Indice dei contenuti per November 2024 in Classics World

As you can see from the picture above, I've been visiting the auctions again. This time it was Anglia Car Auctions in King's Lynn at the end of August. And yes I know that I shouldn't put myself in the way of temptation, but it was all in the name of research, I promise. Anyway, one of the cars that caught my eye in Norfolk was this Vauxhall PA Cresta Friary Estate. There wasn't a lot of history with the car, but it looked to be in good shape and somebody had clearly invested a lot of time and money into it. I've lauded the Crestas in the past, both in PA and PB guise, so I am clearly a fan. I love the PA in particular for its joyful…

I'm just writing to compliment you on the August issue, which I picked up at Heathrow on my way off to holiday and thoroughly enjoyed. I was particularly pleased to see an article on the Chrysler 180. My uncle bought one new in 1973 and kept it well into the '80s. I remember being shocked to see a Renault 30 on their drive and gutted that I hadn't had the opportunity to buy the Chrysler off him! I also loved the superb mix of older and modern classics covered in the magazine. I appreciate any car that's been cherished, and really enjoy running a small local friendship group who meet for breakfasts and curries with different makes and models showing up every time. There are about 50 of us and…

Reading Andrew Roberts' Ford Consul and Granada feature in September's Classic World brought back a few happy memories for me. As a schoolboy in the mid-1970s, the Granada Mk1 3-litre S had been my favourite car. (OK, maybe coming second only to an Aston Martin.) As such, I was always disappointed that Ford only saw fit to give the 3.0S a half page spread in their seasonal ‘all models' catalogues when every other saloon in the Granada range – including the 2.0 base – got a double page. The thing was, you seldom saw a 3.0S on the road, even when they were current, unless it was in jam sandwich livery with a blue light on top. As I grew older I never stopped yearning for a 3.0S, though it…

To say the history of the 100 is complex is an understatement. Its badge represents the four constituent marques of Auto Union-Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer. When Auto Union resumed car production after the Second World War, it decided to use only the DKW brand for a range of affordable FWD, three-cylinder, two-stroke saloons. By the time Daimler-Benz acquired Auto Union in 1958, the German Wirtschaftswunder (the Economic Miracle) was underway. By the early 1960s, many drivers regarded two-stroke engines as unrefined, uneconomical, noisy and generally passe. In response, Auto Union's technical director, Ludwig Kraus, commenced work on a new 1.7-litre four-stroke engine and the 1963 F102 was the last DKW to use the two-stroke format. When the F103 debuted in September 1965, it may have resembled the F102, but…

READERS' CARS MASERATI MERAK SS Fitting everything into our busy lives is a monumental task. The world moves at such a pace that time rushes past at an ever-increasing rate, or so it seems. So fast in fact that some people insist on adding activities and experiences to a bucket list. This is not a term I'm particularly fond of. Besides, some of these bucket list activities look so darn dangerous that there's a chance of ending your days even sooner than before. To me at least, carpe diem has a much better ring to it, 'seize the day' in the far more romanticsounding Latin being more acceptable to my sensibilities. Either way, it all comes down to making the most of every day and every opportunity that comes along,…

As you saw back in August, the 1949 Riley RMB we're featuring this month is the latest addition to the Simpson classic car fleet, ownership of which is a 40-year dream fulfilled. The car was bought in Devon, so bringing it home provided an opportunity to drive the A39 coast road via Lynton, Porlock and Bridgwater. I love this drive – in fact, like the North Norfolk road we visited recently in the Morris Minor Traveller, it's one of my favourite old-car routes in Britain. There's plenty to see and do along the way, but it's also challenging for car and driver. Pretty much perfect then for a road test feature. First, though, a bit of background to the car. The Riley Motor Company's car-making history dated back to 1898,…

BUYING GUIDE IN ASSOCIATION WITH LANCASTER INSURANCE 01480 400761 Austin's need for a new small car in the post-war years eventually led to the unveiling of the A30, an innovative chassis-less design with a modern specification. The monocoque construction, developed by former aircraft engineers Ken Garrett and Ian Duncan, offered extremely high levels of torsional rigidity, with more than twice the stiffness of the A30's main rival, the Morris Minor. Excellent construction was one thing, but the A30 would also benefit from an advanced new engine. Called the A-Series, this was Initially launched in 803cc guise producing 28bhp. It returned decent performance and could average around 42mpg. That the A30 could trump the sidevalve-engined Morris Minor's top speed, getting closer to the milestone 70mph, was another added bonus. The rest…

