and faired in rear wheels gave it very low drag (0 31Cd), which allowed it to cruise at fast motorway speeds economically and quietly on a 1015cc (54bhp) engine The GS set new standards for safety, ride comfort, ergonomics and refinement, and was named European Car of the Year for 1971 But it failed to foresee the coming of the family hatchback, despite

French manufacturers being something of a pioneer in that department, including Citroën Not that this hampered the GS’s sales, especially once a five door estate became available in 1971 It wasn’t until 1979 that the GS was re engineered to become the GSA and gained a fifth door.

Over the past five years, things have picked up dramatically for the GS, driven by a new appreciation of the model’s advanced design and current rarity As is familiar, it’s the ones in top condition early, original and low mileage that have pulled way ahead of the pack and could now be worth three times what they were in 2015 (we’re talking £10,000 £15,000) The values of more average examples have largely stayed put, and provided

the structure and suspension is sound they go for £3000 £6000 Scruffy ones and ‘bar n finds’ needing recommissioning come in from just £1500 or so

ALFA ROMEO ALFASUD (1971-1982)

The Alfasud is often credited with being the seed from which the hot hatch sprouted, since it was one of the first models to combine the practicality of a small family car with truly sports car like handling But for most of its life the ’Sud was not particularly hot and it wasn’t a hatchback, despite its sloping rear end In fact, the rear end of the body included a structural parcel shelf that contributed greatly to the car’s high degree of body stiffness but which made a hatch difficult

Production and quality problems at the Alfasud’s dedicated factory near Naples meant that demand for what was and still often is regarded as a masterclass is how a small car should drive always greatly outstripped supply, and those that were made were plagued by horrific rust issues. It wasn’t until the last year of the Alfasud’s life that the body was redesigned to offer a hatchback option in three and five door forms

The Alfasud is quite a rarity today, especially in the wet and salty UK The graph of auction results over the past eight years rather oddly resembles a sawblade, with gentle rises followed by sharp falls but no long term trend Today’s ’Suds are nearly all restored or original examples scruffy ones just haven’t survived Most interest centres on the sporty Ti model, with the more ‘cooking’ examples getting passed over Results seem to depend greatly on just how many ’Sud fans there are in the audience These days a Ti can fetch £7000 £9000 while an ordinary four door can go for anywhere between £3000 and £6000

AUSTIN ALLEGRO (1973-1982)

The unfortunate Allegro could include hatchback pioneers like the A40 Countryman and

Maxi among its forebears, so in retrospect it was unfortunate that a car consciously intended to be British Leyland’s advanced and forward looking product didn’t include a tailgate But to be fair to the Allegro, it suffered from being one of the last cars of the era before hatchbacks became the norm in mid size family cars (the Volkswagen Golf would arrive a year after the Austin)

In the mid 1970s, the lack of a rear hatch didn’t really hinder the Allegro its weaknesses were its challenging looks, underdeveloped Hydragas suspension, some unfathomable spec and marketing errors, and the all pervasive quality and build issues Unlike the other two cars here, the Allegro was never updated to have a hatch, which by the early 1980s was a serious failing against the new generations of superminis and small family cars

The past five years have seen a real tur naround in the Allegro’s fortunes, however, with a boost to its image helping average values to (slightly) more than double in that period Condition and originality determine things more than age or specification; project Allegros are worth £500 £1500, tidy but ordinary ones come in at £2500 £4000, while very good survivors can go for £5000 £7000.

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Aerodynamics were all the rage in the early 1970s, but the hatchback was still seen as utilitarian and that led to a crop of cars whose fixed rear windows belied their two box shape

Values picking up

Affordable but rare

New Cars That Weren’t

The high cost of developing a new car from scratch often means plenty of overlaps between different generations of the same model It’s traditionally been rare for a new arrival to be fresh in every way, with a brand new platform and never before seen technology At the other extreme, however, have been new model launches that are little more than well disguised facelifts of their predecessors

Some are obvious, of course Nobody looking at the Morris Ital in 1980 could have missed its uncanny likeness to the old Marina And anyone checking out the new Rover Metro in 1990 would soon have deduced that it was a facelifted version (albeit thoroughly re engineered) of the Austin Metro from a decade earlier

Others, however, were arguably more successful in their disguise of an elderly model; the TR6 of 1967 looked drastically more ‘macho’ than its TR5 predecessor, for example, despite it being little more than an updated derivative So, check out our top choices of new cars that weren’t ‘all new’ and don’t forget to drop us a line with some of your own suggestions

and van versions of the Mk2, however, there were even more similarities That’s because both of these load carrying Escort variants were essentially a Mk1 with a squarer Mk2 style nose grafted on Look at any Mk2 Escort estate or van in profile and you’ll see that front wings aside it looks almost identical to its predecessor, with even the curvaceous doors (and, in the case of the estate, the

swooping rear side window line) of the Mk1 being carried over

Ford needn’t have worried, of course, as the Mk2 Escort went on to be another big seller for the company, vying with the Cortina for the bestseller top spot, aided by an extensive line up of engine and trim options Adrenalin pumping versions like the RS1800, RS Mexico and RS2000 ensured plenty of excitement, while for the mainstream models there was a choice of 1 1 to 1 6 litre engines and a trim range that eventually went from the ultra basic Escort Popular through to the luxury focused Ghia

TRIUMPH TR6

Although the 1961 on TR4 sold well, Triumph enthusiasts were craving more power by the late ’60s, which made the new TR5 of 1967 a crucial development This was Triumph’s first six cylinder sportster, offering a useful 150bhp from its 2498cc fuel injected straight six For the US market, however, the TR5 was known as the TR250, featuring twin Zenith Stromberg carburettors and an output of just 104bhp

The TR5 didn’t disappoint performance wise, with Triumph claiming a top speed of 125mph and 0 50mph in just 6 5 seconds But there was no getting away from the fact that the TR5 looked almost identical to its TR4 and TR4A predecessors, which meant that a whole new look would be needed at some point In fact, the TR5 had a very short career, with the final car rolling off the line in August 1967 a mere 13 months after the first A total of 2947 TR5s had been built (of which 1161 were sold in Britain), plus 8484 examples of the US bound TR250 So, what was this short lived model being replaced by?

