Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2023 i Classics World

Here is a novel idea for an event: a gathering of vintage and classic cars, retro and everyday drivers, custom cars and exotics which all have one thing in common – they are all from a marque that is no longer manufacturing vehicles. It's all taking place at Burghley House in Stamford, Lincolnshire from 10am-4pm on Sunday 2nd July. Tickets cost £12.50 each – that is per vehicle and includes entry for everybody on board. Any vehicle whose manufacturer has ceased production is eligible, but if your vehicle is not eligible for the show but you share an appreciation for classic marques that are no longer being manufactured, then you are still welcome to attend – just purchase a ticket for non-eligible vehicles by selecting ‘Non Eligible Vehicle (current manufacturer)’…

The Concours of Elegance, being held this year from 1st-3rd September in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace, will include a truly unique motorcar that’s been shrouded in mystery and hidden from public view for decades: the experimental 1935 Hoffman X-8. Bestowed with honours from leading concours events throughout North America, this is the first time the Hoffman has been shown on this side of the Atlantic. The car was conceived in the early 1930s when a group of American brothers, the Fishers, set their sights on taking over the famed Hudson Motor Company. In order to prove their credentials, the brothers decided they needed a state-of-the-art car to position them at the cutting edge of the automotive industry, and to show they meant business with the takeover bid. In…

I just read the final article on the finished So when a friend offered me one of the Reliant Regal and doesn't it look great – you Reliants from his collection, I was absolutely should be justifiably proud of the end result chuffed to pieces. The car in question is a and not disheartened by the detractors, Mk1 Reliant Super Robin van, 750cc with of which there are probably plenty. These very low mileage and one that has led a very are wonderful little cars, and thanks to the sheltered life. I'm sure your readers would exposure that your magazine has given prefer this story being about a Mk1 Ford them hopefully people will become more Escort Mexico worth up to £40,000, but open-minded towards Britain's second sadly for them…

The Black Country was once a hotbed of vehicle manufacture in the West Midlands. I well remember being brought up in Brierley Hill, in the immediate area. Every late evening for literally miles around, the sky would be lit up as the huge blast furnaces at Round Oak were opened up and the molten steel was run off, as it had been since the 1870s. (Round Oak Steelworks was demolished in the 1980s and is now the site of the huge Merryhill Shopping Centre). Chain links were still being hand-crafted by both men and women in tiny forges behind neighbouring terraced houses, and the whole area was a veritable cauldron of heavy industry. As for vehicle manufacturers, let's just remind ourselves of the great number of companies that were in…

Regular readers will recognise this car without too much difficulty – we detailed its restoration from the November 2020 issue until the September 2021 issue, and since then it has popped up now and again in my own Driver Diaries. Over that time I have got to know it pretty well, but a 130-mile round trip gave me the opportunity to leave that history to one side and approach it with fresh eyes, to put it through its paces as a driver's car rather than a project and see what impressions it made. To recap briefly, it is a 1970 MkIII model. The MkIII was current from 1966-1974, and introduced several new features to the Midget line. There was a bigger 1275cc version of the A-series engine for one thing,…

£1500 Z3 CHALLENGE PART 6 With the MoT test passed in the last episode, the final job before our BMW counted as finished and could go to its new owner was to have the rear screen replaced. The hood on this car was the 1998 BMW original, and like most things – exhausts being another – what BMW fitted at the factory is generally better than anything aftermarket. To have a new rear window fitted by Sheffield trimmers Bielawskis (0114 244 8033) cost me £330. That wasn’t the cheapest option and for a bit more and a very long wait I could have had a new budget hood fitted, but I’ve seen some of those after a couple of years, shrunk slightly at the sides above the door windows and letting…

On any monocoque car, the sills are vital to the shell’s overall strength (and they are absolutely crucial on a roadster, which does not have a steel roof to help stop the car folding in half). In a technical sense, replacing the sills is not a difficult task and the cost of the panels is hardly prohibitive (see separate box for sample prices). The problem is that it takes time and patience to do the job properly and, if you are paying a professional to do the work for you, that can soak up a fair wedge of cash, especially in relation to a late BGT which might not be worth a whole lot of money. Some people succumb to the temptation of simply welding a replacement panel over the…

