ClassicCarBuyer24June2026

NEWMEASURES TO EASECLASSIC POTHOLE CRISIS

Apotholecrisisthatis makingBritain’sclassic carownersincreasingly nervouswhenit comestousingtheir cars has escalated to the extentthatthe governmenthastakenaction to ensurecouncilsaretransparent whenitcomestofixingour roads.

The condition of theUK’s roads

hasbecomeoneofthebiggest frustrations facingdrivers today, but forownersofolder vehicles theconsequencesextend far beyondirritation.Crumblingroad surfacesare notonlydamaging cherishedclassics,butthey are also discouragingenthusiasts fromusingthematall.

Recognisinggrowingpublic frustration,the Department

forTransporthasannounced toughermeasuresaimedat improving roadmaintenance. Newguidanceissuedthismonth requires councils to publicly demonstrate howeffectivelythey arerepairing roadsand,crucially, whatthey aredoing to prevent potholesfromreappearing.

MOREON PAGE5

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JEFF RUGGLES EDITOR

Comingback fromaneventat Beaulieuovertheweekend, itstruckmethatit’sbeen awhilesinceI’vedriven whatyou mightcall a‘slow’classic.Whilemy recentlyacquired848ccMinicanstill behustledalong,it’snotasfastasmy

THEBIG PICTURE

The National Mini Day at Beaulieu always unearths ex-Works competition cars and pristine 1960s examples, but it was this period modified 1962 Mini Cooper 997 that really caught our eye, sporting plenty of patina, a mesh grille from Austin A60, Cibie lamps, no bumpers, alloys and a Weber 48 IDA carb poking right through the bonnet It was a real timewarp and we loved it

modified1310ccMini,nor,sadly,as quickasthemyriadSUVsthatseemed tomakeittheirmissiontotailgateme.

Atonepoint, adriverwasso desperatetogetpastmethathe nearlycaused ahugepile-upwith oncomingtraffic,despitethefactI wasveryclosetothenationallimit. Butit’snotjustoutontheopenroad; ithappensintowntoo.Whenyou have atinycarthattakes alittlewhileto getuptospeed,itjustseemstofoster impatience.I’dunderstandifitwas rushhourperhaps,butnoton alazy Sundayafternoon.

Anyway,thetruthisthatI liketo drivemycarslongerdistances,often intomainlandEurope.Nowthat presentsquitethedilemma.MyMini

is araresurvivor,withsomany of its contemporariesmodifiedbeyondall recognition.Yetontheflipside,I’d be farmorecomfortablewithmore powerontap,and Iprefertousemy classicratherthanhaveitsitinthe garage.

So,thequestionis,doI sympatheticallymodifythecar withsomelighttuningandabrake upgrade?Ordo Ileaveitasitis?I havetoconfessI’mleaningtowards theformer,withalltheoriginalbits carefullystoredawayforfutureuse, butI’mallears.Howdoownersof more,ahem,pedestrianclassicsdeal withthepaceofmoderntraffic?Let meknowyourthoughtsvia ccb.ed@kelsey.co.uk.

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REGULARS

4 NEWS

The latest news from the world of classic cars including new action to combat the pothole crisis, a campaign that aims to keep classics on the road, and event updates

8 AUCTION NEWS

We look at the big movers from WB & Sons’ most recent classic car auction at its Newcastle upon Tyne base

10 MARKET TRENDS

BL made widespread use of the GT badge during the late ’60s and for much of the 70s We chart the market performance of the Mini 1275 GT, ADO16 1300 GT, and the MGB GT V8

FEATURES

13 SPECIAL FEATURE: OPEN FOR THE SUMMER

With summer finally here, we ve gathered 15 of Britain s best classic convertible buys ranging from £5000 up to £50,000 and beyond and including sports cars, roadsters and four-seaters

28 ROAD TEST: CITROËN 2CV

The simple charms of the Citroën 2CV can brighten even the gloomiest day, especially in bright yellow – Joe proves it with a drive in a fantastic imported example

30 CLASSIC CHOICE

The Ford Zodiac Vauxhall Cresta and Humber Super Snipe were all 1950s British cars with US-influenced styling, but which of these chunks of Anglo-Americana would be your personal pick?

35 FEATURE: ANNIVERSARY JAGS

The XJ40, XK8 and X-TYPE each arrived at pivotal moments in Jaguar’s history We celebrate their 40th, 30th and 25th anniversaries respectively

40 BUYING GUIDE: BMW 3 SERIES

More than three decades have passed since the E36 3 Series was launched, but a good one still makes sense today We share our buying advice

dose of

and

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NEWS &COMMENT

‘TIMELESS’CAMPAIGNAIMSTOPRESERVEMOTORINGHISTORY

FootmanJames’‘Timeless’initiativeisasummer-longcampaign highlightingtheroleenthusiastsplayinsafeguardingautomotiveheritage forfuturegenerations.

Britainriskslosingan importantpartofits motoringhistoryunless greatereffortsaremadeto preserveclassicvehiclesandthe storiesbehindthem,accordingto specialistinsurerFootmanJames. Thecompanyhaslaunched Timeless, asummer-long campaigncelebratinglandmark

anniversariesintheclassicvehicle worldwhilehighlightingtherole enthusiastsplayinsafeguarding automotiveheritageforfuture generations.

