Classics Worldの Spring 2021 の目次

I would guess that most of us have a car we always planned to tick off our ownership list, but for one reason or another haven’t yet got around to it. And I don’t mean one of those when-I-win-the-lottery dream cars, the kind that was never a realistic proposition in the first place. No, what I’m thinking about is the one that you could once genuinely have afforded to buy and to run, but for no good reason that you can put a finger on, it just never seemed to happen. Of course, the danger with this scenario is that by the time you pull your finger out and actually get around to looking, your chosen car may have become so rare and/or expensive that now you really do need…

As we have mentioned before, it takes a fair amount of forward planning to keep a variety of project cars running simultaneously in the magazine, and this means that we often have to work well in advance of publication. So, for example, we have already started work on the cars that will be replacing the current Midget, BMW MINI and Acclaim projects, and are actively looking for a suitable victim to follow on from the Mini Clubman. One of the forthcoming projects is this very rare low-mileage but cosmetically challenged Austin Montego estate (above). It will not be to all tastes of course, but we do aim for variety and if a Montego doesn't hit the spot for you, then the chances are that one of our other options will.…

It is now more than 60 years since I first set foot in Coventry. I promise to list them only once, but in 1957 there were ten private car marques in the city – Alvis, Armstrong-Siddeley, Daimler, Hillman, Humber, Jaguar, Singer, Standard, Sunbeam and Triumph. Oh yes, and Ferguson tractors, a BMC engines plant, the Carbodies bodyshell plant which made London taxis, plus the BMC/Morris Bodies, while Land-Rover and Rover were just over the horizon in Solihull. Nowadays they have all gone, and all the historic factories have been flattened, replaced by housing or modern light engineering facilities. Jaguar-Land-Rover still has a design and development operation in Coventry, but the cars themselves are assembled many miles away. Coventry, in fact, seems to have changed completely, but it always struggled to…

The Daimler 2.5 V8 made its debut on the 8th October 1962, by which time Daimler had undergone a very challenging period of readjustment. For all their flamboyance, the infamous Docker show cars which had astounded and/or horrified visitors to Earls Court from 1951-55 failed to mask declining sales, and there was a growing sense of the marque becoming an anachronism to post-war motorists. The historian Brian Sewell put it succinctly when he wrote: ‘Daimler’s refusal to acknowledge change had most to do with its decline.’ Worse still, the introduction of the Jaguar MkVII in 1950 caused a seismic change in the British luxury car market. Here was a vehicle that may not have been quite as well-furnished as Daimler's DE36, but it combined sports car manners with a high…

The Trabant made perfect sense in the 1950s and early 1960s. When most people’s transport options consisted of walking or riding a moped, the prospect of affording a small car with seating for four was tantalising indeed. And that’s exactly what the Sachsenring factory in the East German city of Zwickau produced with the P70 in 1955, a car which was so stylish that Nissan copied it for their Figaro retro-car some 35 years later. The P70 evolved through the P50 and P60, until arriving at the P601 in 1964. Powered by a twin-cylinder, air-cooled, two-stroke engine of 594cc, the P601 was still in production when the Berlin Wall came down in 1989. As the world watched east Berliners streaming across the newly opened border in their Trabis, the cars…

Paul Wager Group Editor Group Editor at Kelsey Media, Paul heads up the team which brings you our weekly paper Classic Car Buyer and the monthly Classic Car Mart, as well as being unofficial marshal of the company’s eclectic and ever-changing fleet of classic project cars. Ranging from Honda CRX to Bentley Turbo R, the collection temporarily includes this Escort XR3i, while Paul’s own Alfa Spider has recently been changed after 23 years of ownership for a modern classic in the shape of a Honda S2000. MY FLEET 2003 HONDA S2000 Owned since: 2020 1984 FORD ESCORT XR3I Owned (by Lancaster) since: 2019 Do you remember the Mk1 Golf GTI we featured in conjunction with Lancaster Insurance a couple of years ago, and more recently the Mk1 Mazda MX-5 which…

