Table of contents for July 2025 in Practical Classics

We have enjoyed a Spring of perfect weather and beautiful sunshine. I can’t remember better classic driving conditions, with packed shows and plenty of classics on the roads. Drive-it Day was a huge success and the Beaulieu Spring Autojumble was equally a crowd pulling delight with numbers up. I celebrate these moments of success and enjoyment quite deliberately because, this month, we are also in mourning for the lives lost at Bicester. Our fantastic hobby, this precious, glorious bubble within which we live, is no protection from fate’s hand and the events of May 15 prove it. That’s why, when we enjoy what we do, we should celebrate our continued ability to do so by also acknowledging the fact that we have incredible emergency services to keep us safe and…

On the evening of May 15, a fire broke out in Hanger 79 at the Bicester Heritage site (known as Bicester Motion). Fire crews arrived on the scene at around 18.45 and fought the blaze, which had spread through the roof and several vehicles that were in storage inside the hanger. Roads were closed and a serious incident declared as ten crews battled to keep the fire under control. Several loud explosions were heard and local residents advised to keep windows closed as smoke drifted across the locality. Tragically, during the evening, two firefighters, Martyn Sadler and Jennie Logan, along with Bicester stalwart, David Chester, lost their lives, while two further firefighters were taken to hospital with serious injuries. Bicester Motion released the following statement: ‘There are no words at times like…

Weymouth club chairman does skydive at 79 The chairman of the Weymouth Vehicle Preservation Club, Peter Griffin, raised more than £500 for charity group Family Matters Weymouth by undertaking a skydive – at the ripe young age of 79! Online booking opens for Classics on the Common Bookings are now being taken for the annual Classics on the Common event in Harpenden, Herts, which this year tales place on Wednesday 23 July. Last year’s event raised more than £30k for Rotary. You can book at classicsonthecommon.com. Classics raise £750 for NSPCC A retirement complex in Berkshire recently raised more than £750 for the NSPCC with a Drive It Day coffee morning. Castle View Retirement Living Windsor hosted its fourth annual event, with visitors in attendance from all across the UK.…

We are blessed with some fantastic motor museums in the UK, but the recent closure of the Moretonhampstead Motor Museum and a blaze at the Microcar Museum in Lincolnshire show very clearly how fragile they can be. Quite simply, we must use them or lose them. Full coffers create longevity and, well, we owe it to our grandkids to make sure these fantastic places are thriving. So, Danny and James headed off to a selection of museums in the South West of England. Choosing two of their favourite classics, the chaps took a couple of days out to explore and assess some truly unique classic car destinations. Perhaps this might inspire you to do your own museum safari – maybe even give impetus to fathers and sons (or daughters) to…

As a registered charity, Atwell-Wilson Motor Museum supports an annual road run and show each July (with space for hundreds of cars), a catalogued library of technical publications, a wedding car rental service and the workshop of Jack French – a founder member of the 750 Motor Club. A walk through the venue reveals a dazzling array of surprises, from the museum’s very first exhibit – a 1937 Buick once used daily by founder Richard Atwell – to an example of Alec Issigonis’s gearless Mini ‘9X’ programme. This 1970 ‘ADO20’ is the oldest of the three cars built with vertical strut suspension and aluminium panels and was bought in 1975 by Sir Alec who used it extensively. It’s a feast for the eyes wherever you look – and it would…

This Father’s Day, what follows is a tale first brought to our attention by a very proud son. It’s a tale of a restorer who, against all odds, took a car from terminal diagnosis to shining showstopper. It was Neil Blair who first made contact, sharing with clear admiration his father Ian’s story. Tells Neil: ‘The story started many years ago when Dad went to look at this car – a one-owner vehicle from a family in Norfolk – that had travelled around Europe over the years when the family was younger, but which was later parked up and forgotten. The owner was ready to part with the car and noted that it was running when it was parked up and would need some commissioning to get it on the…