Sunbeam-Talbot This photo was labelled up as Sunbeam Alpine, but we think that is wrong because the Alpine was a two-seat tourer with a long, graceful tail. We think this is the two-door drophead coupé version of the Sunbeam-Talbot 90 on which the Alpine was based, but we are unsure of which variant – perhaps one of our better informed readers can enlighten us on that point? The AJT 17 registration number is no help with dating as that was issued by Dorset County Council back in 1939 so must have been a personalised number, and though we know this is a refuelling stop on the Daily Express National Rally, the exact year eludes us. Over to you! Jaguar This Jaguar Mk2 is being pushed hard, we believe on the…

FUTURE Classics READERS' CARS It is hard to believe that BMW's E38 7-Series is celebrating its 30th birthday this year. In human terms, that would still be considered rather youthful, but in car years it's nearing bona fide classic status. In fact, in another 10 years' time, the DVLA will officially deem it as such, bringing with it exemption from road tax, ULEZ and MoT, which is wild because it really doesn't feel that old. And it definitely doesn't look that old – to paraphrase the legendary Quentin Willson, put a private plate on it, and no-one will know that it's been around for three decades. The key to the E38's success in terms of its age-defying looks all comes down to BMW's timeless styling. It has an air of…

Alfa Romeo 166 (1998-2007) When Jeremy Clarkson pronounced the 166 as being, ‘quite simply the best car in the world,' you'd be right in predicting that in that brief moment of superfluous hyperbole he'd end up putting the kibosh on things. And indeed, that was the case when it came to the Alfa's lack of sales success. Alas, a miserable 2900 left the UK showrooms in the nine years it was available here, and today only a tiny proportion – possibly as few as 275 – are still in regular use. Yes, the survival rate really is that bad. As such, those that appreciate the car's finer points, like its excellent handling, drop-dead gorgeous looks, gadget-laden spec and comfy, well-appointed interior are rightly fighting amongst themselves to find the best…

ASTON MARTIN'S COAL SCUTTLE The search is on for a valuable piece of Aston Martin's earliest history. A1 was the very first car to be built by Bamford & Martin Ltd, the company that would quickly become Aston Martin. Nicknamed ‘Coal Scuttle' because of its simple styling that was, to many, redolent of the ubiquitous fuel container that almost every home in the nation would have had a century ago, the car was created in the summer of 1914 and over the course of the next ten years helped the company's founders publicise their business. However, Aston Martin sold its earliest model for £50 in 1924, and not long after that the car disappeared entirely. Now, 110 years after its manufacture and 100 years after its sale, the Aston Martin…

I enjoyed reading Andrew Roberts' piece on the BMC ADO17 family. We owned a 1969 Austin 1800 'Landcrab,' which was an exdemonstrator purchased from John Whalley Ltd in Bishop's Stortford, Herts. My father particularly liked the easy to remember registration number HUR 66G. Going from a humble Viva HB to a Landcrab seemed like an epic move upwards for me as a 13 year old! It was purchased ostensibly to tow our Europe four-berth caravan, which it accomplished with aplomb, taking us all over the UK with a good many trips to the highlands of Scotland. My sister and I enjoyed the huge, roomy rear seating which seemed cavernous compared with the Viva HB. While the Landcrab has often been criticised for all manner of reasons, we owned one from…

My partner was recently going through old photos after the sad passing of her mother, and came across this photo of her sister and late father standing by a car he owned, which was taken around 1976. I have researched, picked fellow car enthusiasts' brains and generally pondered, but cannot come to any conclusion about what it is. Neither my partner nor her sister can remember either, but they do recall that he did have a fairly exotic taste in cars. Do you have any ideas? My first thought was something from Lancia or Alfa Romeo, but every time I found a potential match, the position of that fuel filler messed it up! – Ed…