TTD912TXN £107.88 A 12 piece TX driver set covering TX6 through to TX45. Features include TTMV PLUS steel blades and ergonomically designed bi-material handles with hanging hole and T drive facility for added torque and comfort. The set is supplied in a unique Teng Tools TC tray and can be used either on its own or as part of the Teng Tools TC control system. MD910N £92.28 10-piece screwdriver set for slotted, Phillips and Pozi drive heads. The screwdrivers feature TTMV PLUS steel blades and ergonomically designed bi-material handles with hanging hole and T drive facility for added torque and comfort. 6510A £83.88 10-piece metric combination spanner set. The spanners are supplied in a plastic holder for carrying away or fixing on the wall or on a…

Following the Driver Diaries featuring my Allard cars, the editor has asked me to explain about the range of cars that Sydney Allard’s south London company made. It’s difficult in four pages to fit everything in on a company that made just over 1900 cars, but here goes! Sydney Herbert Allard was born on 19th June 1910 in Streatham. His father Arthur Allard was a successful building contractor in west London, and built some of the earliest known flats in the area. Sydney was a tall, very fit lad with immense strength that later held him in good stead at the wheel of his cars, particularly in 1952 when he drove virtually nonstop to win the Monte Carlo Rally. He was educated at Ardingly School in Sussex, and later studied…

ALFA ROMEO We are kicking off this issue with a slice of La Dolce Vita in Italy. The year is 1956, and that glamorous motor is an Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider, with two-seat open coachwork styled by Pinin Farina. The engine was a 1290cc twin-cam, and this is the rare Veloce version with power increased from 79bhp to 89bhp. The driver has pulled over to chat with these two lovely ladies. There is snow on the mountains in the background, but we suspect their hats and gloves had more to do with the fashions of the day than with the chilly weather – in 1956 it would have been unthinkable for a well-dressed lady to go out without gloves. As for the location, we reckon it must be the Italian…

After the UK government announced details at the end of February on their proposed timetable for the easing of lockdown restrictions, there has been a cautious but tangible upswing in the mood of event organisers up and down the country. There are still lots of unknowns on the route ahead and it would be a foolish person indeed who claimed that anything was set in stone, but at least we can now start planning again. Jaguar E-type Club co-founder Philip Porter said of the E-type 60th anniversary celebration at Shelsley Walsh on 12th-13th June: ‘We have the UK government's go-ahead, so nothing is stopping us now – it is maximum revs in each gear as we accelerate towards E-type 60. We are determined to have one hell of a celebration…

MGB BODYSHELLS Price: from £11,548.95 British Motor Heritage builds two batches of replacement bodyshells for the MGB each year, and orders for the first run of 2021 are required by 31st March at the latest. So, all those in urgent need of a new shell should ring their nearest Heritage Approved Specialist without delay, a full list of which can be found at www.bmh-ltd.com. As owners of the original tooling, BMH is the only company able to reproduce MGB bodies to exactly the same specification as those manufactured in period, and orders for replacement shells have for some time been rising year on year. They are available for all versions of the Roadster and GT, with prices starting from £11,548.95. There is even the option of seam-welded bodies for competition…

I love being on a race track with a fast car to play with, and my decades of writing for the late and lamented Kitcar magazine got me onto most of the UK’s race tracks in some viciously fast and competent cars. The slowest of mass-market kit cars, say a 2000cc Sierra-based Pilgrim Sumo Cobra lookalike, is still faster than a Sierra Cosworth Turbo, and handles better too. That's because power-to-weight beats just power, and the kit is structurally stiffer and its centre of gravity is a foot lower. The faster kit cars get close to 3 seconds for the 0-60mph sprint, and will wee over any Ferrari up to about 150mph. All the race-bred kit cars I drove and reviewed were way faster than me, and I was saved…

“Sean has carefully studied the improvements that are possible and implemented what he believes are the best” This car belongs to Sean Bradley, but it is Sean’s grandfather, Tom Bradley, who is really responsible for starting the story by buying a Standard Super 10 Goldstar in April 1957. Both Sean’s father and mother, Ian and Barbara, learnt to drive in that Standard, and Sean’s earliest motoring memories are of local journeys in it with his grandfather. The car was later taken over by Sean's father, and he was responsible for modifying it – he converted the original Standrive semi-automatic gearbox to a conventional clutch, fitted a remote gear change, upgraded the engine with a twin carb conversion, raised the compression ratio and added additional lights (front and rear) amongst other…

