Classics World January 2016

We opened this issue by waving off the Morris Traveller as it trundled off into a new life with its winner at the close of the NEC show. It’s been an awkward journey from the half-completed project I first encountered a year ago to the shiny Traveller sitting confidently on the Charles Ware stand at the show but it was gratifying to hear the positive comments from showgoers which made it all worth the effort. This summer has seen many enjoyable miles spent behind the wheel of the Minor and highlights include persuading my son and nephew that no, really nobody’s going to get cross with you if you clamber into a vinyl-clad Moggy interior with slightly damp swimming shorts... and that no matter how hard you scrabble round looking…

SNAKE SENTENCED Dodge’s iconic Viper supercar will not survive past 2017; a high purchase price, slow sales and wage disputes with the United Automobile Workers (UAW) union has sealed the Viper’s fate. Hand-built by a small 80-man team in a small facility in Connor Avenue, Detroit (the model’s home since 1995), a recently ratified Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) contract made no mention of a successor to the current ‘VX’ Viper range, Automobile News reported. CAMBRIDGESHIRE CLASSICS While many older vehicles will be stored away for the winter, some want to carry on using (and showing) their cars. Having held its first get-together on Sunday, November 8, Vintage and Classic Sunday Meets will continue fortnightly at Sacrewell Farm (PE8 6HJ). “Next April seems so far away; fellow enthusiasts have asked me…

Judging by the record number of enthusiasts who poured through the doors at the NEC to view the 2500 highly polished exhibits at this year’s Lancaster Classic Motor Show, it would appear our fabulous hobby is expanding at an impressive rate. This is great news for the dozens of traders and specialists who exhibited at the show and one of the things that impressed me this year was the huge amount of reasonably priced professional-quality restoration equipment currently available for the home restorer. From bench top English wheels and sheet metal folders to lightweight wheel-free lifts and roll-over jigs, the sheer scale of DIY equipment on show at the NEC was for me every bit as interesting as the magnificent classics on show. Obviously, it would be a bit over…

The NEC show saw one of our favourite museums take on a new identity as the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust collection at Gaydon revealed its new name: the British Motor Museum. Timed to coincide with the handover of the brand new £4m Collection Centre building, the rebranding is the culmination of a period of big change. For the real car geek, the oddball prototypes and could-have-been cars in the collection are a real draw and the new building will allow these to be displayed for the first time, alongside the collection of the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust. Although it’s not a full museum, public tours are available and it’s possible to get up close to the cars, with knowledgeable volunteers on hand to explain their significance. We took the…

One of Sir John Egan’s early milestones in resurrecting Jaguar’s fortunes during the 1980s was to adopt the ailing Castle Bromwich plant, resulting in a dramatic improvement in product quality during the 1980s. The plant, first established in 1936 to produce Spitfire planes, is now a state of the art facility. Some time ago it took over from the old Browns Lane plant in Coventry and is now the major centre for production of Jaguar’s XJ and F-Type. The Castle Bromwich plant has operated factory visits in the past on an informal basis but has recently placed them on a more commercial footing with a professionally polished tour and the visitor facilities upgraded too. We took a recent press trip around the plant and it’s a fascinating experience to see…

The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) held its Annual General Meeting on Saturday, October 17 to a packed house at the Rolls Royce Enthusiasts’ Club’s (RREC) headquarters in Paulerspury, Northamptonshire. Around 60 model and marque specific clubs attended, along with representatives from insurance providers Hagerty, Peter Best and RH. Primarily concerned with legislation regulating the use of classics, the FBHVC elected a research officer to its team for the first time in its 27-year history, spurred on by the pressing need to regulate a supply of spares for historic vehicles at home and abroad. New appointee Paul Chasney proposed a technical subcommittee open to any Federation member, aimed at pooling resources for the design and manufacture of replacement running gear. The Federation’s OFQUALaccredited apprenticeship scheme celebrated its first…