The answer arrived in the handsome form of the TR6,

Paul Guinness Editor

When it comes to new car launches, things aren’t always what they seem. We take a look at some of the successful models that shared more than most with their predecessors

although in reality the newcomer was little more than a TR5 with new front and rear ends grafted on, creating what appeared to be a brand new roadster with a moder n, masculine stance Where previous TRs had been pretty from most angles, the TR6 was rather more brutal thanks to the excellent restyle job carried out by the good folk at Karmann

The TR6 proved popular, going on to become the longest lived of all the TR models by enjoying almost an eight year run, with worldwide sales of nearly 92,000 during that time As facelifted models purporting to be brand new cars go, the TR6 must rank as one of the most successful both visually and commercially

MORRIS ITAL

Even the most optimistic salesman would struggle to have claimed that the Ital of 1980 (predating the crucial Metro by a few months) was an all new car, so obvious were its visual links with the aged Marina But BL felt the changes were sufficient to give its latest Morris a new name, finally consigning the nine year old Marina to history

Creating the Ital from the Marina was a relatively simple and (in motor industry terms) cut price process, involving little more than a new front grille and lights, modified rear end styling and an updated 1 3 litre A Plus engine The O Series also continued, this time available in both 1 7 and 2 0 litre guises And according to Autocar magazine, when testing the Ital for the first time in July 1980, the newcomer was “more than just a re skin”

In truth, the Ital was a £5 million rehash of the Marina, which meant many of the old car’s faults being carried over; let’s face it, this was never going to be the best handling newcomer of the early ’80s Yet as a traditionally engineered model (featuring rear wheel drive, which still appealed to fleet managers), the Ital had its plus points Autocar compared the £4397 Ital 1 3 HLS with rivals like the £4380 Honda Accord, £4293 Talbot Avenger 1300 GL and £4154 Vauxhall Cavalier 1300, and came to the conclusion that the Morris was still competitive: “With the improved A Plus engine, noise suppression and a host of other revisions, the Ital promises to be a reliable car representing excellent value”

The Ital saloon lasted through to the end of 1983, with the estate remaining on sale for another year A total of 175,276 Itals were built during its fairly short career, giving BL a useful stopgap model to bridge the space between the Marina’s demise and the arrival of the new Montego in 1984

JAGUAR X300

Ford’s acquisition of the historic Jaguar brand at the start of the ’90s saw an interesting change of direction in terms of style, with the subsequent S Type (of 1998) and X Type (of 2001) showing an unashamed focus on ‘retro’ looks That process began earlier, however, with the new X300 generation of 1994 seeing the legendary XJ saloon range retur n to a more traditional style

It was a clever move by Jaguar management, for the X300 managed to look significantly different from its XJ40 predecessor, despite sharing the same platform Indeed, the X300 was essentially a re skinned version of the XJ40, a model that had remained on sale for eight years; but with the adoption of a traditional bonnet line that followed the shape of the quad headlamps, the X300 was reminiscent of the old Series 3 XJ range Combine that with a subtly more curvaceous overall look (as well as integrated body coloured bumpers) and you had an XJ that managed to look both fresh and authentically Jaguar at the same time

It wasn’t just in terms of style that improvements were made, as Jaguar was keen to ensure class competitive build quality and reliability for the company’s first new model under Ford ownership A major investment was made in new manufacturing techniques, with the latest in body welding robots helping to ensure impressive panel fit and precision compared with previous generation XJs

The X300’s adoption of Jaguar’s latest AJ16 six cylinder engine helped to reinforce the newcomer’s image, with this

development of the XJ40’s AJ6 unit being smoother, more refined and as we were to find out later more reliable than ever The X300 may have looked like a traditional Jaguar, but in every other respect it marked a significant step forward

ROVER METRO

By the time the old Austin Metro was being rebranded as the Rover Metro in 1990, BL’s bestseller was already a decade old It had performed well, enabling the largest British owned car manufacturer of the time to maintain sales, whilst proving to the world that what remained of the old British Leyland empire was capable of designing sector leading models that could sell in large numbers

The supermini market had changed rapidly throughout the ’80s, however, with newer rivals bringing fresh challenges Austin Rover responded by updating the Metro, with five door versions and a general facelift arriving by 1984; but as the decade wore on, the ancient A Series engine and four speed gearbox were proving to be a disadvantage

The debut of the Rover Metro was more than a simple re badging exercise, for it also saw the launch of the

car

free

innovative new K Series engine, with most versions of the latest Metro also being available with five speed transmission But did a car as tiny as the Metro really deserve the traditionally upmarket Rover badge? Arguably not The fact remains, however, that when fitted with the 1 4 litre version of the K Series, the ‘new’ Metro was one of the most fun to drive Rovers of its generation, despite the age of its platform by then

The 1995 model year saw more ‘Roverisation’, when the Metro name followed Austin into the history books, with Rover’s smallest model now officially known as the 100 series The Rover 100 would remain on sale through to 1998, by which time its basic design was seen as distinctly old fashioned compared with the generally larger superminis of the late ’90s This Metro derived old soldier was quietly discontinued and wouldn’t be officially replaced until the arrival of the controversial CityRover five years later

FORD FIESTA Mk2

The original Fiesta had already been a huge success for Ford by the time the Mk2 version was unveiled in 1983, having sold around 1.75 million units during its seven year career So, what did Ford need to do in order to maintain this sales momentum? Relatively little, as the second generation Fiesta was more of a makeover of the

Mk1 than an all new model The changes were sufficient, however, to enable the Mk2 to find 1 98 million buyers during its six years on sale

Despite being a revision of the original model, the Mk2 Fiesta managed to look different thanks to its more curvaceous front end, much shallower grille and wrap around indicators The tailgate was also redesigned, while inside the car was a new look dashboard and thoroughly revised trim

The Mk2 range was completed in June 1984 with the arrival of the second generation XR2, a model that was sure to achieve cult status given the success of its Mk1 based predecessor With a carb fed CVH engine from the XR3, the new XR2 was more powerful (95bhp) and refined, yet retained the original’s roller skate feel aided by stiff suspension and wide wheels It was one of the most popular supermini based hot hatches of its day, despite tougher competition as the ’80s wore on Indeed, the Mk2 Fiesta as a whole faced stiff competition from day one, as 1983 also saw the debuts of the Vauxhall Nova, Fiat Uno and Peugeot 205 While the Nova represented an advance over its Chevette ancestor, it didn’t really push the supermini sector forward in any meaningful way. But the Uno and 205 were different, being usefully larger than most rivals but just as agile to drive and

economical to run as the Fiesta As effective an update as the Mk2 Fiesta was, there was no hiding its age when up against such moder n feeling newcomers.