We all tend to love cars that we remember from our youth and of course the delightful 1899 Panhard et Levassor 8hp featured here meets this criterion in my case, as I’ve been reminded by certain Practical Classics team members. These cars were everywhere. Uncle Basil had a 12hp. My dad dearly wanted to do a deal with the family Alldays & Onions. I remember they were particularly popular with joyriders blasting around the mill yard at 12mph, even performing the odd donut before being caught by a constable and solidly birched. Happy now? We can progress. What a Drive It Day we had this year. It really seemed that every classic owner countrywide had made an effort to get out and flash their car(s) on a lovely sunny Sunday.…

The Range Rover P38A and Jaguar XJ (X300) were both hugely important. They had to succeed in order to guarantee the future prosperity of their makers. The P38A was the Rover Group’s flagship car, and was a technical tour de force, showcasing new technology under its conservative skin. It was designed to be the world’s best off-roader, but also fulfil the role of luxury limousine for an increasingly wealthy client base. No easy ask. The X300’s job was even tougher. It needed to appeal to Jaguar’s ageing audience, but also encourage new buyers by being better for keen drivers than anything BMW and Mercedes-Benz were building. It was going to need to be very special indeed to hold its head up. It’s fair to say that both were built by…

Why you want one It’s the exotic British supercar so exclusive, that not even Roger Moore could get his hands on one when it was launched. After giving Lotus a great big boost by showcasing its new car to the world in 1977 Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me, the 007 actor was reportedly refused a discount – although we suspect it had more to do with the Esprit’s low asking price, which was a fraction of what Porsche and Ferrari were charging for their supercars at the time. Surely Rog could have put his hand in his pocket? Despite its bargain price, nowadays, the arrival of an Esprit on the show field is more likely to make an impact than any Italian supercar. The Lotus Esprit S1-S3 may…

Sadly, in the UK at least, lots of Renault’s past hits are now transitioning from obscurity to near extinction. We’re surprised there are as many as 39 on the road! One of the least commonly sighted is the chic Renault 11. Styled by Citroën SM and Renault 25 designer Robert Opron and launched to an expectant audience, the new small family Renault was an intentional effort to appeal to conservative Eighties buyers. Just remember how poorly received the daring Sierra was at launch… GTX and Turbo models aside, the 11 was a thoroughly conventional mid-sized hatch. Considering Renault made 6.3m 9s and 11s, the tiny number of either models surviving today seems unfathomable.…

What was the problem? The dynamo fitted to many older classics isn't ideal. Its output is limited, so the car needs a long run to make up for the energy consumed when starting. It doesn't develop its full power until the engine’s turning quite fast. If the headlamps are in use along with the wipers and the heater blower, there’s a good chance the battery is being drained rather than charged. What should I consider before buying an alternator? Find out what types other owners of the same car have fitted. They usually need a larger physical space than a dynamo and need to be slightly differently mounted. It’s fine to use a secondhand one – but check for worn bearings. Lucas ACR-series units are popular and spare parts are…

The transformation for the former Vauxhall site on Osborne Road has started with the complete demolition of the former Vauxhall Motors HQ, Griffin House. Site owner Prologis UK has been working closely with local heritage groups and Vauxhall enthusiasts to ensure the site’s history is recorded and some of it preserved. Careful removal and preservation of ‘The Wheel’, originally built into the structure of Griffin House’s design studios, will allow for history to be honoured in the site’s next chapter. Former employees and enthusiasts were given a final opportunity to bid farewell to Griffin House before its demolition and visited the site in early May in a line-up of cars that included Wayne Cherry prototypes Silver Bullet, Black Magic and Silver Aero. The preservation of The Wheel, a stained glass…

Foam party AUTOGLYM EASY SPRAYER, £25 Designed for use with a range of Autoglym products, this Easy Sprayer provides maximum product coverage with very little effort, before or after use. It’s constructed from durable materials so promises to withstand regular, intensive use and, with just a few pumps, promises to produce the perfect spray consistency for your chosen cleaning product. A fan nozzle for wide application, and a cone nozzle for a narrow spray are supplied to offer versatility, while a safety valve is provided to depressurise the device. autoglym.com Cam-do attitude XK CAMSHAFT OIL FEED PIPE £117.60 Back in stock at SNG Barratt is a one-piece stainless steel braided oil feed pipe suitable for most six-cylinder XK engines. It is supplied with an improved sealing washer to resolve common…