RunningfromtheCoffee& ChromeeventatPrescottHill Climblastweekendthroughto MathewsonsLiveonAugust23, theinitiativewillbringtogether

owners,collectorsandmotoring fanstosharememories,celebrate iconicvehiclesandreflectontheir culturalsignificance.

Amongthevehiclesmarking milestoneanniversariesthisyear aretheLamborghiniMiura,often regardedastheworld’sfirst supercar,theFordFiesta,the LotusElise,thePorscheBoxster, theFordSierraCosworthandthe Vespascooter,whichcelebratesits 80thanniversary.

SamanthaSmith,Headof FootmanJames,saidclassic vehiclesare“rollingpiecesof socialhistory”thattellthestoryof changinglifestyles,travelhabits andengineeringdevelopments throughthedecades.

Shewarnedthatwithoutthe supportofenthusiasts,clubs, specialistsandcollectors,many historicvehicles –andtheskills

Aspartoftheinitiative,landmarkanniversarieslike40yearsoftheSierra Cosworthwillbecelebrated.

requiredtomaintainthem –could disappear.

“Preservingclassicvehicles isaboutprotectingheritage, craftsmanshipandmemoriesfor futuregenerations,”sheadded.

Throughoutthecampaign, FootmanJameswillcollaborate withclubs,industryfiguresand contentcreators,includingtheTyre KickerspodcastandMathewsons

MCRmarks40yearsinfinestyle

CelebrationwastheorderofthedayastheMini CooperRegistermarkedits40thanniversary withitslatestNationalMiniDayeventonJune14. TakingplaceattheNationalMotorMuseum,theclub’s annualflagshipalwaysattracts ahostofsignificantcars, andthisyear’ssun-baskedoccasionprovedtobeno exception.

WhileMinisandMINIsofallagesareallpartofthe event,theNationalMiniDaybringstogetherMinisthat areseldomseenelsewhere,especiallywhenitcomesto ex-Workscompetitioncarsandperiod-tunedexamples. Atthecentreoftheeventisaconcours,whereshining examplescompeteforhonours.ThisyearsawRichard Walters’Mk1Cooper SwinbestMCRMembers’car,while theChiefJudges’sChoicewas arareMiniSuperinstunning condition,restoredbyJoffGrover.

Elsewhere,Miniclubsputondisplaystomatchthe birthdaytheme,whiletheMini/MINIparkingprovided agreatattractioninitsownright,with ahugevarietyof intriguingexamplespresent.

AndforthoserestoringtheirMinis,therewereplentyof traders,includinga hostofautojumblerssellingrareparts. MiniSportcouldboastMikeCooperandhisnewGrandPrix limitededitionclassicMiniaspartofitsdisplay,whileWood &PickettshowcasedthelatestexampleofitsIanCallumstyledcreation.ThemoreinformalTrunkTradersfeature sawenthusiastscleartheirgarages,andyieldedplentyof bargains.

Alltolditwas agreatwayfortheRegistertocelebrateits anniversary.Theatmospherewasgreat,thecarsfantastic, andtheattendancelookedbuoyant.Seeminicooper.orgfor detailsoffutureevents.

Live,toshowcasepersonalstories connectedtosomeofmotoring’s mostinfluentialmodels.

Visitorswillalsobeableto explorea “TimelessTimeline”of automotivemilestonesandtake partinacompetitionencouraging enthusiaststosharetheirown motoringmemories,withprizes includingvintage-themedgiftsand amagnumofchampagne.

NEWMEASURES AGAINSTPOTHOLES

Classicownersincreasinglynervousaboutthestateofourroads –newgovernment guidanceaimstoeasethepotholecrisis

TheDepartmentforTransporthasannouncedtoughermeasuresaimedat improvingroadmaintenance.

Apotholecrisisthatis makingBritain’sclassic carownersincreasingly nervouswhenitcomestousing theircarshasescalatedtothe extentthatthegovernmenthas takenactiontoensurecouncilsare transparentwhenitcomestofixing ourroads.

TheconditionoftheUK’sroads hasbecomeoneofthebiggest frustrationsfacingdriverstoday, butforownersofoldervehicles theconsequencesextendfar beyondirritation.Crumblingroad surfacesarenotonlydamaging cherishedclassics,buttheyare alsodiscouragingenthusiastsfrom usingthematall.

ArecentHagertysurveyofmore than1000driversfoundthat98 percentbelieveUKroadsare nowin astateofdisrepair,while

90percentsaidconditionson theirlocalroadshaveworsened overthepastyear.Nearlythreequartersofrespondentsreported sufferingvehicledamageafter hitting apothole,highlightingjust howwidespreadtheproblemhas become.

Forclassiccarowners,the impactisoftenevengreater. Hagerty’sresearchfoundthat 93percentofclassicvehicle ownersfeelnervousabout drivingtheircarsoncurrentroad surfaces.Manyenthusiastsnow findthemselvesconcentrating moreonavoidingpotholesthan enjoyingthedriveitself,withsome admittingthatconstantlyscanning theroadfordamagehazardshas madedrivinglessenjoyableand, potentially,lesssafe.