MG ‘Z’ CARS

One of the best decisions made by the John Towers led Phoenix Consortium after its takeover of the former Rover Group in 2000 (when it was rebranded as MG Rover) was the huge expansion of the MG range via an array of new hatchbacks and saloons The only MG in production at that point was the popular MGF roadster, but MG Rover bosses saw potential in the brand Indeed, the arrival of the ‘Z’ cars revolutionised the MG range, even if the cars themselves weren’t exactly brand new In fact, they marked the resurrection of the former BMC art of badge engineering

The MG ZR, ZS and ZT (plus the ZT T estate) were derived from the Rover 25, 45 and 75 respectively, but managed to look dramatically different thanks to their MG grilles, spoilers and a fantastic choice of vivid colours; stylist Peter Stevens had done a glorious job of ensuring each one had real MG presence And what lay under the bonnet of each new ‘Z’ was also interesting, as here was an extensive range of drivers’ cars that managed to cover an impressively large proportion of the hot hatch and performance saloon sectors from the (102bhp) ZR 105 at just £9995 through to the (188bhp) ZT+ 190 at £21,095 Helping to bridge the gap between the smallest and the largest of the ‘Z’ cars, meanwhile, was the ZS the only model to be offered with a choice of five door hatchback or four door saloon body styles

All three members of the ‘Z’ family sold strongly, with the ZR being the UK’s best selling hot hatch early on in its career Without this rejuvenation of the MG marque, MG Rover would have struggled to last as long as it did In the end, however, the company collapsed in April 2005, taking with it a trio of competitive MGs that now enjoy a loyal following on the moder n classic scene

The ZS (above) and ZT (right) played a major role in giving MG Rover sales a boost

Italian styling with V8 power has often been a recipe for success, and just such a combination produced the desirable Stag Check out our guide to buying the best

As we ll a s e njoying he a lthy s a le s in the s a l o o n s e c to r, Tr iu m p h had a long histo r y of suc c e s sful spor ts car s, its TR range being pa r ticularly p op ula r with e nthu s ia s ts ove r m a ny ye a r s But dur ing the middle of the 19 6 0 s, the company be gan to explore the idea of a whole new model that c ould c ombine the t wo genre s By June 1970, G iova nni Michelot ti’s de sign was ready to b e launche d a s the Triumph Stag

While the newc ome r’s p urposeful s t yling looke d gre at, it wa s the c ombination of a T ba r c onve r tible roof, s e ating for four a nd a new V8 e ngine that gr abbe d the at te ntion of buye r s T hat moto r would be come s o mething of a t a lk ing p oint, a nd not ne c e s s a r il y fo r the r i ght re a s o n s; bu t w hile subse quent owner s would be te mpte d by the mo re re lia ble Rove r V8, the o r igina l unit finds much more favour today

G o o d r i d e a n d ha n dling we re a f u r the r Stag plus p oint, a nd a de c e nt example still p rovide s ple nt y of e njoy me nt T he Mk 2 ve r sion a r r ive d in 1973 with mild s t yling

and me chanical revisions, a nd the re’d b e fur the r update s ove r the nex t few ye a r s; but by 1977 it wa s cle a r that s a le s, which had neve r met expe c t ations, we re on the slide A s pleasing a s the Stag wa s to look at a nd dr ive, it wa s n’t e nou gh to p reve nt p ro du c tio n c o min g to a n e n d af te r 25,9 3 9 had be e n made A ll the se ye a r s late r, what ne e ds c he ck ing if you’re in the ma r ket fo r a cla s sic Stag?

WHAT TO LOOK FOR BODY & STR UCTURE

Cor rosion is the bigge st e ne my of the S t ag a nd while ma ny have b e e n re s to re d, the qualit y of a ny wo r k c a r r ie d ou t is p a r a m o u nt A s s e s s ing pa n e l a li g nme nt a n d the fit of the do or s is a go o d s t a r ting p oint R ot c a n t a ke h o l d p re t t y mu c h a ny wh e re, but you s hould pay pa r ticula r at te ntion to the f ront panel b e hind the he adlights, inne r a n d ou te r w in g s, the s c u t tl e a n d A p o s t s, and the inne r a nd oute r s ills Replacing the lat te r c an prove a tr ick y job a nd it ’s not always done prope r ly, s o b e e spe cially wa r y

i f you su s p e c t p r ob l e m s h e re; bu d g e t up to £10 0 0 pe r side fo r c omplete replace me nt

We’re not finishe d with r u s t yet, a n d ple nt y of time should b e set a side to exa mine the c ha s sis se c tions a nd floor s, along with the jack ing p oints a nd mountings for subf rame s a nd suspension It ’s a ls o a go o d ide a to lif t the re a r se at ba se, b e c ause if the metalwo r k is frilly unde r the re you c ould be in fo r much wo r s e trouble e lsewhe re A nd don’t forg et to a s se s s the c ondition of the b o nnet, b o otlid, d o o r b ot to m s a n d va l a n c e s T h e ava ilabilit y of va riou s panels a nd re pair se c tions do e s make a m ajor re s to ration a viable p roposition, but it will come at a significant cost

T he othe r a re a to addre s s is the ro of with complete replacement not e spe cially che a p, sp e nd time exa mining the c ondition of the ho o d a n d f r a m e a n d c h e ck in g fo r p e r i s he d s e a l s A ha r d to p i s nic e to h ave, but do inspe c t it for damage and c or rosion a s tho r ou g h ref u r b i s h m e nt c a n c o s t fou r figure s; c he ck that it fits s e curely a s we ll

ENGINE & TRANSMISSION

M u c h h a s b e e n wr i t te n a b ou t the Tr iu mp h V8’s p rop e nsit y fo r trouble, with most p roble ms ste mming from po o r ma nufac ture a n d m a inte n a n c e w h e n the c a r s we re new T he situation is ve r y dif fe rent today; with plent y of spe cialist k nowle dge out the re, they c a n b e m ade to r un ve r y re lia bly O ve r he ating with sub s e que nt he ad ga sket fa ilu re wa s one wo e, bu t the like s of a n up r ate d a luminium r adiator, a n e le c tr ic wate r pump conve r sion (£140 0 fit te d f rom

E J Wa rd ), a n d qu a li t y silic o ne hos e s will ke e p thing s c o ol Flu s hing the sys te m a nd

Chris Randall Contributor

cylin de r he ads

T iming chain is sue s a re anothe r of t me ntione d trouble spot; re placing the m eve r y 3 0,0 0 0 mile s is a go o d m ove, u sua lly c o sting £50 0 £6 0 0 at a spe cialist Change the oil a nd filte r eve r y 3 0 0 0 mile s, to o Ove r hauling the fuel and ignition syste m s i s a D IY t a s k (a s k the ve n d o r a b o u t a ny upgrade s), while re placing a c or rode d fuel t a nk with a n a luminium ite m c o s ts a rou nd £70 0

A good e ngine c a n c ove r 150,0 0 0 mile s befo re a rebuild is ne e de d, a job that will set you back £6 0 0 0 o r more While transplanting the Rove r 3 5 litre V8 is a we ll trodde n path, re a s s ure your s elf that the wor k ha s be e n done prop e r ly It ’s a strong and well under stood unit with plent y of tuning p ote ntia l if that ’s you r thing, bu t c h e ck fo r o il le a ks, a ti re d c o o lin g sys te m and a ny signs the head ga skets have b e e n c o mp ro mis e d