READERS' CARS SPITFIRE MK3 One of the perks of working for a car manufacturer is that you can usually buy a brand new car from them at a substantial discount. I knew somebody who worked for Ford in the 1980s, and he could buy a brand-new Escort, keep it for up to a year and then still sell it on for a profit, or at the very least without losing any money. Triumph would no doubt have offered similar discounts to their employees, and that is probably how this pretty little Mk3 Spitfire was acquired, because its first owner worked for Triumph but only kept it for six months. Normally a car that is being sold on after such a short time is likely to be a Friday afternoon lemon,…

Between 1930 and 1947, Arthur Ransome wrote his famous Swallows and Amazons series. They may have been written for children, but for some reason they captivate me. Ransome published a total of 12 Swallows and Amazons novels during his lifetime. For reasons best known to my inner psyche, I re-read about 20 books through every twoyear period. Nine of these are Ransome books. One of them is in my car today. Pigeon Post is a fastpaced yarn of wild camping, mineral prospecting and forest fires in the Cumbrian fells, and that is exactly where I am heading. But first, I have a date with one of the book's characters. My ultimate destination is a weekend with old friends in Coniston, a pretty village set back from one of the region's…

Anglia Car Auctions A healthy 290 cars went under the hammer at ACA's Kings Lynn base at the end of June, amongst which a host of more recent classics piqued our interest. The sale included a raft of barn finds, including a 1982 VW Scirocco GTI which sold for under a grand. The survival rate of the more rounded Mk2 'Rocco is rubbish, but this one needed too much work to make it viable in our opinion. Especially given the quantity of pristine, low mileage modern classics going under the hammer. 1986 VW Golf Cabrio GTI – £5184 We liked this Mk1 Cabrio for its originality and the fact that with a little tidying it could be made very nice indeed. White with white seats is a rare combo and…

FUTURE Classics BUYING GUIDE Believe it or not, the original Sport (the L320), derived from the 2004 Range Stormer concept, made its debut almost two decades ago. As a marketing masterstroke, while looking very much like a full fat Range Rover, it was based on a Land Rover Discovery T5 chassis, shortened by 14cm, giving it a sportier appearance that would appeal to younger buyers. It also borrowed the Discovery's 2.7-litre TDV6 turbodiesel at launch, which was offered alongside a 4.4-litre normally aspirated Jaguar derived V8 and a 4.2-litre supercharged unit, although the former quickly did a disappearing act due to poor UK sales. To make up the deficit, a talented 3.6-litre TDV8 turbodiesel joined the range in 2006 – and this remains the real gem in the line up…

Mercedes W124 The W124 range was launched in 1984, but the elegant convertible didn't arrive until 1991, when it was first offered with the 24-valve straight-six engine and badged as 300CE-24, joined the following year by the 320CE, later badged as the E320. In 1993 a four-cylinder E220 was added to the line-up, but the pick of the range is the E320. With the W124 being one of the last to enjoy traitional Mercedes solidity, these cars shrug off the passage of time and remain a classy way for the whole family to enjoy summer motoring, with enough power on tap to be a fun steer. Prices vary wildly, but our pick would be an E320 in a sober colour, preferably with leather and with good history. Fit a set…

YOU'RE NOT JUST BUYING A CAR Andrew can't afford an Escort Mexico, but can understand why they cost so much. As I write this on 28th August, it's exactly 50 years since my dad bought a one year old Escort Mexico, NEL 392M. I remember the first time I clapped eyes on the Escort as a car mad six year old. NEL was a July 1973 built Mexico produced by the Ford Advanced Vehicle Operations (AVO) factory in South Ockendon, Essex. You probably know all about that, but in short, the regular Escort sausage factory at Halewood had neither the will nor the time to start making special versions. The Twin Cam built from 1968 to 1971 was a one-size-fits-all car: white, white or white, one engine, one set of…

CRANKSHAFT OIL SEAL COVER Price: £49.96 In keeping with its policy of producing parts that are no longer available from the original source, Burton is now offering a crankshaft oil seal front cover that fits both the Pinto and Cosworth YB engines. The cover faithfully reproduces the original part and can be ordered as part number FT1065. It is suitable for Cosworth YB 16v Turbo engines, Pinto equipped versions of the Capri, Cortina, Escort, Granada, Sierra, Transit and the TVR Tasmin 200 2.0 as well as Pinto-equipped kit cars. For further details, contact Burton Power on 0208 554 2281 or visit www.burtonpower.com MERCEDES 220 CARBURETTOR CONVERSION Price: £1085.28 Webcon has announced the re-introduction of the Weber replacement kit to suit the classic Mercedes 220. The kit has been tailored for…