While aclassicislesslikely

Earlierthisyear,Hagerty’sresearchfoundthat93percentofclassicvehicleownersfeelnervousaboutdrivingtheir carsoncurrentroadsurfaces.

tosuffer acrackedalloywheel than amoderncarwearinglow profiletyres,classicsgenerally featureoldersuspensiondesigns, narrowerormoreperiod-correct tyres,andincreasinglyscarce components,meaningtheimpact ofpoorsurfacescanbemagnified. Anencountercaneasilybreaka steeringorsuspensioncomponent, ordamagesteeringgeometry, requiringpartsthattakeweeks tosourceandcostsignificantly morethantheyoncedid.Often, replacementsareof alowerquality thananOEpart,too,andspecialist

BROAD ARROW HEADS TO PARIS

Broad Arrow Auctions has announced the launch of a new collector car auction in Paris, set to take place during Salon Rétromobile Week in February 2027

The inaugural Broad Arrow Paris Auction will be held on February 3, 2027, at The Peninsula Paris, with public previews running from February 1-3 Located on Avenue Kléber in the heart of the French capital, the luxury hotel will provide the backdrop for a curated sale of some of the world’s most desirable collector vehicles

The auction will coincide with Rétromobile, one of the most important events on the international classic car calendar, and is expected to attract collectors and enthusiasts from around the world

Joe Twyman, Broad Arrow Auctions’ Vice President of Sales for the EMEA region, said the

company was “immensely honoured” to partner with The Peninsula Paris, describing the venue as a world-class destination that complements Broad Arrow’s growing portfolio of European sales

labourcan berequired.

Thewiderfinancialimpactis alreadysubstantial.Pothole-related vehicledamagecostmotoristsa record£579millionlastyear,with theaveragerepairbillnowaround £300perincident.Forownersof rareorspecialistvehicles,those costscanbeconsiderablyhigher. Behindtheproblemliesan enormousmaintenancechallenge. AccordingtotheAsphaltIndustry Alliance(AIA),theestimated backlogrequiredtobringEngland andWales’localroadnetworkup toanacceptablestandardnow standsat£18.6billion,whichcould takemorethanadecadetoclearat currentfundinglevels.Meanwhile, onlyaroundhalfofroadsare consideredtobeingoodcondition, leavingdriverstocontend withsurfacesthatcontinueto deterioratefasterthantheycanbe repaired.

Thescaleoftheissueisreflected inbreakdownstatistics.InFebruary 2026,theRACrecordedan averageof225pothole-related breakdownreportseveryday, morethanfivetimestheaverage seenduring2025.Compensation claimsagainstcouncilshavealso risensharply,yetmanydriversstill struggletorecoverthefullcostof repairs.

Recognisinggrowingpublic

frustration,theDepartmentfor Transporthasannouncedtougher measuresaimedatimproving roadmaintenance.Newguidance issuedthismonthrequires councilstopubliclydemonstrate howeffectivelytheyarerepairing roadsand,crucially,whattheyare doingtopreventpotholesfrom reappearing.Ratherthanrelying onrepeatedpatchrepairs,local authoritiesarebeingencouragedto investinpreventativemaintenance andfullresurfacingprogrammes. FromSeptember,councilswill publishtransparencyreports showinghowmanyroadsare beingrepairedandresurfaced, allowingresidentstocompare performanceacrossthecountry. Authoritiesthatfailtomeetthe newreportingrequirementsrisk losing asignificantportionof theirfunding.Thegovernment hasalsohighlighted arecord£7.3 billionpackageoflong-termroad fundingintendedtohelptacklethe problem.

Forusclassicenthusiasts, themeasuresofferhopethat meaningfulprogressmayfinally beonthehorizon.Butuntilthose improvementsbegintoreachthe nation’sroads,manyownerswill continuetoapproacheverydrive withoneeyefirmlyfixedonthe tarmacahead.

ELECTRICJ-TYPEMAKESPROGRESS

MorrisCommercialhas unveileditslatestpreproductionMorrisJE electricvanattheEEWestShow inCheltenham,asthecompany movestowardspilotproductionin 2027andfull-scalemanufacturing in2028.

TheMorrisJEis amodern electricinterpretationofthe MorrisJ-Typevan,whichbecame afamiliarsightonBritish

roadsafteritslaunchin1948. Thelatestprototypereflects progressinvehicledevelopment, manufacturingplanningand supply-chainpreparation, accordingtothecompany.

MorrisCommercialsaid ithasalsostrengthenedits manufacturingcapabilitiesthrough theacquisitionofcomposite technologyassetsfromProdrive Composites.Themoveisintended

tobringkeyproductionexpertise andintellectualpropertyin-house asthecompanypreparesforfuture manufacturing.

Theelectricvanfeaturesa recycledcarbon-fibremonocoque body,analuminiumchassisanda payloadcapacityofupto1000kg. MorrisCommercialsaysthe vehiclewilloffer arangeofupto 300miles,cargospaceofupto6 cubicmetresandrapid-charging capability.Theplatformisalso beingdevelopedtosupportfuture pickup,minibusandcamper variants.

Pilotproductionisplanned at acompositesfacilityin MiltonKeynesfrom2027,with commercial-scalemanufacturing expectedtobeginatStAthanin SouthWales ayearlater.

Thecompanysaidithasreceived morethan7000expressionsof interestfrompotentialcustomers worldwide,includingenquiriesfrom theUK,Europe,NorthAmerica, AustraliaandNewZealand.

Founderandchiefexecutive DrQuLidescribedtheunveiling astheresultofseveralyearsof engineeringanddevelopment work,whilechairmanProfessor

RUGBYLADSONTOURFORLITTLEMIRACLES

Fourseniorplayers from aCambridgeshire rugbyclubareabout tohittheroadinsupportof LittleMiracles –acharity thatsupportsfamiliesof childrenwithadditionalneeds, disabilitiesandlife-limiting conditions.