Tur ning to the ge a r b oxe s, the re’s lit tle of c onc e r n whe n it c ome s to the s ou ght af te r manual, a lthough we ak sy nchromesh and whining layshaf t b earings a re the u sual give aways of a unit re ad y fo r a re build Che ck that the ove rdr ive e ngage s prop e r ly, to o it c ould be an ele c tr ical is sue or low oil level rathe r tha n a ny thing m ore se r ious, but a rebuild is £50 0 £6 0 0 Auto matic s a rguably suit the S tag’s laidback nature,

with thre e spe e d units provide d by Borg Wa r ne r Ty p e 35 at fir s t, the n Ty p e 6 5 from 1976 re quiring a che ck fo r delaye d o r je r k y s hif ts, fluid le a ks, a nd tre acly fluid in ne e d of cha nging T he re’s also the p ote ntia l to swa p the s t a n da rd au to ’b ox fo r a ZF four spe e d unit, a conve r sion deve lope d by Clive Tate a nd Rus s ell Lewis from the S t ag O wne r s’ Club Back a xle s c a n get noisy a nd le ak oil, to o L a stly, the dr ive s haf ts c an lo ck up causing the ‘Triumph t witch’ while c or ne r ing if the spline s have n’t b e

re gula r l y lub r i c ate d;

and the re’s pote ntial for upgr ade s such a s polyurethane bushe s if you p refe r a more p re cise dr iving expe rience S peak ing of which, u se the te s t drive to che ck for a ny exc e s sive play in the p owe r a s siste d rack a nd pinion ste e r ing it c ould be rack mounting bushe s which a re cheap to replace, but budget a round £30 0 £350 to have a re c onditione d r ack fit te d. Che ck for a ny fluid le aks f rom the pump and p ip ewor k , to o

A s fo r the b r a ke s, the re’s lit tle to re p o r t othe r tha n the ne e d to che ck fo r we a r a nd c or rosion, the lat te r c ausing pa r ts to se ize Che ck fo r the c o r re c t op e r ation of the s e r vo, bu t that a side you c a n s ourc e eve r y thing you ne e d fo r a n ove r haul a nd the re’s th e s c o p e fo r up g r a d e s s u c h a s a ve nte d b r ake dis c c onve r sion at a round £10 0 0 T he lat te r will boost c o nfide nce in a Stag’s s topping powe r but a s tandard set up in good orde r is fine fo r m ost situations

INTERIOR & ELECTRICS

m

ac

p

CV joints e r adic ate the proble

a round £120

R UNNING GEAR

W hile th e c o n di ti o n of th e b o d y wo r k i s more of a p r io r it y whe n bu ying a S t ag, you c a n e a sily s hell out a four figure sum to re s to re a not a b l y s h a b by inte r i o r S o s p e n d a bit of time a s s e s sing the s t ate of the se ats, c a r pets a nd

OR MAYBE ?

Jack Grover, Production Editor

year after the Stag, the ‘R107’ generation

lasted

to 1989

motoring,

cylinder cars are

Andrew Evanson, Lancaster Insurance There’s one thing missing here, and that’s the wind in the hair experience as Abingdon’s take on the V8 theme was available in coupe form only. But if that doesn’t bother you, there’s much to like not least the strong performance accompanied by a characterful V8 soundtrack With fewer than 2600 made, the MG is far rarer than the Triumph but remains a usable and practical classic that’s well worth considering

MERCEDES BENZ ‘R107’ SL

TECH SPEC

Renault 4 GTL

PRODUCED: 1978 1992 ENGINE: 1108cc, 4 cyl POWER: 34bhp

TOP SPEED: 75mph

0 60MPH: 21 secs

ECONOMY: 40mpg GEARBOX: 4 spd, man BUY ONE FOR: £3000 £8000

A utility car is supposed to be easy to live with, and the Renault 4 is the ultimate utility car. But with even the newest now 30 years old, what’s the reality of life with a ‘Quatrelle’?

Arguably the only real rival to Citroën’s 2CV, the Renault 4 took a package that worked for generations of French farmers and developed it into a usable concept that also worked in cities as well as everywhere else in between and beyond Looking at the flaws of the Citroën design and engineering them out, it’s no wonder that the Renault 4 remained popular in France through to the early 1990s, only discontinued in favour of the newer, cheaper to build ‘Super 5’ once it in tur n had been usurped by the Clio

When new, the Renault 4 competed with 2CV derivatives as well as small cars from the likes of Volkswagen, Fiat and BMC; and today it’s one of the few 1960s designs that stands up well to everyday use, putting practicality ahead of style You ought to be able to get hold of most of the parts you’ll need including trim and panels, and mechanically the Renault 4 is simple enough to mend with a small Halfords socket

set and a hammer The range may not be broad, but it is versatile So, should you be tempted?

MODEL OVERVIEW

Renault had observed the success of the Citroën 2CV during the 1950s with more than a little envy Company chief, Pierre Dreyfus, instigated a programme in 1956 to develop a small car of Renault’s own to address the shortcomings of what was effectively a pre war design If Renault could offer a better 2CV, then surely 2CV buyers would buy that instead?

In the words of its creator, the 1961 Renault 4 was intended as “a blue jeans car” something that could be useful, practical, desirable and fashionable to all sorts of people in all walks of life Taking the basic concept behind Citroën’s 2CV, Renault moder nised it with a wider shell and an estate car style body that included a versatile tailgate, enabling the newcomer to offer the kind of practicality that soon made it the darling of the French car buying public The suspension

was simplified and the drivetrain was effectively a reversed version of that in the rear engined 4CV saloon Engines grew over the Renault 4’s three decades in production, from 747cc to 1108cc

Facelifted for 1967 and ’74, little changed except the grille and the dashboard By the end of production in 1992, the original exterior chrome had given way to grey painted and grey plastic trimmings The Renault 4 was effectively replaced by the stripped out Renault 5 Campus, the rest of the second generation 5 range having been replaced by the Clio in 1991

REGULAR MAINTENANCE

A Renault 4 is one of the simplest cars you can possibly own; while a 2CV may be simpler in design terms, the Renault is a more practical proposition because it’s not eccentric in its simplicity Oil and filter changes every six months (for cars in regular use) and plugs every year should be all it needs on a regular basis to keep it going Cars that are cossetted

Sam Skelton Contributor

weekend toys can double each of those intervals You’ll be able to do most jobs with a basic socket set and screwdrivers, and that’s the sort of toolkit you can keep in the boot in case of any (admittedly unlikely) breakdowns while in use

Dampers can wear, and replacements are available but of varying quality. The recommended units are Delphi gas shock absorbers Avoid oil shock absorbers as they’re worked hard on Renault 4s and cheap ones can wear out in as little as a mile if used on a typical French cart track at typical French speeds

We’d also invest in rust protection given that rot is the biggest possible issue on these cars, a few hundred quid spent wisely can stave it off for years to come Rustbuster and Waxoyl offer excellent products and services