1900 Production Line The 1900 was the first Alfa Romeo vehicle to be produced on an assembly line, a revolution that saw the total manufacturing time needed to produce one vehicle reduced from 240 hours to just 100. This led to an unprecedented boom in sales, and the 1900 alone sold more examples from 1950-1958 than the total Alfa Romeo production of other vehicles had reached up until that time. It was also the first left-hand drive Alfa Romeo and the first to have a self-supporting body. With this model, Alfa abandoned the traditional six and eightcylinder engines for a new four-cylinder version with an aluminium cylinder head and two camshafts operated by a chain. The engine was fed by a single carburettor and delivered 80bhp, offering great performance and…

NO MORE PRESTIGE MERCS It was at a local classic car meet that Andrew realised the prestige car is dead There it was at the back of the old motors, a car we once knew as the cheapest Mercedes. Derided by some but treasured by most and quite plainly one of the last proper Mercedes Benzes, it was neat of line, free from excrescence and looking its best in a subtle metallic with steel wheels. Built in 1989, this 190E took me by surprise – Ialways knew they were redoubtable cars, but I just couldn’t stop looking at it. The proportions and the detailing are sublime. The 190E and the original W124 are the last of the Mercs of a certain breed. Launched in 1984 as a poke in the…

As I have mentioned before, As I have mentioned before, there have been occasions after a winter evening spent in the garage when I have dragged myself back into the house cold, bloodied and slightly demoralised after a conspicuous lack of success with the spanners. Invariably, unless she is already fast asleep in a nice warm bed, my wife will ask: ‘And you do this for fun?’ there have been occasions after a winter evening spent in the garage when I have dragged myself back into the house cold, bloodied and slightly demoralised after a conspicuous lack of success with the spanners. Invariably, unless she is already fast asleep in a nice warm bed, my wife will ask: ‘And you do this for fun?’ I can understand her confusion, but…

The Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust has announced a major innovation in the world of industrial heritage, devising a new and original virtual journey through the life and work of one of Britain’s greatest carmakers and designers – Sir William Lyons. Uniquely in the motor industry, Lyons combined the roles of company boss with that of chief stylist and was personally responsible for the dramatic shapes of the cars he built, which won worldwide admiration. His contribution to British design stands alongside figures like Terrence Conran, Mary Quant and Alec Issigonis. Created with curator and historian Andrew Nahum, author and TV producer Peter Grimsdale and specialist in creative digital technologies Painting the Cave, this is the first exhibition devoted to Lyons' work, showing how his unique eye for style evolved from…

Wednesday 26th July is the date for one of Britain's biggest mid-week classic car shows, now in its 29th year, and it would be great if this could get a mention in your pages. It's all happening on Harpenden Common, Harpenden, Herts AL5 2JF where up to 1000 cars, motorcycles, scooters and other vehicles of interest gather to be admired by thousands of spectators and help to raise funds for charity. Last year over £40,000 was raised for charity during the afternoon, and since Rotary in Harpenden took over the event in 2009, more than £330,000 has been raised for needy causes. Cars first registered before 1930 will get free entry, and an expanded autojumble will be available. Online booking is available for cars over 25 years old at www.classicsonthecommon.com…

It was fascinating to read the article on the Cresta PC and see the throwaway remark about a fake Canadian accent. Back in the mid-1960s, the Canadian Hell Drivers toured the UK using a fleet of garishly liveried Vauxhalls. Staverton Airport between Gloucester and Cheltenham was one venue, and I went on the bus (I was too young to drive then) to watch. One of the drivers flipped a Cresta onto its roof, and as I waited for the bus home I saw it being driven back to Gloucester, presumably to dealers Hough and Whitmore where I eventually went to work for a short time. The driver was lying on his side peering through a very narrow gap where the windscreen used to be. That was an advantage of a…

I read with interest the letter from Bill Keddie in the May issue regarding his early E-Type Jaguar. As a neighbour of Bill whilst in my early teens, I remember visiting him to review progress on the restoration, and when he finished it, him taking me for a blast up the Auchertool road. I can’t help him with where his car is now, but can say he was one of a number of neighbours that started my love of cars. Another was Derek Butcher, owner of Knockhill circuit – he had a JPS S2 Esprit, and a fast lap of the roundabout at the bottom of our road as a passenger sticks in my mind. Fast forward 40 years and I was discussing cars with neighbours over a beer and…