For almost a century enthusiasts had called for a national museum of motoring and, in 1972, it became a reality. In the grounds of Beaulieu, the Montagu Motor Museum, which had displayed Edward Lord Montagu’s cars, was replaced by the National Motor Museum - an independent museum backed by a charitable trust: The National Motor Museum Trust. The purpose-built building was opened by HRH The Duke of Kent in July 1972 and has thrived for more than 50 years. In 2022 the National Motor Museum celebrated its half century and launched a new strategy. It focuses on improving the museum’s spaces, equipment and interpretation for younger visitors, as well as upgrading facilities for the 285 display vehicles. Greater access will also be provided to the museum’s stored collections of more…

The idea to create a museum began with John Haynes OBE and his wife, Annette Haynes. John was the founder of Haynes Publishing and creator of the Haynes Owners Workshop manuals. He also collected cars that appealed to him, beginning with a 1930 Morris Oxford Six saloon. By the early Eighties his collection had expanded considerably and, in the same way that Lord Montagu had done, he made the decision to found the museum and donate his vehicles to the museum charity. John bought a disused sawmill in Sparkford in 1984 and it was here that, in July 1985, the Museum opened with a collection of 35 cars. Both James and I made visits in the early days with our dads, so being back here is a proper nostalgia fest,…

1 MARCH 2017 Bulkhead buy The Bond’s original bulkhead had completely dissolved, so a replacement was sourced from a Herald, repaired and prepared for paint. 2 MAY 2017 A glass act Repaired and primed, Bond’s glassfibre bonnet awaits the fitment of steel inner arches, which were attached with a combination of rivets and PU adhesive. 3 JUNE 2017 Piston broke Bond’s original 1147cc Herald-derived four-pot was stripped down and rebuilt with fresh rings and shells after machining work was carried out. 4 JULY 2017 A floor in the plan A fresh Herald steel floor pan was carefully matted into the glassfibre bodywork before Ian painted it inside and out. 5 OCTOBER 2019 Lady in red Following Ian’s meticulous prep work, colour coats were applied in a booth by a young…

‘It was special because it contained many of my father’s memories’ Although this 1974 Mini Clubman Estate was recently restored over a four-year period, the impetus behind that resto goes back to September 1982, when Gaetano Mistretta Senior asked his son Pietro to find him a car. ‘Dad lived in Sicily and wanted something to transport garden waste and collect wood for his log burner,’ remembers Pietro. ‘I’d had a Mini as my first car so suggested a Traveller, but Italian-made Innocenti Mini Estates were rare and buying cars in Italy involved fees and lots of red tape. I found this eight-year-old Clubman Estate nearby in Somerset, England. It had 58,000 miles and cost £140.’ The Mini had previous accident repairs including a new nearside front wing. In anticipation of…

With Father’s Day upon us, we thought it was time we gave our dads a gift of the cars they’d always dreamed of. So, we’ve made our way to The Haynes Motor Museum to seek out five cars chosen by the people who inspired our own love of the automobile. We asked our dads to tell us why they chose their ‘dream’ cars and we have also had a go at working out what made them plump for those particular motors. The one slight anomaly? We have invited Steve Mytton, who runs the marketing at Haynes, and his dad Stewart, who volunteers at the museum, along as well. Having a dad with us is a real treat, especially for James… who remembers visiting the museum with his dad back in…

Professional Coatings Ltd started in 1994 and went limited in 2002. It employs a team of 11 at the 19,000 square foot factory near Newbury and has an extremely diverse range of customers. Owner and boss Aston Martin (yes, that is his name) has been in the bodywork industry since he was 14. He started in a bodyshop working mainly in refinishing, prep and paint. Then things changed. ‘By the time I got my City & Guilds, I was a bit bored of painting,’ he told PC. ‘My dad let out his building to a powder coating company and, when the owner moved back to Scotland and closed his business, I thought 'that’s different'.' Aston spotted the opportunity to mix what he knew about finishing classic car bodywork with the…