PARTS AVAILABILITY

There aren’t many Renault 4 specialists in the UK, but given that the engine continued in several later models, you should have little difficulty in tracking down basic service items Beyond those, try specialists in mainland Europe such as Die Reno4er and Der Franzose in Germany or Windclassics in The Netherlands, all of which can supply new Renault 4 items off the shelf If you’re happy with used parts, the R4 scene in the UK is thriving and many people have spares caches from previously broken cars or things picked up at autojumbles

Our example owner, Nick Bailey, reports that consumables rarely pose an issue except for exhaust brackets though NOS parts are more desirable given

that some aftermarket suppliers can offer goods of uncertain quality and shipping from mainland Europe has been more difficult since Brexit

LOOKING AFTER IT

Typically, a Renault 4 is unlikely to pose many big issues in the longer term, and what you see is by and large what you get One of the biggest concer ns you might have will be any odd little bits of trim that wear or break and might be hard to source Engines are so simple to maintain that a complete service record isn’t really necessary, while panels can still be found in both new and used condition if you know where to look We found a new front wing on eBay for £70, and a rear quarter panel for £120

Rust is going to be your biggest issue with a Renault 4 Even given the abundance of new and used panels that you can get hold of, it’s always worth assuming there will be problems after a few years of ownership and use The biggest concer n on an R4 is the area where the rear suspension mounts to the body it’s a pain to weld and can still render a car unviable if you’re not prepared to give it a go and pay an expert to do it to a proper standard Be aware that these cars still have a separate chassis (albeit it’s more like a structural floorpan) which is no longer available, so any rust repairs will need to be properly dealt with

In terms of soft trim, it’s not a problem Later cloth does wear but you can get seat coverings, and earlier vinyl seats are extremely hard wearing.

OWNING & DRIVING

You could almost kid yourself that this was a supermini, several generations newer than its design really is It’s softly sprung like the Citroën 2CV it was meant to rival, and offers a great ride at open road speeds Cor nering is similarly Citroën esque, with plenty of lean when cor nering You’ll be at that sort of angle in most bends, because keeping the engine whirring and the pace up keeping the revs in just the right place to prevent the loss of momentum and driving it like a French farmer is as much fun as piloting a sports car, if not more so

The R4’s not fast, even the more powerful 1108cc cars, but it has far more torque than you might expect if you’d driven other French peoples’ cars of similar generations, which means it can handle hills with greater alacrity It’s oddly roomy too, with the boxy body offering more space than its primary rival when new, while the well proportioned hatchback layout gives you plenty of stowage space for those day to day essentials

OWNER EXPERIENCE

We spoke to Nick Bailey of automotive PR company, Elan PR Nick is a serial French car enthusiast, and his Renault 4L is one to keep

“My quest for a ‘Quatrelle’ was initiated by a summer holiday to France as a child When the time came to look for one as an adult, I quickly lear nt there were very few good ones left in the UK and I really wanted a French one with a story Of course, most have been driven into the ground but it seemed there were some decent examples in the south of France ”

The car that Nick ended up

locating there was a two previous owner example: “The last owner used it to look for truffles and was obsessed with changing the dampers for new ones every few years ”

Nick is well aware of the Renault 4’s reputation for rusting: “So many people come up to me now and say they had one but it rotted away Tales of feet going through the floor aren’t uncommon! I hadn’t appreciated how many people owned them here ”

The plan is for Nick to keep his R4 long term: “It brings a smile to everyone’s face So many people have a Renault 4 story, it’s a good chance for them to tell those tales ”

PICK OF THE RANGE

The later Renault 4 GTLs with the 1108cc engine offer the same charm as the older cars but with the ability to climb hills and then stop safely going down the other side While the grey plastic might offer less charm than the brightwork of earlier cars, it’s a far more usable version And that, surely, is the whole point of the Renault 4 in the first place CCB

your car for free at:

COUPES OF THE ’80s

TECH SPEC

VW SCIROCCO Mk2 GTX ENGINE: 1781cc, 4 cyl POWER: 110bhp TOP SPEED: 118mph 0 60MPH: 9 3 secs

ECONOMY: 35mpg GEARBOX: 5 spd man/3 sp auto BUY ONE FOR: £3500 £12,000

VOLKSWAGEN SCIROCCO Mk2 (1982 1992)

VW may have been one of the first European manufacturers to offer a front wheel drive coupe to British buyers (truth be told, it took nearly a year for the original Scirocco to arrive in right hand drive), but even the rebodied, second generation range of 1982 on remained competitive in terms of dynamics, despite its base being that of the ageing but still agile Golf Mk1

Unlike the undeniably handsome first gen Scirocco, Wolfsburg’s restyled coupe for the ’80s was an in house job rather than that of Italdesign; having decided Giugiaro’s fees were too high, his proposal was rejected, and chief designer (latterly CEO) Herbert Schäfer got the job

While the Mk2 Scirocco was never noted for its performance, it more than made up for its lack of firepower with agility, as well as greater refinement over the outgoing model Crucially, almost all the hardware that made a Golf Mk1 GTI faster was also fitted on a Scirocco Mk2, meaning that its owners had access to a vast array of tuning parts and knowledge.

Pre 1983 cars ran 1 5 (CL) and 1 6 litre engines, with the latter GTI the only model to receive fuel injection Upgrades after then

standardised 1 6 and 1 8 litre lumps across the range, though most models (CL, GL, Storm, GT, GTL, GT2 and pre 1989 Scala) were stymied with a terrible Pierburg carburettor that many subsequent owners replaced with a more robust Weber equivalent GTI, GTX and post 1989 Scalas were injected, though UK buyers were denied the most rapid factory Scirocco of them all, the 1986 GTX 16v, which received the Golf Mk2 GTI’s 139bhp multivalve ‘KR’ engine In more recent years, however, there’s been no shortage of owners, specialists and enthusiasts fitting far more powerful motors to Sciroccos

Production of the Scirocco Mk2 ran alongside its more ambitious part successor, the Corrado, between 1989 and ’92 The latter car was pitched further upmarket and, despite being a fabulous design in its own right, sold poorly in comparison with the Scirocco, whose demise was partly due to changing emissions and safety legislation

Stylish, versatile, mechanically simple and robust, Scirocco Mk2s were built in period by Karmann of Osnabruck, although build quality wasn’t quite up to that of cars made ‘in house’ by VW All post 1986 cars were fitted with

Zender body kits and spoilers; while of decent quality, blocked drain holes can wreak havoc when left unchecked Sills and arches are vulnerable, as are inherited weak spots from the Golf Mk1 with windscreen surrounds, scuttles, bulkheads and fuel filler necks the most at risk That said, the Scirocco has the most rust resistant shell of this week’s trio, and vies with the Ford Capri for enthusiast and parts back up