StIvesRFCforwardsJosh Taylor,HarryBrown,Jack HickmanandCCBcontributor CraigCheethamwillbedriving fromStIvesinCambridgeshire toPisa,Italy,andbackinjust fourdays,aspartofthePistons toPlacesrally.Theywillbe dressedinfullmatchdaykitfor theentiretyofthetrip.

Thecrewwillbetacklingthe sub-£1000carchallengeina 27-year-oldPeugeot3061.9L Dwithmanualwindowsandno air-conditioning,whichCraig boughtfor£600.

“We’vegot alongwaytogo

andwe’repayingforourown fuel,so Ithought anormally aspiratedXUDwouldbetheway togo,”saidCraig.“Idowish I’dgonefor acarwithair-con though,asitlookslikeit’sgoing tobe30degreesdownthere…” LittleMiraclesis acharitythat focusesonthefamilyaspect ofthosewhohave achildwith

anadditionalneed,disabilityor life-limitingcondition.Itsaim istoprovideadvice,guidance, support,activities,trainingand safeplaces,frompre-diagnosis andbirthtotheageof25.You canfollowtheteam’sprogress ormake adonationathttps:// www.justgiving.com/page/ craig-cheetham-15.

JohnMilessaidthelatestvehicle represented“animportant milestoneinthecompany’s progresstowardsproduction.”

TheMorrisbrandceasedvehicle

ClubMarcosInternational isholdingitsAnnual Rallyaspartofthe AdwellVintageVehicleShow, heldatAdwellHousenear ThameinOxfordshireonJuly 12.TheClubiscelebratingits

productioninthemid-1980s,but thecompanyhopestheJEwillmark thereturnofoneofBritain’sbestknowncommercialvehiclenames tothemarket.

40thAnniversaryandwillcreate auniquedisplayofMarcos Mantarasnotpreviouslyseen together,alongwith avariety ofotherMarcosmodels.For furtherdetailspleasecontact info@clubmarcos.net.

MINISANDMINORSATHAYNES

TheJulyBreakfastClubeventattheHaynesMotorMuseumtakes placeonSundayJuly5,celebratingtwoSirAlecIssigonis-designed icons.Allclassicsarewelcome,butthepaddockdisplaywillbe specificallythemedaroundMinisandMorrisMinors.

AuthorPeterBarkerwillalsobepresent,signingandselling copies ofhisrecentlypublishedbook‘Mini:1959-2000’.Fordetails,see haynesmuseum.org/whats-on/haynes-breakfast-club.

AUCTIONS | NEWS,REVIEWS ANDLATESTPRICES

WB &SONS,JUNE13

WB&Sonscontinued itsrunofbusyregular auctionswithapacked saleatitsNewcastleuponTyne baseonSaturdayJune13.Around 200entrieswentunderthe hammer,withFordspostingsome ofthemostimpressiveresults.

Oneofthestarsofthesalewas aMk2EscortGhiafrom1980that hida2.0-litreZetecconversion behind aremarkablystandardlookingexterior.Itwasestimated at£10,000-£15,000butwenton tochangehandsforanimpressive £22,890.Alongside,anaggressivelooking1969FordEscortVanthat boasted a2.0-litrePintoengine managedtoachieve a£16,350sale, anda1982Cortina2.0Ghiapulled onthenostalgiastringstoalmost doubleits£8000lowerguide, sellingfor£16,078.Stayingwiththe 1980s,an’86Mk3EscortRSTurbo

changedhandsfor£25,000,and an’83EscortXR3ishowing amere 45,000milessoldclosetothetop ofitsestimatefor£14,170.

Miniswerewell-representedtoo, with a1999RoverCooperbeating its£7000-£8000guidetosell for£13,080,and aslightlylater examplefrom2000achievinga similarfigureof£13,625. A1971 Mk3MiniCooper Sinblackalso changedhandsforanundisclosed fee,while arareItalian-assembled InnocentiMiniMinorfrom1971 beatits£2000-£3000estimateto sellfor£4360.

Elsewhere,acharming1973 MGBroadsterthathadbeenwith thesamefamilyfromnewbeat itsguidetomake£5178,whilethe bestperformeramongseveral Triumphswas a1973TR6thatsold rightatthetopofitsestimatefor £15,805.Goingback afewmore

Recentlyremovedfromlong-termstorageandreconditioned, this1989Renault 5GTTurbowasMoT’dforthefirsttimein over20yearslastDecember.Itshowedonly7000miles,albeit withoutsufficientevidencetowarrantyit,andbeatitslower guidetosellfor£13,080.

LookingsmartinmetallicOportoRed,this1984AustinMetro VandenPlasautomaticshowedjust13,000milesandlookedto beverycleanthroughout.Itchangedhandsfor£4251,topping itsupperguideintheprocess.

years,meanwhile,was a1947 DaimlerDB18DHC,whichwas expectedtocommand£14,000£18,000butsoldfor£19,075.And offeringsomethinglittlemore modernwas a1992JaguarXJ40 showing60,000miles,whichsold for£5450against a£2500-£3500 guide.

