Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2023 i Classic Car Mart

Quite a few emails have popped into my inbox recently regarding 0-60mph times. What we shall call, ahem, formatting errors meant that last month’s database feature suggested a Hillman Imp could do 0-60 in 6.9 seconds, and a cooking Mk3 Escort was almost as quick. While I can only apologise for this, it did get me thinking about such a measurement. In the past, I’ve held 0-60 times in massive esteem. Partially to argue the case of the MG Maestro Turbo being an all-time great (6.7 seconds), but also to pick my company car (6.5 seconds) and to give me some kind of pathetic bar room bragging rights when mates go on about how fast their TDIs are. But really, this is all a bit silly and outdated, since the…

T heNational Motor Museum has announced it will start work in 2023 to “take it forward for the next 50 years” after being awarded a £200,000 grant from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport and the Wolfson Foundation, through the DCMS/Wolfson Museums & Galleries Improvement Fund 2022-24. Fundraising by the National Motor Museum Trust (NMMT) will now begin to match the grant with its own contribution towards the ‘Motoring into the Future’ project, which aims to transform the museum entrance into a new welcome area that is more accessible and tells visitors about the museum’s foundation. Two further galleries will also be combined into a large exhibition space to tell the story of motoring from its beginnings to its present and future. It’s phase one of a four-phase…

MG 1100/1300 (1962-1971) Designed by the man behind the Mini, Alec Issigonis, the BMC 1100/1300 played on the same formula but added more space, greater comfort and neat Pininfarina styling. Clearly it worked, as the ADO16 range became Britain’s bestselling car for eight years. Launched at the same time as the MGB in 1962, the twin-carb MG 1100 was the second of no fewer than six different branded versions. And though badge-engineered MGs were nothing new, this was the first to be based on a car with true mass-market appeal. Initially available as a two-door before being joined by a four-door version, the MG 1100’s performance was being surpassed by competitors by 1967. So, as part of a complete overhaul across the ADO16 range, it received the bigger 1275cc engine…

Withthe deadline of the NEC Classic Motor Show at Birmingham’s NEC fast approaching, it was time for a final throw of the dice in the Great Classic Trade Up challenge. Homes were duly found for Kelsey Media’s VW Golf GTI Cabriolet and Lancaster’s Mazda MX-5, leaving the two teams with a budget to make their final purchases. Both cars would ultimately be put on display on the Lancaster Insurance Services stand, in full view of 70,000 visitors. Throughout the weekend, attendees would be voting for their favourite car, as well as entering a competition to win one of them. The classic not chosen, meanwhile, would be auctioned off with the proceeds going to a very worthwhile charity - Auditory Verbal UK. Before that could happen though, a couple of cars…

The 911 was already a decade old when Porsche’s attention turned to expanding the model range, and perhaps replacing the rearengined sports car altogether. CEO Peter Schutz ultimately put a stop to that plan, but the 1977 debut of the 928 was a significant moment for the company. Powered by an allaluminium, f ront-mounted V8 engine and offering 2+2 seating, the luxurious and well-equipped grand tourer went on sale the following year. Styled by Wolfgang Möbius under the watchful eye of Anatole ‘Tony’ Lapine, the aerodynamic appearance and integrated polyurethane bumpers – aproduction car first – were a world away from the 911, helping the 928 to be crowned Car of the Year for 1978 and become the first sports car to receive the gong. While the fundamental recipe remained…

When Jaguar bought Daimler in 1960, its plans to launch a smaller saloon based on the Vauxhall Cresta were abandoned. But Daimler distributor Stratstone wanted something smaller to sell alongside the Majestic, and incentivised Jaguar to create one by offering to give up its secondary VW franchise if something suitable could be devised. The most cost-effective solution was to take the Jaguar Mk2 and combine it with Daimler’s 2.5 litre V8 as fitted to the SP250 sports car – along with an automatic gearbox. A Daimler grille and rear plinth were fitted along with some minor interior changes, and the Daimler 2.5V8 was launched on October 8, 1962. Priced at £1786 against the £1664 of the Jaguar 3.4 Mk2 manual, the 140bhp Daimler was pitched above the Jaguar 2.4 by…

T helatest Bull Market List, an annual report compiled by Hagerty, has been revealed – with the company’s valuation team identifying 10 disparate classics it expects to perform particularly well in 2023. The annual report is compiled over several months, with value changes from the Hagerty Price Guide regularly reviewed, along with sales results and market data. The results are then further examined to find indicators that suggest a car is rising in value through increased demand, with industry experts considering a wide array of models across many different genres, price levels and eras. The oldest car included is the Austin Seven, which turned 100 last year. The Triumph Spitfire is another traditional classic to make the list, while the Saab 99 Turbo and Ford Fiesta Mk1 are included too…

A ftera three-year absence due to the pandemic, popular historic motorsport event Reis Race Retro returns to Stoneleigh Park from February 24-26, boasting a new show layout as it brings together iconic cars, racing and rallying personalities, industry experts, motorsport clubs and traders. “Since we were last at Stoneleigh in 2020, the venue has seen quite a few changes and it continues to evolve with its proximity to HS2,” Show Director Lee Masters explained. “The changes mean that we won’t be able to use Halls 3 or 4 – which are the oldest halls and therefore the most drafty and cold. “Instead, the venue has installed an additional temporary hall on to the side of Halls 1 and 2. As a modern addition, not only is this much warmer but…