It would be fair to say that Tony Owen is a devotee of the products of Chrysler Europe and Talbot. His current fleet includes examples of the Alpine, the Solara, the lastof-the-line Pentastar-badged Hunter, a 2-Litre – and two examples of the Tagora. One is a white 2.2 GL, and the other is the only roadworthy SX in the UK, the star today of its first-ever magazine feature. The Tagora's narrative commenced in 1976 when Chrysler Europe initiated Project C9, the replacement for their slow-selling 180/2-Litre range. The new model was to be made at the Simca factory in France, with the Design Studio in Whitley in the UK creating the distinctively angular bodywork. The C9 also needed sixcylinder power, and after considering a Mitsubishi unit, Chrysler approached Peugeot to…

Any car that has seen little use in recent years is likely to throw up a fair few electrical problems when it is put back into service, and our Vanden Plas is no exception. Often these will be down to poor earths and corroded contacts, and as such are generally relatively simple to track down and cure. However, one or two problems on this car have been made more difficult by my own unfamiliarity with the model, and there is an ongoing niggle we are yet to master. Let’s start with the easy stuff. A few days after driving the car home from Newcastle, I went to start it and the battery was flat. Clearly it should have been fully charged after a run of some 185 miles, so did…

Reliant may be better known for making vehicles with three wheels, but its unsung hero has got to be the fourwheeled Scimitar, particularly the estate-shaped GTE that was manufactured between 1968 and 1986, selling 14,273 examples. Powered by a V6 engine, this grand tourer can comfortably accommodate four people and their luggage for anything from a drive to a local car show to a tour through Europe. The story of the Scimitar began in 1964 with the coupé-shaped GT, which was acquired from Ogle Design, initially built on a Reliant Sabre chassis and powered by a Ford 2.6-litre straight-six. After 296 of them had been built, the 2994cc Essex V6 was fitted in 1967, and then the year after, the familiarlooking GTE was launched. This is the model that’s largely…

In June of 1968, Nissan Motors granted an exclusive import licence for the UK to a 55-year-old former NSU concessionaire named Octav Botnar. A little over six years later, the UK was the Japanese concern’s most important European sales territory, and their Datsun marque was the country’s most popular foreign brand. Such was their success that Sir Ray Brookes, the then President of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, approached the government for assistance to protect the domestic industry against imported cars. Japanese cars have been part of the British automotive landscape since 1965 when Dufay Motors began marketing the Daihatsu Compagno. Toyota commenced British operations later that year, while Honda’s cars starred at the 1966 Earls Court Motor Show. Earlier that year, Motor Sport patronisingly referred to Japan’s…

Hyundai Motor Company’s recreated Pony Coupe Concept has made its world premiere in Lake Como, Italy. Originally unveiled at the 1974 Turin Motor Show, the Pony Coupe Concept was a ground-breaking model in its time. Unfortunately, due to the adverse global economic conditions in the late 1970s, what could have been Hyundai’s first sensational sports car was unable to reach commercial production and was lost to history. The origami-like exterior features flowing geometric lines, a sleek roofline, pure unadorned surfaces, dynamic proportions and a uniquely shaped B pillar. Its wedgeshaped snout and circular headlamps distinguished it in 1974 and still look ultra-stylish today. The minimalist interior highlights the driver-centered floating architecture, while a single-spoke steering wheel and two-toned slim-line bucket seats reinforce what was in the 1970s a futuristic aesthetic.…

The 70th anniversary of the classic British comedy film Genevieve will be celebrated in terrific style on this year’s RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run to be held on 5th November. The muchloved, BAFTA-winning movie was first released in 1953 and follows the adventures of two couples participating in the annual London to Brighton event when driving a pair of early veteran cars. Alan McKim, a young barrister, and his wife Wendy (played by John Gregson and Dinah Sheridan) are aboard a 1904 Darracq called Genevieve after which the film is named. Their friend Ambrose Claverhouse (Kenneth More), a rather brasher advertising salesman, and his latest girlfriend, fashion model Rosalind Peters (Kay Kendall) – plus her pet St Bernard dog – ride in the 1905 Spyker. With an…