We have completed quite a lengthy list of repairs to our Midget in previous instalments, including new inner and outer sills both sides, A-post skins, repairs to the heel board, toe board/bulkhead, spring hangers and floorpan. Unfortunately, we knew that we were still far from finished with the cutting grinding and welding. This should be a salutary warning to anybody contemplating a similar project, because it is all too easy to underestimate the amount of work required. Certainly, we hadn’t expected to be quite this far into a total restoration quite so quickly. After all, the Midget was complete when we bought it, looked presentable enough from a distance if you squinted, and actually drove really well. But ultimately you can’t fight the march of time, and there is no…

Rob Hawkins Contributor Rob confesses to a borderline addiction for cars, especially ones he can tinker with, which has inevitably resulted in him owning a variety of classics. He’s not a purist when it comes to originality and is always keen on modern upgrades, admitting he wouldn’t refuse an electric-converted classic. MY FLEET 1977 VOLKSWAGEN TRANSPORTER OWNED SINCE: July 2010 1998 MAZDA MX-5 MK2 (NB) OWNED SINCE: May 2012 I’ve always prided myself on successfully protecting my VW Camper from major corrosion by keeping on top of rust-proofing and frequently spraying cavity wax inside the chassis rails, sills and other concealed areas, along with applying a liberal coating of underseal on the underside of the floors and inside the wheelarches. However, it’s perhaps only a matter of time before the…

Will Armston-Sheret Contributor Will has a collection of Morris Minors. This column follows the maintenance and modification of them for daily use, as well as the long-term restoration of a 1950 Lowlight Tourer from a desert scrapyard in America and a 1970 Morris Van which has been in his family for nearly 40 years. MY FLEET 1950 MORRIS MINOR LOWLIGHT SALOON OWNED SINCE: 2012 1950 MINOR LOWLIGHT CONVERTIBLE OWNED SINCE: 2017 1967 MINOR SALOON OWNED SINCE: 2010 1970 MINOR VAN OWNED (BY MUM) SINCE: 1980 When it comes to car bodywork, the question of filler is a hot topic, though one often not discussed in great detail in the context of restoration. We often come across car body filler during restorations, and I’m sure many of those reading this will…

This Acclaim is a little like the curate’s egg, but in the modern sense of being good in parts and bad in others rather than the original usage of being wholly bad but you are too polite to say so! The interior is in very good shape, as they usually are on Acclaims. It could do with a clean and a spruce up, but hopefully won’t need much in the way of expenditure. The bodywork is more of a problem, though. Fortunately it is remarkably solid and rust free, so welding repairs should not eat into the budget. There are one or two minor scabs, but all round I would have to say it is an excellent base to work from. However, the driver’s door is very clearly a different…

FORD’S CONSUL USHERED IN A NEW ERA Andrew must be getting old as he’s started looking at saloon cars with new interest Being of a certain age (ie. a little bit over 50), I love people watching, and you can do this just as easily via an internet forum as you can just actually, well, watching people. For example, you can tell when a bloke on the internet is closing in on the big 4-0 because he misguidedly starts using awful Americanisms – parting out, swapped out, changed out and even words like fender – even though they live in Somerset. It’s amusing, but being ever youthful myself, you won’t find me using such words or phrases, ever. However, a sign of advancing years could well be the cars I…

TAKE IT AWAY, MAESTRO! On page 99 in the March edition of Classics, you ran a photo of a strange chap stood in a field doing a passable scarecrow impersonation, watched by two Maestros (an MG and a Vanden Plas). He is in fact none other than the celebrated Beethoven scholar Jonathan Del Mar. He was paid £150 for the shoot, and still has the number plate D96 NTH! So in answer to your question, it is a maestro number plate for a maestro. The gist of the ad seemed to be that, whilst the musical maestro has complete control of the orchestra, so the automotive Maestro has complete control of the road. As far as can be ascertained, the ad was only used once, then it turned up in…

For many of us of a certain vintage – in other words of an age to recall The Goodies the first time around – the debut of the Ford Granada Mk2 in September 1977 was quite a significant event. A Ghia in metallic Oyster Gold dominated the front cover of Ford’s October brochure of that year, the highlight of their Autumn Collection. Inside, the copy promised ‘a superb blend of performance, comfort, safety, economy, reliability – and good looks.’ Today, Phil Bosher, owner of the car pictured here, would regard this as not so much hyperbole, but more as a statement of fact. In the late 1970s, sales of large cars represented approximately 25% of the European car market, and it was essential for the Mk2 to build on the…