To that end, replacement panels and weld in sections are readily available via VW Heritage; clubs like the Scirocco Register also have access to a vast supply of parts and support should you need them Their ilk, alongside specialist forums, can also upgrade any given Scirocco Mk2 to your heart’s content, even improving the perceived as weak braking system; the pedal box and servo, operated by linkages from its unchanged left hand drive position, is more than up to the job by sensitive adjustment and/or replacement of (abundant) parts

There are no real concer ns with Scirocco engines, with both pre and post 1983 units carburettors aside being hardy and well catered for, and with six figure mileages easily achievable if serviced correctly

Perhaps the greatest thing about the Scirocco Mk2 is its relative affordability, although values are now rising as those buyers on smaller budgets are priced out of Golf GTI Mk1s and Mk2s Side lined for years by water cooled VW fans, the Scirocco Mk2 offers a slab of nostalgia keenly embraced by millennials and Generation X; these fans either had one from new or wanted one, and are now in the position to put a suitable car in their garage

Reckon on about £3500 to put a decent but not brilliant example in your garage, although injected cars and the leather trimmed, limited edition (carburetted) Storm of 1985 will always fetch a premium, alongside low mileage, European spec models like the GTS Auction prices for nicer UK GTIs, GTXs,

Scalas, and GTIIs have hovered around the £5500 mark since lockdown; these cars boasted better equipment levels and colour keyed body kits Given how many Sciroccos were daily driven, low mileage cars are few and far between, with a sub 35,000 mile GT setting the UK market record at £15,188

GTX 16 valves are in another league, and you’d need to go abroad to get your hands on one The last of the line GTII cars are also well regarded by the market, packed with central locking and electric windows as standard

Jon Burgess Contributor

The coupe market was still buoyant in the 1980s, with the Capri and Manta old guard competing against the Mk2 Scirocco. We take a look at how this stylish threesome compares now

FORD CAPRI Mk3 1.6 & 2 0 (1978 1986)

Launched in third generation guise in 1978, the Capri’s success in the UK showed no sign of waning We loved the car so much that, after 1984, Ford made them exclusively for us Brits Lightweight, durable and fashionable the Scirocco may have been, but its following was nothing at the time compared to the rapacity of the Capri’s followers

The four pot Capris benefited from similar developments as the six cylinder models; the former, eventually badged as

Lasers for the ’80s, had 1 6 or 2 0 litre engines, a fully stocked dashboard (you had to go to GTX specification Sciroccos for so much as a voltmeter) and four spoke alloys The 2 0 litre’s 101bhp wasn’t exceptional, but it drove the rear wheels and had enough oomph to nudge the back end out on greasy roundabouts and rainy days

Your Capri Laser might not have been as quick as some rivals, but it still looked as cool as a 3 0S version You could also easily (and cheaply) mix and match parts from better Capris to make your older

L, LS or new Laser perform better, and so the case remains to this day

Escalating panel prices mean that, like all of our trio, buying the car with the best shell is paramount, as front wings, A pillars, doors and tailgates all succumb easily to rust, not to mention the inner wings and strut tops (though the Mk3 was better in this regard than earlier cars)

Hidden rear wing, dogleg and fuel filler rot also sentenced lots of cars when their values were on the floor, though they have long since bounced back from the bottom of

their depreciation curve

Pinto engines and Capri running gear were about as strong as they came, but they do thrive on regular oil changes and were also held back by Ford’s dire VV carburettors There are numerous Ford Capri clubs to cater for your car’s every need

Should you want to put a four pot car on your drive, budget on at least £7000 for a serviceable example that might need a few rust spots treating and have some wor n out trim, although you do see earlier Mk3s (and even special editions like the Cabaret or

Calypso) in good order for slightly less Above £10,000 and you’re in the realm of excellent survivors, while the very best example of a 1 6 or 2 0 Laser is likely to be around £15,000 at auction

TECH SPEC

FORD CAPRI 2.0 LASER

ENGINE: 1993cc, 4 cyl POWER: 101bhp

TOP SPEED: 106mph

0 60MPH: 10 8 secs

ECONOMY: 27mpg

GEARBOX: 4 or 5 spd man/3 sp auto

BUY ONE FOR: £7000 £15,000

OPEL MANTA B2 (1981 1986)

Closest to the Capri in concept and mechanical layout was its GM rival, the Opel Manta launched in updated B2 guise for the 1982 model year The GT/E version became the peak of the standard range from 1983, with a 2 0 litre, 110bhp engine and a lightning quick five speed Getrag gearbox; the Capri Laser had to wait another year for a fifth ratio

The Manta B2 was meant to give the model two more

years of life, but such was the enthusiasm for the car that it lived past its initial termination date, despite the rest of GM Europe’s small and medium size cars going front wheel drive

The Capri went three door from 1974 as the Mk2 and never looked back, but Opel always offered the Manta B2 as a hatch and a booted coupe.

While Gordon Spice’s Capri Mk3 notched up touring car wins, Mantas went all out in Group 4/B rallying, with Russell

Brookes’ Andrews Heat for Hire liveried cars etched on the memories of many What’s more, in the Manta 400, you could buy a homologation special; Ford hadn’t done that with the Capri since the days of the Mk1 RS2600 and RS3100

While there are fewer Manta specialists than those catering for Sciroccos and Capris, the likes of Mantaworld, Only Opels and Suffolk County Mantas work hard to scour what’s left of spare panels and trim; further afield,

Sell your car for free at: www.carandclassic.co.uk

German experts like Dr Manta, and privateers at German shows like Retro Classica Essen and Retro Classics, can also help Both 1 8 ‘Family II’ (S and Berlinetta) and 2 0 ‘cam in head’ engines (GT/E) were long lived if well maintained, clattering timing chains of the CIH notwithstanding While not quite as susceptible to rust as the Capri Mk3, corrosion strikes the front sills, floorpans and jacking points, as well as wheelarches Values are broadly similar to four pot Capris the auctions have offered various Berlinettas, Ss and GT/Es at between £5000 and £15,000 depending on mileage, condition and specification

With all three more than worthy, and similarly priced in today’s market, which coupe you pick is entirely up to you Blue Oval fans will inevitably gravitate towards the Capri, while the upwardly mobile ’80s revivalists

will prefer the Scirocco And that leaves the Manta Less ‘obvious’ than a Capri, and buffered by nearly 40 years of social change, its relative rarity and motorsport pedigree might just clinch it for some