I’ve had the pleasure of driving two examples of Esprit that, while both were 007 replicas, they had nevertheless been restored to the highest standards. The film star looks distracted from the way in which they been so faithfully rebuilt to factory spec. This meant experiencing the exceptional road manners you’d come to expect from Lotus, with a pleasing thump of power from the Turbo, especially. That’s not to say Paul Coleman’s September 1976 registered Series 1, featured here, is a slouch. There’s plenty of punch from that modest 2-litre lump. He took his time to revive it though, having almost given up a few times. ‘I spent four years on the bodywork, learning as I went. For instance, before I could even think about prepping for paint, I left…

If the Nineties has a car that encapsulates the decade of raves, ram-raiding and thumping techno, then few would likely argue that the Ford Escort Cosworth isn’t it. Its outrageous styling, with a wing that would put a Cessna to shame, and more Barry-boy bravado than a front cover of Nuts, has helped this fast Ford pass into legend. As with a swathe of similar performance cars from our respective youth, however, the reality falls short of the bedroom-wall fantasy. As opposed to its Midas-like motorsport forebear, the Sierra Cosworth, the Escort – with very similar mechanical underpinnings – was never quite on pace with rivals from Lancia, Toyota, Mitsubishi and Subaru. Rallying, like its predecessor namesake, was this Escort’s chosen discipline and, in the Nineties, WRC titles were hard-fought. Despite…

Let’s kick this one off by stating, categorically, that the super hatch is far from dead. In fact, there are powerful and fast performance hatchbacks, available to buy new right now, that put the class of the Noughties to shame. However, they largely rely on turbocharged four-cylinder power. Rewind two decades, and you’d find huge, naturally-aspirated six-cylinders in hatchbacks from sensible family firms like Volkswagen and Renault. In order to compete with the likes of the Golf R32 and Clio V6, Alfa Romeo dropped the glorious 3.2-litre ‘Busso’ engine into a widened and lowered 147, creating the bonkers GTA variant in 2002. Wild to look at and even more lairy to drive – especially without an LSD – the GTA was as beautiful as it was brutal, facts not lost…

Renault’s back catalogue is rich with innovation, but the new millennium saw without doubt its boldest and most controversial departure from the industry mainstream, a vehicle for which there wasn’t even an existing category – still isn’t – and with an enigmatic Franco-English moniker that’s a deliberate shibboleth to sort out those in the know. The ‘time’ in Avantime, you see, is pronounced as English, so ‘ahead of time’, which maybe it always will be. Running in the family The Espace’s first three generations had been built from 1984 in the Loire valley by Matra which had developed the concept: a major French industrial conglomerate active in a wide range of industries including aerospace, defence, automotive, motorsports, transport and telecommunications. In addition to being game changers visually and practically, they…

Cortina resto How the owner of this MkIII brought it back from the brink Avantime to fly Danny goes to France to rescue one of his dream cars Princess guide How to buy the very best of BL’s luxurious executive PLUS There’s a Riley Pathfinder restoration, the tale of a prototype Ford Escort MkIV and a guide to the MG ZS. Meanwhile, the Citroën CX and Saab 900 go into battle and, from a Cornish barn, we uncover an African people’s car called the Africar. Plus the usual tales from the PC workshop! AUGUST ISSUE ON SALE JULY 2 Practical Classics (ISSN 0957697, PE 9080) is published monthly (with an extra ‘Spring’ issue published in March 2025) by Bauer Consumer Media Ltd, Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE2 6EA, United…

When I first rocked up to the Practical Classics office for my interview in 1999, I was met by a trio of fresh faced youths. John Pearson was editor back then and he was flanked by a Phil Bell (still a fellow editor at parent company Bauer) and Russ Smith. We chatted, talked cars, talked writing and talked all things classic. Then I headed back to London in a rather scruffy black Spitfire. I doubted my chances of success, but I do remember Russ Smith’s warning of low pay, long hours and grazed knuckles. Well, I got the job and, 25 years on, I still work with that fresh face… but not for long. This issue is Russ’s final fling in Practical Classics, a publication he has written for for…