W henwe think of the aerodynamic revolution of the early ’80s, Ford’s 'jelly mould’ Sierra is almost the default position thanks to a stark contrast with its boxy Cortina predecessor. However, it was the C3- generation Audi 100 that got there first, launched a month earlier than the Ford and setting an even more impressive benchmark for slipperiness. Arriving in September 1982, the new 100 was also a replacement for something boxier – in this case its squared-off C2 predecessor, though in fairness that was also very streamlined for its time thanks to a drag coefficient of 0.36. However, the new model’s smooth styling and features such as pin-mounted flush windows and faired-in wipers brought this down to as low as 0.30, which made it the most aerodynamic production car…

Sometimes figures don’t tell the whole story, and that was certainly the case for BMC 1100/1300 range. The ADO16 may have reigned supreme at the top of Britain sales charts for eight years between 1963 and 1971, but while it was the darling of the private motorist, the lucrative fleet market shunned its front-wheel drive and complex Hydrolastic suspension in favour of the simplicity and perceived reliability of stylish but far more straightforward offerings from Ford. And as BMC merged into British Motor Holdings and subsequently the British Leyland Motor Corporation in 1968, an answer to the relentless march of the Blue Oval was needed – fast. That answer was the Morris Marina – acar that would become Cowley’s Cortina. The 1100/1300 was a big seller but was always questionable…

THE MARKETPLACE THE CARS THE BEGINNING The Mini was one of the most prominent success stories of the 1960s, but despite BMC’s baby selling in its millions, profit was much harder to quantify. Whether the Mini made any money has long been a subject of debate, but like any business, there was always a desire for more – and the Mini Clubman would be one of the avenues explored. To help in its quest to make its model ranges more profitable, Joe Edwards of BMC – by then known as British Motor Holdings following its merger with Jaguar – managed to poach Ford’s Product Planner and Stylist Roy Haynes, who had recently penned the hugely successful Mk2 Cortina. Haynes’ arrival was announced in October 1967, and he would be joined…

Although some classics take on a cultural weight that goes far beyond the world of enthusiasts, few have done so to such a great extent as the original Volkswagen Type 2. It remains one of those vehicles that people who have little or no other interest in cars old or new want to experience. It’s easy to see why, since the Type 2’s looks give it a recognisable and immediately likeable character, and a camper version immediately speaks to a common desire to travel through the world at a slower pace with only the bare essentials. A two-tone pastel-coloured T1 with chrome hubcaps is generally the camper everyone thinks of, but prices have skyrocketed. And that’s where the second generation of Type 2 – the slightly redundantly-named T2 Type 2…

OWEN SHEPHERD SOUTH WESTERN CAR AUCTIONS (SWVA) With 2022 done, how was it for you? It’s been another great year for our classic car auctions. We’ve achieved a sale rate of 88 per cent or higher throughout our Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn sales, which mirrors our success from previous years. What trends did you notice in 2022? It’s been a strange year for the buying side of things. Our sell-through rate is still high, but I believe the current goings on in the world have affected the desire to buy, and possibly caused reluctance when it comes to price. What was your biggest or most remarkable auction of 2022? Personally, I think every classic sale we hold is a remarkable occasion – each represents the diversity of car subcultures…

B ritishLeyland’s 1970s turmoil is well documented – the iffy quality and reliability of its cars, combined with frequent high-profile workforce strikes, meant its image and profits were dwindling. It didn’t help that many of the brands that had been brought together under the BL umbrella had been competing for the same slices of market pie, leaving the company with a bloated model range that was effectively robbing Peter to pay Paul. At the time of the merger, both MG and Triumph were acutely aware that their products were ageing, so each was working on a next generation sports car that could maximise profits in lucrative foreign markets, particularly America. MG’s effort was the rakish ADO21, a mid-engined sports car with Hydrolastic suspension – alayout that wasn’t a million miles…

Findinga car that meets every possible need can be tricky. If you want something quick, the odds are it’s going to be impractical. A practical car might not be very exciting, or handle well. Something that handles nicely won’t be able to carry the children. But super saloons are the exception that proves the rule. We’ve picked out 11 cars that prove that it’s possible to have your classic car cake and eat it, suitable for all tastes and budgets. And the majority of them are even suitable for all-weather use should you want to use your classic on a daily basis. It’s easy to be tempted – read on to see if we’ve chosen the car for you. LOTUS CORTINA The Lotus Cortina was a car of mutual benefit.…

REPORTING ON: JAGUAR XJ8 After delivering the Trading Up XK8 convertible to the NEC Classic Motor Show (see page 30), I was finally reunited with our XJ8, complete with a lengthy ‘to-do’ list of minor jobs. I mentioned in my last report that Blu-Tac had signally failed to prevent the broken sunglasses holder flopping open and obscuring the mirror. Luckily, I’d already ordered the required catch (it’s also used in Brabantia ‘touch top’ kitchen bins) and managed to fit this in the NEC car park using nothing more than fingernails. The missing storage trim from the lower dashboard was found in the glovebox and a heat gun was used to reshape the damaged clips, after which it clicked happily into place. However, the trip back from the NEC also threw…

The TR6 was announced in the autumn of 1968, with sales beginning in January 1969 and its basic engineering going a lot further back than that. However, with its square ends, rectangular tail lamps, black rear panel, matt black grille, steel dished wheels and an increasingly garish colour palette, it was a definite break from the TRs that preceded it and is often thought of as a car of the 1970s. Traditionally that affected the TR6’s values, but over the past decade the trend has reversed as the 1970s has become desirably retro. Now TR6s in colours like Mimosa yellow, Java green, Magenta and even Sienna brown, complete with wide steel wheels, became more favoured. PRICE: £26,495 But does that leave the very early cars, which stuck to the tastes…