TECH SPEC

OPEL MANTA GT/E

ENGINE: 1979cc, 4 cyl

POWER: 110bhp

TOP SPEED: 120mph

0-60MPH: 8 5 secs

ECONOMY: 25mpg

GEARBOX: 5 spd man/ 3 sp auto

BUY ONE FOR: £5000 £15,000

Mini Classic Seven

In the last calendar year of Mini sales, the decision was made to add the ‘Classic’ moniker to prepare the market for the all new MINI waiting in the wings The Classic range comprised three versions: the Classic Cooper, Classic Cooper Sport (a Cooper with the optional Sports Pack and other cosmetic features as standard) and, as the entry level model costing £400 less than the Cooper’s £9895, the Mini Classic Seven In name and style, the latter was a direct call back to one of the Mini’s original forms of 1959, when it was launched as the Austin Seven The Classic Seven was an

in

style rather than substance, boasting the same (62bhp) 1275cc MPi engine as the standard Cooper and the same full width three dial dashboard But the Seven was only available in three non metallic colours (red, white and black) with a body coloured roof and a body coloured dashboard, while the wheelarch eyebrows were unfinished black The leather seats were cream/red and textured in a similar style to the seats on the original Mini, while the red carpets, red leather gear lever gaiter, cream door trims and black/red leather steering wheel all gave a suitably retro look Red and black Sevens came with silver pepperpot style alloy wheels (different and more period looking than the Coopers’ Minilite style

ones) while white cars had them colour matched to the body, adding to the 1950s look A ‘SEVEN’ boot badge finished things off, although Mini aficionados noted that it used the font found on Morris Mini Minors of the time, not the Austin Seven’s italic script Options were few but included a CD player and an electric folding fabric sunroof, which again was evocative of a rose tinted sort of 1950s motoring but never seen on an early Mini

Only 374 Mini Classic Sevens were sold in the UK, plus 180 in left hand drive; out of nearly 3500 Mini Classics built, this shows how favoured the Cooper was From that total, just 73 Sevens were black, against 58 white examples and over 220 red ones, which makes this one a doubly rare machine Like many of these last of the line Minis, it appears to have been treated as a collector’s piece since new, having covered only 55,000 miles in 21 years It is entirely original and still in factory condition (the first owner didn’t spring for either the CD player or the sunroof) The seller states that it still has its original front wings, front panel, sills and an ‘untouched’ boot floor, both

subframes are solid and the paintwork is ‘virtually blemish free’ Most importantly, all the Seven specific trim is present, correct and in ‘excellent condition’ which is good to know, since replacing any missing or damaged bits would be difficult now

While the Cooper was the one everyone wanted in the 1990s and 2000s, these days there is a trend for ‘retro ising’ late Rover Minis and adding cosmetic features to give them the air and appearance of a Mk1 Well, the Seven is exactly that, but done by the factory to a high standard, forming a rare and head tur ning example of a late Mini And with 55,000 miles on the clock, this one isn’t so box fresh that it would be a shame to use it, while being impressive enough to still have many years of enjoyable use left in it

AUSTIN SEVEN MINI

It’s where it all began for the Mini, and this version of it in particular For £10,000 you won’t get an early Austin Mini in anything like as clean and tidy condition as this Classic Seven, but it would be complete, roadworthy and fundamentally sound It could be the ideal basis of a rolling restoration but would probably need a good deal of cosmetic work

NISSAN PAO

Taking the idea of a retro themed special edition and applying it to an entire car, the Micra based Pao evoked post war European people’s cars as a genre, with stylistic cues and details drawing from the Citroën 2CV, Renault 4, Fiat 500 and, indeed, the Mini Although never officially sold in the UK, there are reasonable numbers of grey import Paos around

your car for free at:

DAIHATSU CUORE AVANZATO

A name almost longer than the car, even leaving out the TR XX R4 initials that mark out this rally bred kei car’s turbo intercooled engine and 4WD set up Costing slightly more than a Rover Mini did in the late ’90s and worth about the same now, just 80 UK spec Avanzatos were imported so there are potentially seven more out there than black Mini Sevens!

Contact:

Jack G rove r Production Editor

Rover ‘P6’ 3500S

OR MAYBE..?

NSU RO80

Not even when the 3 5 litre V8 engine was shoehor ned under the bonnet could Rover be persuaded to consider the P6 a sports saloon “fast and luxurious executive travel” was how the original 3500, available only with a three speed automatic transmission, was described It took until 1971 for a manual gearbox V8 to be put into production, leading to the 3500S where the ‘S’ stood officially for ‘synchromesh’ rather than any sporting reference That was perhaps fair given that it was in the same state of tune as the automatic, but the manual version still boasted better acceleration and a

higher top speed Combined with the P6’s advanced suspension, good roadholding, sleek looks and well appointed interior, it made the 3500S one of the most desired mid size saloons of the 1970s and an enduring classic

This white 1974 car is a typical but good example of the breed, with all the hallmarks you could look for a popular period colour, a contrasting vinyl roof, chrome spoke wheeltrims, a tidy interior and no extraneous additions or incorrect details An older restoration, it was refurbished by a

P6 specialist firm in 2000, with documents detailing the project plus other work and spending on the car between 1995 and 2018 Work to the structure and underside is covered in photographs and the high standard still holds up over 20 years later,

needing no further attention or rectification Tight and even panel gaps confirm the quality of the work, while the vinyl roof remains in good condition; some minor bubbles are evident near the door bottoms

Despite being exempt from an MoT, this Rover has continued to be tested and, in the vendor’s assessment, runs and drives very well P6s are cars that are best used regularly to get the most from them, and the V8 particularly so. A solid, reliable and entirely presentable example that’s not so perfect as to stay ‘indoors’ as winter approaches is the best way to do just that

Roughly the equivalent of the Zephyr/Zodiac in Britain, this car had quite a baffling series of designations and technically, Taunus is not one of them That name was dropped for the seventh generation (designated P7 by its maker), which was sold under the alphanumeric models 17M, 20M and 26M, each number representing a better level of trim and equipment and usually referencing the size of the engine but not always, since you could get 1 5 litre 17Ms and 2 2 litre 20Ms But nearly everyone kept on calling it a Taunus and the name has stuck Sales of the P7 were disappointing, and a similarly lacklustre commercial

performance as the Mk4 Zephyr in Britain encouraged Ford to replace both lines with the jointly developed and hugely successful Granada

This particularly ‘Taunus’ throws in a further quirk, since it was built in South Africa Usually, it was British Fords that got made at Silverton, near Pretoria, but it was decided that a right hand drive version of the P7 would be better suited These were available with a 3 0 litre Essex V6, making this a ‘Ford P7 20M 3000S’ Resident in the UK since 2020, this P7

was a well known car in the classic Ford scene in South Africa and now, with all tax and duties paid, it is for sale in the UK as a very different sort of classic Ford It is, unsurprisingly, very solid with inner wings, floors, doors, boot floor and

structure all reported to be good The vinyl roof has withstood the strong South African sun well, as has the interior with its original seats, door cards and headlining There are two reported minor splits on the seats and a couple of minor marks on the paint.