Volkswagen has unveiled a special Harlequin-themed race livery to celebrate 50 years of the Polo. Revealed to the public for the first time at Bicester Motion’s springtime Scramble event, the eye-popping colour scheme was chosen by Volkswagen fans on social media. The new ‘birthday suit’ Polo R World Rallycross (WRX) show car is a replica of Johan Kristoffersson’s FIA WRX car, with colour scheme inspired by the Polo Harlequin special edition of the Nineties. The original Harlequin car colours: Chagallblau (Chagall blue, pantone code LD5D), Flashrot (Flash red, LP3G), Ginstergelb (Ginster yellow, LR132) and Pistazie (Pistachio, LD6D) are used. When it came on the market in early May 1975, nobody expected that the compact two-door would become a bestseller. The first Polo, presented in Geneva in March 1975, was a simply equipped…

Three brothers marked 100 years of their family business by embarking on a bus trip for charity – with a twist. Will, Andrew and James Emerton are the fourth generation to work for the family business, Emerton Roofing in Nantwich, and hit the road in their lovingly restored 1948 Johnstone’s Midget Bus – once a Brighton fairground ride. Measuring just three feet high and eight feet long, their tiny green bus travelled at an average of just 12mph and took eight days to drive from point-to-point. In total, the brothers raised an incredible £31,760 for children’s charities Hope House Hospice, the MPS Society and The Children’s Society. The brothers said at the end of their journey: ‘We’re absolutely blown away by the support we’ve received from everyone.’ There’s still time to donate at…

ACROSS 1 Nameplate from the Fifties and Sixties revived by Ferrari in 2008 (10) 8 The 1.5-litre Riley saloon with hydraulic brakes from the Fifties (4) 9 Old Triumph plant near Liverpool (5) 10 Coachbuilder Harrington (6) 11 The founding city of Isotta Fraschini (5) 12 A René Bonnet sports car built by Matra in the Sixties (4) 13 _ plugger, informal term for any true off-roader (3) 14 _ cars, Clan Crusaders etc (3) 15 Revolutionary wheel movement! (4) 17 Type of gearbox that is sure to have an impact? (5) 18 Short-lived Lamborghini model from the late Sixties (6) 20 De Tomaso sports model unveiled in early Nineties (5) 21 Designer of the original Maserati Quattroporte (4) 22 Big Riley saloon from the Fifties (10) DOWN 2 Eighties…

LIKING WHAT YOU SEE? ★★★★★ ‘PC continues its high standards and I devour it every issue’ Paul Skilleter – subscriber ★★★★★ ‘A huge thank you to you and all involved in the amazing Practical Classics magazine. It’s a wonderful read, not biased or snobby… you guys cover it all’ Jonathan Ruff – subscriber BENEFITS OF SUBSCRIBING ▶ Save 18% on shop prices with FREE UK delivery** ▶ Exclusive monthly ‘PC Tea Break’ e-newsletter and podcast from editor, Danny Hopkins ▶ Access to resto stories, tech advice, and plenty of tales from the PC workshop ▶ Classic adventures, nostalgia, and exclusive offers ▶ FREE digital access to past issues and rewards via the Practical Classics app ▶ Receive a FREE Keycare SmartFob Bluetooth key tracking device worth £36*** PRACTICAL CLASSICS MAGAZINE…

1 AUGUST 2018 After replacing the front floor and sills, Pietro fits new rear wings, but these replacement panels don’t include the rear corners-meaning much careful measuring. 2 SEPTEMBER 2019 Having repaired some minor accident damage, the Mini is now ready to receive new nearside rear panels, sill, A- and B-posts and side window frames. 3 JULY 2021 The Clubman gets its shiny top coats of Harvest Gold paint, the bodyshell’s final finish being the one and only area Pietro didn’t complete himself. Know your limitations! 4 SEPTEMBER 2021 Son Daetano helped throughout with the restoration, here assisting with dropping the Mini’s rebuilt engine and gearbox back in. 5 JANUARY 2022 Fitting the brand new seat covers over the refurbished frames and stuffing wasn’t easy, but was the last big job…