Otherlotsofintrigueincludeda 1989Renault 5GTTurbothatwas recentlyremovedfromlong-term storageandreconditioned,which soldforanimpressive£13,080, and afellowboosted1980sicon intheshapeof a1989Saab900 TurboT16,whichsoldaboveguide at £5178.Perhapslesssporting butstillnotablewasanotherSaab, thistime a197299LSshowing just37,000miles,whichsoldfor £6540.

Forthefulllistofresults,headto wbandsons.co.uk.

Lookingremarkablystandardsavefordeep-dishMinilite wheels,this1980Mk2FordEscortGhiahadbeentreatedtoa 2.0-litreZetecengineswap,makingitquitethesleeper.Itwas guidedat£10,000-£15,000butwentontomakeanimpressive £22,890.

Withouranniversaryfeaturefrompage35coveringtheJaguar XJ40,this1992XJ6seems afittinginclusion.Ownedbythe vendorfor11yearsandshowing amodest60,000miles,iteasily beatits£2500-£3500guidetosellfor£5450.

Believedtohavebeenremovedfrom arundownpropertyin Southportandrestoredinthemid-1980s,this1947Daimler DB18DHCsporteda coachbuiltbodybyBarker &Coandwasin beautifulorder.Itwasestimatedat£14,000-£18,000butsoldfor £19,075.

Oneofthenewestentrantsinthesalewasthis2008Bentley ContinentalGTinred,whichhadcoveredonly30,000miles. Fittedwiththesought-afterMullinerpackage,thecarwas estimatedat£16,000-£20,000butwouldgoontosellfor£28,340.

OneoftwolateRoverMiniCoopersinthesale,this2000Sportin SolarRedhad afactoryfittedsunroofandshowed 62,000miles. Itcamewithplentyofhistoryandeasilybeatits£6000-£8000 estimatetosellfor£13,625.

AnotherGhia-badgedFordtoimpresswasthis1982Cortina2.0, whichwasa manual variantandshowedjust34,000miles.Very originalthroughout andbarelyusedinrecentyears,itsailed pastits£8000-£10,000estimatetosellfora hefty£16,078.

GRANDTOURERS

MINI1275GT

Formanyyears,itwasthelazy journalist’sdefaultpositionto labeltheMini1275GTas apoor substitutefortheCooper Sit supposedlyreplacedin1969. TheBLbossatthetime,Donald Stokes,resentedpayingroyalties toJohnCoopertousehisname, andsoditchedtheCooper Sforthe side-stripedGTwithitsdetuned, single-carb1275ccmotorand controversialRoyHaynes-designed Clubmanfrontend.

That’showthestoryisoften told,anyway.Inrealitythough,the Cooper Ssoldieredonalongside theGTforalmosttwomore years,thoughitwasneverreally advertised.Itwouldbemore accuratetodescribetheGTasa directreplacementfortheoutgoing 998Cooper,andinthatregard, itstackedup awholelotbetter. Yougotbettertrim, arevcounter wind-upwindowsand amore contemporarycolour palette,plusextraroom underthebonnetto drythedistributorout whenitgotsoaked. Intheend,theGT soldaround30,000 moreunitsmorethan theCooperandmanageda productionrunthatwasthreeyears longer,soitclearlywasn’tsobad afterall.

TheGTsuffered apoor reputationformanyyears,which harmedvalues.Butallthat’sturned aroundin adecade.Backin2015,

Slight softening at top end

goodcarscould behadforunder £10,000,butdespite projectsremainingavailablefor under£5000thebestcarsbegan tocrossthe£20,000thresholdin 2020.Thiswasmainlyearly,pre1974carson10-inchwheels,but later12-inchcarsalsoenjoyeda rise.In2023,a low-mileagegarage finddatingfrom1970madean astonishing£38,250.Sincethen, theceilinghasdroppedalittle, butgoodcarswillstillpushpast £15,000,andexceptionalonesare closerto£20,000.

AUSTIN/MORRIS1300GT

Launchedin1962,theADO16 rangeperfectlyillustratedBMC’s skillinbadgeengineering.It becameavailableasAustin,Morris, WolseleyandRileyversions,along withthesportyMGandluxurious VandenPlas –thelatterhandfinishedatVdP’sworkshops. Bythelate1960s though,fashionswere

changing.TheMGremainedthe sportyversion,butin’69 a1300 GTwasintroducedunderboth AustinandMorrisbadges.Itused thesame70bhptwin-carb1275cc engineastheMGbutfeatured ablackvinylroof,a brightside moulding,wheeltrimsthataped alloys,a blackgrilleandthesame redGTbadgesthattheMini1275 GTworeonitsnose.Itsuitedthe early’70slookandmarkedthe endfortheMG-badgedcar in1971.TheMorrisversions werealsodroppedthesame year,leavingtheAustin1300 GTtosoldieronalone.By then,theADO16wasageing, andby1974itwasgone–effectivelyreplacedbytheAllegro andMarina.

TheGThasgenerallybeen amongthemostvaluableofthe ADO16variants,alongwiththeMG. Onlyaround100carsarestillon theroad,buttheyhavetendedto performwellwhenofferedandhave enjoyedstrongrisesoverthelast decade.Morrisexamplesachieved £3360atauctionin2015,followed by a£7770salein2020,and£8100 lastApril.TheAustincarshave beenbroadlysimilar;before2020 theyweregenerallysub-£5000, saveforan£8400saleatHistorics in2018.However,thingshavebeen ontheupsince,with a£9288sale atACAin2023,an£8200sale atBrightwellsthisFebruaryanda whopping£13,545achievedbya modifiedexampleatMathewsons lastmonth.Wereckon abudgetof £10,000shouldgetyou averygood example,whichistwiceasmuchas adecadeago.