Recently serviced and benefiting from polybushes, new rear dampers and a full check of the brakes, this rare and unusual Ford is ready for its next owner

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A S T O N M A R T IN V IR AG E

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ADVI C E F O R S E LLE RS

● Stay safe! Don’t give a buyer your address until you know they are definitely coming to view Better still, give them the general location only at first and ask them to phone for the full address once they are close

● Always arrange a specific time for viewings don’t accept vague ‘I may come sometime today’ type arrangements

mo di fi ed to deliver a peak p ower o f 4 3 0 bhp repres en t ing

engine

increa s e o f 10 bhp impr oving acceler at ion t ime o f 0 to 6 0 mph to 4 5 s ec onds plus a higher top speed o f 18 9 mph B ushings, spr ings, and damper s were s t i f fened for t he S mo del and t he s teer ing r ack is quicker P lea s e c all 017 9 8 874 47 7, S ou t h E a s t ( T ) 116684

A S T O N M A R T I N VA N Q U I S H

● Serious buyers will want to examine the car fully that’s fine and you should be prepared to answer fully and honestly any questions a buyer may have about the car Be wary though if they try to steer the conversation towards more general matters concerning you and your family Similarly, while a genuine enthu siast will probably be interested in your other cars, so will a would be burglar

● Test drives need to be handled with care on the one hand it’s perfectly reasonable for a serious buyer to want to drive a car before buying, but you need to remain in control Make sure they are insured to drive your car too, bearing in mind that ‘driving other cars’ clauses on insurance policies normally cover only third party risks, not damage to your car

● Ensure you drive your car first to demonstrate controls (etc ) and then, once you are at a suitable place for the buyer to drive, get out, taking the keys with you, and hand them back only once you are back in the car

● Do not accept a personal cheque from someone you do not know; there is no longer any guaranteed clearance time, and a cheque can now ‘bounce’ at any time even weeks after it’s been banked if it’s discovered to be forged

● Don’t get involved in any complex arrangements involving giv ing ‘change’ for a payment that’s more than your asking price, especially involving overseas buyers or transfers using methods such as Western Union these are almost always fraudulent

● Be very wary indeed of anyone calling and trying to sell your advertisement in another publication Such publications don’t al ways exist, and claimed distribution figures will often be vastly exaggerated Calls are also often recorded as ‘evidence’ of a binding contract

● Above all, trust your instincts! If something seems dodgy or not quite right to you, then there’s a good chance you’re right

A S T O N M A R T IN VA N TAG E

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A S T O N M A R T IN VA N TAG E

Stay Safe!

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tiny percentage that aren’t However it’s dead easy to protect yourself from fraudsters by using a bit of common sense

● Star t by asking ‘is the car for sale?’ If the seller is a trader pretending to sell privately, they will need to ask you ‘which one?’

● Be suspicious of a car that seems cheaper than it should be; if something seems too good to be true then it probably is

● Be wary of sellers who can only be contacted via a mobile phone or an easy to obtain email address such as hotmail or gmail. They may ‘disappear ’ once they have your money.

● Ask lots of specific questions about specific model weaknesses such as “is there any rust around the headlights”, and listen carefully to the answers; do they actually have the car?

● Never, ever send anyone money for a car that you have not seen. Crooks sometimes adver tise cars that don’t exist solely to collect deposits from would be buyers

● If you’re suspicious that someone is trying to ‘sell’ a car they do not own, ask them to email or send you a photog raph of a specific par ts that they will not be able to provide without having access to the car. This isn’t 100 per cent foolproof a fraudster may have access to a car he doesn’t own but it can help

● Always view the car at the seller ’s home address If they want to meet you in a car park or bring the car to you they may be trying to prevent you finding them again.

● Does the name and address on the V5C match the sellers name and address? If not, why not?

● Always check the chassis number/Vehicle Identification Number (VI N) on the reg istration document matches that on the car A proper data check is also essential to avoid buying a car that’s stolen or an undisclosed insurance write off.

● No reg istration document? Don’t accept excuses, don’t buy the car!

AU S T IN HE A L E Y SPRI T E

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Last

Jaguar concerns

Re ade r David G raham, who is the p roud owne r of a 19 6 5 Jagua r Mk 2 a s we ll a s a f ive ye a r old X F that he u se s eve r y day, ha s writ te n in af te r reading our main news s to r y ( CCB, O c tobe r 5 ) that detaile d Jagua r’s cur re nt cha lle nge s a nd falling s a le s

“I’m ge nuine l y c onc e r ne d fo r the f u ture of Jagua r,” s ays David, “a s th e c o mpa ny s e e m s to b e a li e n a ting it s e l f from ju s t a b ou t eve r y cur re nt owne r Its cla s sic s will a lways b e a round, of c our se, a nd the re’ll c ontinue to b e a thr iving sp e cialist s c e ne for those olde r m odels But fo r a nyone with a more re c e nt Jagua r who would like to bu y a nothe r at s o me p oint, thing s a re n’t lo ok ing good e spe cially with the nex t ge ne r ation e le c tr ic m odels r umoure d to be a round £10 0,0 0 0 or so ”

D avid go e s on to explain that he’s not a fa n of the cur re nt c rop of SU Vs : “ T he late s t Jagua r r a nge se e m s fo cu se d on SU Vs I wa s se r iou sly think ing of bu ying a new X F to la s t me the nex t de c ade o r s o, bu t I now f ind that p ro duc tion ha s s topp e d Will it eve r re sta r t? I hope s o, but I wouldn’t put money on it ”

D avid’s e ma il wa s re c e ive d b efo re news b roke of the de mise of the F Ty p e in 2023 se e page 5 of this is sue

Au st in Ru by fa n

We re c e ive d a let te r this we e k f rom D o na l d Mu r p hy, who ha s p reviously owne d a c ouple of example s of the Austin S eve n Ruby, a s fe atu re d in ou r O c tob e r 5 is su e “ I wa s ple a se d to s e e a whole page in CCB de dic ate d to the Ruby,” he w rite s, “a s I have fond memorie s of the t wo that I owne d back in the 1970 s a nd ’8 0 s, whe n they c ould still be picke d up ve r y cheaply inde e d ”

A l thou gh D o nal d owne d m o de r n c a r s at the time, he a n d hi s w i fe, G l e n d a , we re n’t af r a i d to u s e a Ru by fo r l o n g dis t a n c e s : “ We to u r e d a ll a r o u n d D evon a n d C o r nwa ll o n e summe r, trave lling f rom our home in G louce ste r shire T he lit tle Au s tin wa s n’t quick , b u t it didn’t let u s down a n d the reac tion from othe r holidaymake r s wa s just magical I’d love to own a nothe r Ruby one day, if a nd whe n funds allow Sadly, they cost more than a few hundre d p ounds now ! ”

If a ny othe r C C B re a d e r s h ave m e m o r i e s of lo n g di s t a n c e tr ip s in p re wa r s t y l e, we’d l ove to h e a r f ro m you vi a c c b e d @ ke l s ey c o uk