We are blundering our way through a drizzly wood by torchlight, tripping over twisted roots and grabbing at nearby branches for balance. The distant sound of howling engines confirms we are close. Moments later we slam into a nearby boundary fence and wipe the rainwater from our faces as a storm of metal screams by in a thick blanket of spray. Dazzled by an explosion of light, I stand back, look up into the mist swirling around the branches and delight in the moment, as headlights splash across tree trunks, making the leaves glitter as the terrifying bark of thumping engines come, wave after wave, exhausts crackling and fizzing. It’s intense. Magical. This is the Le Mans I dreamed of. Specifically, the Le Mans of the Sixties and Seventies. The…

Hampson Auctions scored a fine 86 per cent sale rate for the mixed bag of 85 cars offered at its May sale. Biggest surprise was the £14,062 paid for the resto-mod ’68 Ford Anglia. To be fair it had been superbly sorted on the mechanical side, with a highly enhanced 2.1-litre Pinto engine and five-speed ’box, along with all the right brake and suspension mods to make that work. Maybe that was enough, but with pitted chrome and missing door panels and headliner, I thought £10-12k more likely. On the other hand the aluminium Hooper-bodied 1956 Bentley S1, an older restoration needing some recommissioning, looked a real bargain at just £7594. With swoopy two-tone styling, it was one of just 39 built. In its authentic patinated but still presentable state, it…

The hunt for a capacious family tank with a tow bar has been bubbling for a few months, with the Focus’s list of ills growing and restoration on the horizon. A late night Facebook Marketplace trawl yielded this X3 listed as ‘Spares of Repairs’ with a floppy clutch pedal. It ticked a lot of boxes, and I soon dispatched Clive to trailer it back to PC HQ. The full extent of the issues will be revealed in Bangernomics next month. ASKING PRICE £600 PAID: £600 VERDICT Big, practical and with a hook, X3 could be perfect dad wagon.…

Car makers were still experimenting with turbocharging in the Eighties, with some adopting the previous decade’s application of a whopping great blower bolted to the engine, while others were attempting more advanced methods. Whatever the case, the lag was always hilarious and the noises joyous and intrusive. Real-world turbo cars of the era, like the Fiat Uno Turbo, gave first-time drivers their first taste of turbo titivation. While GTi versions of the Golf and 205 get all the adoration from stuffy old hacks, we’ll take a madcap Escort RS Turbo and Maestro Turbo, thanks. Proper traffic light racers and guaranteed to raise a smile from passers-by wherever you go. As for the turbocharged sports cars of the era, how about the Porsche 944 Turbo and Mitsubishi Starion? Does the precision-built Stuttgart…

1993 PEUGEOT 605 SRDT Jon Burgess, Sale Having sold a car blocking it in, Jon wants to get his SORN 605 SRDT roadworthy again: it’s a few minor jobs away from an MOT. 2005 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX Andrew Salmon, Norwich Andy regrets selling his ‘Blobeye’ WRX: ‘it was heaps of fun, fast and a little less loudmouthed than the usual STI!’ 2006 JAGUAR XK COUPÉ Tom Stanyard, UK Tom’s overjoyed with his ‘modern’ Jag – which keeps his MGB GT company. He’s less in love with its thirst… Katie says… ‘Modern classics are essential for a thriving future. That’s why FJ is right behind JJ and the team at PC, bringing modern classics to life every four weeks.’…

Why you want one Has there ever been a British-built saloon that’s more fun to drive than a Peugeot 405? Or one with a marketing launch that caused such a fuss? The TV ad featured a nod to Top Gun with its Take My Breath Away soundtrack and scenes of a 405 igniting a field of corn, prompting a flurry of complaints from outraged farmers. The Pininfarina styled 405 was launched in 1988, with right-hand drive examples rolling out the factory at Ryton until 1997. Throughout its life, despite stiff opposition, it sat consistently at the top of the saloon pile and within the top ten UK best sellers for a considerable time. Available in saloon and estate form, the 405 got a range of XU/XUD petrol and bulletproof diesel…