MGBGTV8

ThecombinationoftheMGBGT andRover’sex-Buick3.5-litre aluminiumalloyV8lookedan obviousone,especiallyafterthe heavynosedMGChadfailedtohit thehighnotes.Someaccounts suggeststhatMGalwaysintended tomatethetwo,butitwasn’t thefirsttomakeithappen.That honourwenttoKenCostello,an engineerandtunerwhodeveloped hisownversionoftheeight-shooter Bandbroughtitoutin1970. IttookthreemoreyearsforMG tobringout afactoryversion,which wasbasedontheGTbodyshell only.Sadly,itarrivedrightonthe cuspofthefuelcrisis,whichhadan obviousimpactonitssuccess.Only 2591GTV8semergedfromthe Abingdonfactoryintotal,butthat hasn’tstoppedenthusiastsseeking toownone.Theeminentlytuneable RoverV8is abigattraction,as isgoodpartssupportandclub backing.Buyersdoneedtobe waryofmyriadcheapconversions though;whilemanyareequaltothe realthing,theirvaluesshouldbe representativeoftheirorigins. Inthelate2010s,£10,000£12,000was enoughto

Softened since2024

secureanoriginalexampleofthe MGBGTV8ingoodcondition, thoughwemustnotethatthe threehighest-valuesalesofthe lastdecadeallcamein2019,with twocarsachieving£31,500and another awhopping£33,600 against a£13,000-£18,000guideat Historics.

Therestofmarketenjoyedan upliftfromlate2020until2023, when£25,000-pluswasregularly achieved,butearly2023sawonly thebestcarsgetabove£20,000, andsinceautumnofthatyear, nothingatauctionhashitsuch heights.Thepeakhasgenerally been£16,000-£17,000overthe lasttwoyears,andoverthelast 12monthswe’veseen afewsub£10,000salestoo,whichhadbeen veryrareoverthefouryearsprior to2025.Chromebumpercars arefarmoreprevalent(especially asmanylatercarshavebeen converted)butit’shardtoascertain withanycertaintyiftheyaremore valuablethantherubberbumper cars.Thatusedtobethecase,but wehaven’tseenanyrubberbumper carsatauctionsincetwoexamples backin2023,andtheybothdid ratherwell,sellingfor£22,500and £18,275.

Modern Additives For Classic Cars

OPPEN FORSUMMER

AsBritainheadstowarditsannualfewdaysofsunshine,it’stimetoconsiderthebest waystoenjoyit

Summerisfinallyhere.Atleast,whatpassesforsummerinBritain.Andnowisthetimetostartthinkingaboutconvertibles– ironicallygivenour weather,Britishbuyershavelongbeenamongtheworld’sbiggestbuyersofconvertiblecars.Maybewejustwanttoenjoythesunwhilewehaveit?

Andthere’snobetteropencarthan aclassic –ifmotoringalfrescoisanexperience,thenitoughttobeasspecialasitcanbe.We’vegathered15of Britain’sbestclassicconvertiblebuys,rangingfrom£5000upto£50,000andbeyond,andincludingsportscars,roadstersandfour-seaters.There’s somethingforeveryoneinthislist,andnow’sthetimetobuyifyouwanttoenjoythefewfinedayswe’regoingtogetin2026.

Special feature | Open classics

£5000 CHOICES

Welookat atrioofopen-topclassicsthatcanbehadfor amodestoutlay,butdon’tcompromiseonthe enjoyment

MAZDAMX-5Mk1/Mk2

Yes,weknow.TheMazdaMX-5in Mk1andMk2formisthedefault choice,muchinthesamewaythat theMGBwasthedefaultstarter classicinthe1990s.Buthere’s thething,often adefaultbecomes thedefaultbecauseit’sgood. Andwhilefamiliarityoftenbreeds contempt,tobecontemptuous

ofthelittleMazdaistomakea mistake.Becausethey’reriotously goodfuntothrowabout,because they’reaboutasreliableasitgets, andbecauseifintheworst-case scenariothetimingbeltsnaps, you’renotgoingtofindvalves hittingpistons.

TheMX-5was ahitrightfrom theoff,arrivingintheUKin1990.

Andsogoodwasthedesignthatit wasstillfundamentallythesame for15yearslater.Yes,theMk2of 1998washeavilyupdated,butthe funfactorremained.Theonlything thatreallycountsagainsttheMX-5 –andagainstgreyimportEunos modelsinparticular –iscorrosion. Mazdastrivedtogettheauthentic Britishsportscarexperiencewith theMX-5,goingasfarastorecord thesounda Spitfire’sgearbox made.Unfortunately,italsopaid attentiontohowBritishsports carsrust.Checkthesillsand archesinparticularverycarefully, andchecktheMoThistoryonline forsignsofcorrosion.Ifanything ispickedup,checkthatit’sbeen

repairedto ahighstandard. Specialeditionsareworthmore tocollectors,buttheydon’treally offerthedriveranythingmorethan anicepaintjoband afewchoice options.Betterinourview to stick to astandardmodelandspendthe extraoncondition.Mk2sarebetter value,butcanrotworsethan aMk1 duetotheirdouble-skinnedchassis legs.Mk1sarepurerandgenerally bettercateredforbyspecialists andpartssuppliers–it’salmostas easyasowning aMinioranMGB.