I came across this Vauxhall Viva with only 5000 miles on the clock last week at a car show. It was registered on 18th June 1971, so is now 53 years old. The current owner has put 3500 miles on it, mostly going to car shows, in the last 10 years or so. He purchased it with 1500 miles on the odometer. It is totally original, with factory writing on the inside of the nearside front wing. I come across low mileage old cars quite often, which begs the question: why did/do people buy a brand new car and hardly use it? In the case of this Viva, the original owner used it for about 30 miles per year, no holidays, no commuting to work, only going to the shops…

It has taken me rather a long time to write following Andrew Everett's most interesting article Palmer and the Pathfinder in Classic Tails (September 2023). I have been a keen admirer of the Riley Pathfinder since the age of 18 and have enjoyed owning two very nice examples since then. It is quite clear that Andrew also likes the Pathfinder and I was pleased that he did not regurgitate the age old nonsense about the car's poor road holding and unreliability. My Pathfinders were certainly not perfect, but neither were they unreliable nor uncontrollable! I attach a photo of my first Pathfinder.…

SPECIAL FEATURE BMW 700 When we think of BMW today, we think of a globally successful company at the leading edge of technology, seemingly invincible. So it is hard to imagine that 65 years ago BMW was declared technically bankrupt and a resolution was put to a shareholders meeting to sell the company to Daimler-Benz at what can only be described as a fire sale price. And this was not the first time BMW had been brought to its knees. BMW was registered by Franz Joseph Popp in 1917 to disguise the origin of a new aircraft engine built at the former Rapp Motor Works, who had a poor reputation for quality and performance. At the end of World War One the Allies imposed severe restrictions on operations, leading to…

PART 4 We had known from the outset that the leading edge of the OSF wing was in a poor way because there was a hole in the top of the panel. The NSF corner looked in better shape, but that was only because it had already been filled with patches and filler. In the event, both showed that whatever rust you can see on a car, the true extent will invariably spread much, much further. Trawling the Morris Marina Owners Club website showed that these are typical rust spots on the model, because repair panels are available for all the problem areas. And looking at the car itself, it is clear why these spots rot so badly – there is no protection at all from water and muck thrown…

MARQUES & MODELS SUNBEAM ALPINE The Alpine narrative commences in 1956, as the success of the 1953-1955 Sunbeam-Talbot 90-based two-seater of the same name prompted Lord Rootes to consider the possibility of a new sports car. It would be less obviously derived from a saloon and appeal to affluent drivers in the USA. Ken Howes devised the bodywork and reflected: ‘It was looked upon as a completely new car that would be a break with the past. It was basically an intuitive design. I wanted a sports car that would be slightly ahead of the competition – projected into the future.' The company first considered using the Sabre name before they decided to revive the Alpine badge. Rootes used the floorpan of the very non-sporting Hillman Husky, but while the…

The TRUTH about… the Rover 75 I'm not usually quite this specific in my choice of subjects for TTA features and I've never chosen anything from the 21st century before, but there is no doubt that the modern Rover 75 already has an exceptional following among classic car enthusiasts and it is my contention that the 1.8 Turbo model is destined to become increasingly hot property. In a sense the 75 was a classic from the moment of its launch at the Birmingham Motor Show on the 20th October 1998, over 25 years ago. The styling was unashamedly retrospective, both outside and in, whilst still being thoroughly modern. This wasn't an entirely new trend for Rover, having begun with the 600 model in April 1993, the first model to feature…

FUTURE Classics FORGOTTEN HERO Jaguar MD Jonathan Browning made no secret of the fact that he saw the launch of the X-TYPE in 2001 as a game changer. Not just in terms of the car, which marked the end of the firm's single saloon policy, but for the company as well. With plans for a new roadster – the F-TYPE, which ultimately wouldn't arrive until 2014 – Jaguar was bullish about expanding into new markets, and more crucially about appealing to a hoard of youthful potential customers with its exciting mid-sized executive car offering. No wonder then that publicity for the first X-TYPE was skewed towards the Sport model (usually with a manual gearbox) which had none of the traditional Jaguar chrome, leather and wood on show. Indeed, under Ford…