Teng’s tin snips feature high leverage action, a double spring with high torsional strength, serrated chrome molybdenum cutting edges which are induction hardened to HRC60-62 for a high and consistent quality, and a single hand grip for easy locking of the snips when not in use. They are designed for frequent use, and are suitable for cutting up to 1.5mm cold rolled sheet steel. A set containing two tin snips, utility knife, scissors and an HD cable cutter. The set is supplied in a unique Teng Tools TC tray and can be used either on its own or as part of the Teng Tools TC control system. The tray features a removable hinged click lock lid and dove tail joints which enable different TC trays to be locked together and…

Iain Ayre Contributor An expat motoring author and journo resident in Vancouver, Iain was unable to resist the opportunities that comprise his fleet of projects, but is also unable to muster the focus, energy or organisational skills to complete them. MY FLEET 1947 BENTLEY MKVI OWNED SINCE: 2015 1957 BENTLEY S1 OWNED SINCE: 2019 1974 MINI MARCOS PROJECT OWNED SINCE: 2015 1990 ROVER MINI COOPER RSP OWNED SINCE: 2016 1992 JEEP CHEROKEE OWNED SINCE: 2006 199X COBRA REPLICA PROJECT OWNED SINCE: 2007 1952 8-LITRE-INSPIRED BENTLEY SPECIAL PROJECT OWNED SINCE: 2010 Pimple, the 1990 RSP Cooper (red body and white roof!) had gradually developed a menacing stance, hunkered nose down and tail up like a leopard about to pounce, or a pro-stock American dragster. The actual degree of menace is limited…

FORD CORTINA GEAR TROUBLE Q I have a 1964 Ford Cortina Mk1 1200, and I am having problems with gear selection. The gearbox itself is not making any noises, and after checking the oil I do not believe that the problem is related to the gears or bearings. The problem I have is that sometimes the gear lever jams and I cannot select any gears. Also, when labouring up a slight incline, the gear lever will vibrate and shake about far more than it used to. This is especially noticeable in third gear, but occurs slightly in all positions. Is there an easy remedy that you can suggest? Ray Birtley A There is a quick check you can carry out which will, I suspect, show you where the wear is…

Most people thump the door panel,’ comments Car Mechanics magazine editor Martyn Knowles on the common remedy for fixing an inactive electric window motor on the MINI. He’d discovered this advice on a number of MINI forums, but I wasn’t convinced this would fix the non-working passenger door window motor on our MINI One. So I removed the door panel, discovering that there were more Torx T27 screws holding it in position than I’d hoped. I also found that someone had probably already tried the thump technique, but may have hit the speaker instead because it was damaged. I removed it, then greased the runners for the door glass, checked all electrical plugs were secure and tried again. Nothing. Next, I checked the electric window fuse, which is located inside…

Not many people buy a mildly moribund and financially-ailing sports car manufacturer pretty much by mistake. Even fewer do that and then proceed to turn it into an icon through the dogged application of maverick ideas, but this is precisely what Peter Wheeler did with TVR. First he got well acquainted with the factory by having his car serviced there, and through the resulting friendships he learned of the company’s parlous financial state. He’d recently sold the company which made his fortune (which made desalination equipment for the North Sea oil industry) and became interested in bringing financial assistance to the TVR business. This ultimately ended in him buying the thing outright, and the point at which it all came together for his endeavour was 1996’s stunning Cerbera. Since its…

Harald Demuth – Rally driver Two-time German Rally Champion Harald Demuth helped develop the quattro, campaigned Group B and 80 versions in the UK and drove an Audi 100 quattro up a snow-covered Finnish ski jump in the famous 1986 Audi television advert. I was driving for Toyota in the German Rally Championship in 1978 when I had the choice to sign for either Audi or Volkswagen for the 1979 season. Volkswagen had an excellent record with the Golf, but Audi had no presence in rallying. However, there was a lot of whispering behind hands that Audi had something special waiting in the bush, as we say. To gain experience of the sport, Audi began rallying a front-wheel-drive 80. We were telling everyone how good that car was, but what…