SAAB900CABRIO

It’shardtothinkoffour-seat convertibleswithoutyourmind strayingtotheSaab900at somepoint.Andwecanseewhy. Sensibleandsolid,butpretty.No thrustingimage,buttheystilllook goodinmoreexpensivecompany. And–whenyou’relookingata Turbo –blisteringperformance.All thisandtrueclassicstatuscame almostfromthedayproduction ofthe‘OG’modelendedin1993 –whatmoredoyouwantfroma

classicfamilyconvertible?

Mechanically,they’reveryrobust, withanenginethatdatesbackto the1970sinprinciplemeaning thatallthepotentialforfaults hadbeenironedoutbythetime thefirstcustomerConvertibles weredeliveredin1986.Theycan corrode,socheckunderoraround anyplastictrimfortrappedmud orwaterthatmighthelpinduce corrosion.Withinourbudgetyou’ll haveachoiceofanaverageTurbo or areallygood900i –wewould adviseyoubuyonconditionand lookfor a900i.Yellowcarsare desirableandworthmoremoneyas aresult.

Butwherethe900reallyworksis thatthisis aclassicconvertibleyou reallycanuseallyearround.The vastmajorityhaveheatedseats, andtheheateritselfin a900islike ablastfurnace.Whichmeansthat evenifit’scold,ondrydaysyoucan puttheroofdown,sticktheheater on,andenjoythewindinthehair thatmadeyouwant adropheadin thefirstplace.

TRIUMPHHERALD

TheHeraldconvertiblewas ahappy byproductoftheBritishmotor industry’sundercapacityinthelate 1950s.No singlecompanyhadthe capacitytoproducemonocoque

shellsforTriumph’snewsmallcar, so aseparatechassisandbolttogetherpanelworkallowedfor smallercontracts.Italsoallowed forgreatervariationthanthe outgoingStandardTen –a saloon andacoupecamefirst,followed byanestateand aconvertible. Andwithfacelifts amatterof changingafewboltonpanelsand reconfigurability apieceofcake, youcouldprettymuchmakeyour Heraldintowhateveryouwantedit tobe.

Notonlycouldyoumakeyour early948looklike alate13/60, youcouldeventaketheroofoff yoursaloonanddriveitround as apseudoconvertible.What’s

more,specialist conversions byTristrammean asalooncan beconvertedintoaconvertible completewithhood.Beawarethat theseconvertedcarsarenotworth thesameasanequivalentfactory convertible,sotheycanoffera goodvaluewayintoopenHerald motoring.

Ifyouwantthewindinyourhair andpoweratyourfeet,consider theVitesse –aHeraldwiththe

six-cylinderenginefromthelarger 2000saloon,initiallyin1598cc formandlaterin1998ccform.It’s evenpossibletofitthelargerunit fromthe2500saloon… NotonlyisthisMeccanokitof aclassiceasyandsimpletolook after,butjustabouteverythingis stillavailablefromspecialistssuch asRimmerBros –making aHerald orVitessejustaseasytoowntoday as amoderncar.

Open classics | Special feature

£10,000CHOICES

Uppingthebudgetto£10,000,welookatthreeverydifferentsummerclassicsthatallboasttimelessappeal

MK1VWGOLF

WhenwesayVolkswagenMk1Golf Cabrioletconvertible,intruthwe meananyof anumberofsmall hatchback-basedconvertibles rangingfromtheTalbotSambato theFordEscortcabrio.But –and withanhonourablementiontothe Peugeot205CTi,whichisvastly cheaperthantheequivalentGTi –wethinktheGolfoffersthebest combinationofstyleandvaluefor money.That’sbecausetheGolf wasthesmallcartobeseenin duringthe1980s,theclevermoney carthat –ifwebelievedtheadverts –madelosingatroulettefeel alittle lesspainful.

TheconvertibletookthatGerman solidityandentertaininghandling

andmatcheditwiththeopentop experience.IftheGolfGTIsounded thedeathknellforthetwo-seat sportscarmarket,thencuttingoff theroofwasthefinalnailintheir coffins.

LaunchedintheUKinearly1981, theMk1GolfCabrioletinitially appearedinmostcountriesasthe GLiwith a1.6-litreGTIengineand stiffersuspension,alongsidethe GLSwithits70bhp1.5-litreunit. TheGLiconvertiblegotthe1.8-litre GTIenginein1982andthesmaller petrollumpwasreplacedbya 1.6-litrecarburettorunitin1983. From1984,thebigger-enginedcar woreGTIbadging,andthe1.6GL wasnowavailablewithautoand

4+Egearboxoptions.

Bythen,theMk1hatchhadbeen replacedbytheMk2,butsincethe existingCabrioletwassopopular, Volkswagendecidedagainst spendingoutondeveloping anew oneandthetoplessversionwould keeptheretrolinesofthe original Golfformuchlonger.However, in1988therewasanattempt atmodernisationwhenbigger mouldedbumperswithintegrated frontandrearspoilerswenton, combinedwithchunkierwheelarch extensionsandsideskirts.