An exciting new chapter in the MG story has been announced at Auto Shanghai 2023 with the company officially confirming production plans of its unique high-performance EV sports car, the Cyberster. It is expected to be powered by a choice of RWD single motor or dualmotor 4WD configurations, with power outputs of 309bhp and 536bhp respectively. The Cyberster’s styling pays homage to much-admired roadsters from MG’s rich heritage, with its distinctive long bonnet, low nose and curvaceous surfaces, while also introducing striking new features such as its distinctive scissor doors. It is expected to arrive in the UK and Europe in the summer of 2024, with prices likely to start around £55,000 for the RWD model.…

In the March issue you compared the Fiat 500 with a Mk1 Panda. Although this made an interesting read, as a Fiat enthusiast and owner of many small Fiats over the years, I can't help thinking a Fiat Seicento or Cinquetcento would have been a more balanced comparison. The underpinnings of the early 500 is much more similar to these models, and it is just a shame that neither of these cars ever gets a mention now. As you can see from the attached photo of my wife's two Fiats, we are great fans of these cars, and both the cars pictured have done around 30,000 miles. The Seicento Active Sport is now very rare, and is in beautiful condition, with only one previous owner and a full Fiat service…

I was delighted to see my Toyota Sera featured in your March 2023 issue, three years after I sold it! It was a little bit of a sad story as I put the car up for sale literally as Covid hit. I was unable to retrieve the car from the auction house I had sent her to due to restrictions, and the new owner (who I now know is Jane,) was the winner, and she now has a really distinctive car in fantastic condition. I had to sell the Sera due to the issue of storage as I already had a great car in the garage, so the Sera was in a paid-for facility. Ultimately I had a choice to make, and sadly the Sera lost out. But I thought…

Ford started work on their £660 million Project Toni, the replacement for the Cortina, in 1978. Three years later, they unveiled the Probe III concept car at the Frankfurt Motor Show, although Sean Greenwood argues: 'It was a marketing ploy as the Sierra shape and design already existed in the 1970s. Ford created the Probe to build a buzz around the new model.' 1981 was also the year the company announced the imminent demise of the Cortina MkV, and the Sierra finally debuted on 22nd September, 1982. Dagenham promised 'Man and machine in perfect harmony,' and there was much talk about the drag coefficient of 0.34. The sales film highlighted the Sierra’s virtues alongside the likes of the Vauxhall Cavalier II, Datsun Bluebird, Mazda 626, Morris Ital, Renault 18, Talbot…

PART 8 We try and run a wide variety of project cars here on Classics Monthly, not just in terms of the type of vehicle, but also in the kind of work they require. With regards the former, having a Reliant Regal and a Series Land Rover in the workshop at the same time could not have been more of a contrast as far as size, philosophy and function went. As for the latter, some of the cars require total restoration, while others just need fettling and freshening up, or maybe (as in the case of the BMW Z3 project) just one or two major problems to be sorted. The Land Rover has fallen more in the ‘freshening up’ camp rather than the ‘total restoration’ one. It was up and…

Ishared a house with three guys in my last year of university, and 31 years later we are still friends. We celebrate the fact by getting together once or twice a year for a weekend of fell walking, beer guzzling and pub pool in the Lake District. We have had widely different careers, resulting in varying economic outcomes. Inevitably, the chap whose work involves commercial accountancy has done rather well for himself. As a result, he is currently on his second Jaguar. He tends to buy his cars nearly new and run them for a decade or so, rather than turning them over frequently. There was a great deal of banter when, about 17 years ago, he rolled up to Kirkby Lonsdale in a jet black Jaguar S-Type. ‘The golf…

I've only ever had three Vauxhalls, and one was an early FB of 1962. The others were a Senator Mk1 and a Cavalier Mk3. The FB was well-received in its day. The styling was, after the perceived excesses of the F-type Victor, absolutely right for the somewhat plain and minimalistic fashion of the early 1960s. I can't honestly say that I ever really liked it though, either the one I had or the model in general. I have always thought the original Victor with its extravagantly swage-lined flanks, wrap-around front and rear screens, dog-leg front pillars, exaggerated rear overhang and lavish chromeplated detailing to be a tourde-force in stylistic terms. I am quite aware of its deficiencies as regards durability and utility, but to achieve such a wonderfully well-proportioned and…