TheMk1-basedcarsurvivedin bodykittedformuntil1993.You’ll findmoreoftheselatercars,butwe

actually thinkthatsmall-bumpered earlycarsonthosePorsche-style multispokesfromtheGolfGTIare theprettiestofthebunch.Our budgetshouldstillgiveyouplenty ofchoice.Atthetimeofwriting, wefound averyprettyautomatic onCarandClassicfor£8500,and somelateRivagelimitededitions forbetween£10,000and£12,000. Golfshavealwaysbeenpopular withthemodifyingcommunity,but we’dadviseyoutofindthemost standardandoriginalexampleyou canlayyourhandsoninstead.Not onlywillthesebenicertodrive, buttheywillbetheonesthat

appreciatethemostover time.

MGB

LiketheMX-5,thereis areason whysomanyMGBssurvivetobe usedandenjoyedintooldage.And thereisreasonwhythereisan entireindustrydevotedtokeeping themrunning,withenoughparts supplytobuild abrand-new Bfrom parts.

TheMGBwasBritain’smost popularsportscar,availablefrom yourlocalBLdealerandusing triedandtestedmechanicals.On salefrom1962until1980,itwasa classicevenbeforeitwentoutof

Special feature | Open classics

production,andjusteightyears afteritdid,BritishMotorHeritage beganproducingnewbodyshells. Itwasthecauseofsomanyfond androse-tintedmemoriesforgedin youththatthecarsremainpopular as ameansofrecapturingthose lostdays.Andgivenhowgoodthe sparessituationis,eventheworst Bcanbesavedata price. Ofcourse,thatpriceisn’talways

worthpaying.Andthemost expensivethingtogetrightonan MGBisthebodyshell.Thecastle sectionsandsillsrotforfun,as doestheareabehindthefront wings –sochecktheseasbest youcan.Scruffyinteriorsareeasy andcheaptoputright,and The B-Seriesengineisbothreliableand well-servedwithcheapbits. Whichjustleavesthequestion ofwhichMGB?Andwe’regoingto becontroversialhere –lookfora rubberbumpercar.Thereasoning issimple;foryour£10,000youwill buya muchbetterrubberbumperB than,say,anearlypull-handlecar. Andwitheveryoldcar,condition iskey.Yourmotherwouldn’tlike it –butbuythenicestMGByoucan affordintermsof condition,andit maywellbethestartof alifelong loveaffair.

MORRISMINORTOURER

Okay,sotheMorrisMinormight notbethemostdynamicofclassic cars.Butlet’snotforget,many racingdrivershonedtheirskillsin Minors,thesteeringisdirectandif playedwith,youcanhave alotof funwithone.Andthisallcomesas abitofsurprise,becauseit’snot thereasonyoureallywant aMinor inthefirstplace.

No,thereason youwant aMinor istwofold.Firstly,partofyouharks backto asimplertime,wherethere wasnourgencyandwherethe vicarwouldpopinon aWednesday afternoonfor ascone. AMorris Minorrewindstheworldtotheera ofMissMarple –andwhilethere aremanyreasonswhythepast wasnot abetterplace,frombehind thewheelof aMinoryouseemto forgetwhattheywere.Intoday’s busyworldthereisnobettercarfor lettingthestressmeltaway.And

thesecondreasonyouwantone isthatthey’rejustaseasytoown andlivewithasamoderncar,with scoresofspecialistsofferingnextdaypartsdeliveryandanengineso familiarthatevena beginnercan maintainitathome.

TheopenMinorwas afixture inthemodelrangefromthe start,withthe‘Tourer’appearing alongsidethesaloonrightfrom the1948launch.That’suntilitwas renamedsimplyConvertibleinJune 1951,althoughmanywillcallall ofthemTourers.Earlycarshada sidevalveengine,beforethe803cc A-Serieswentinfrom1952.The launchoftheMinor1000in1956 sawthe948ccenginefittedanda bighikeinuseability,andthe1962om1098cccarsareevenmore versatile.ThelastopenMinorwas builtin1969,andthey’veremained popularclassicseversince. Minorsarenotwithouttheir problems,though. Alotof convertedsaloonsexist,andas theconversionsaretypically indistinguishablefromthereal thing(barringtheabsenceof crucial strengtheningpanels)many sellerswilltrytopassthemoffas genuinefor abiggerprofit.It’sthus vitaltobefriendclubmembers andtakeanexpertwithyouwhen buying.There’snothinginherently badabout aconvertedsaloonif pricedproperly,butthey’renotas desirableas arealfactorycar.

Special feature | Open classics

£15,000CHOICES

Raisingourbudgetto£15,000brings

PORSCHE996CABRIO

Whilethe996-generation911still hasdetractorsarguingit’snota properPorschebecauseofthe water-cooledengine,andthatit’s basically aBoxsterbecausethe front-endpanelworkisshared,they couldn’tbemorewrong.Because the996feelslike a911frombehind thewheel –aproperlyfocused bigboys’sportscar.Yes,thefront endissharedwiththeBoxster,but that’swithgoodreason;Porsche was arelativelysmallcarcompany atthetime,anddevelopingtwonew modelsatoncewas astrainonits resources,soratherthanabandon onetheyensured afamilyfaceby usinglotsofthenew911’spartsfor thesmallermodel.

TheBoxsterwasintroducedfirst, in1996,butthe911thatcamethe followingyearisfaster,sharper, betterequippedandmorefunto drive.It’snotquitesorawasearlier

911s –Porscheknewitsclientbase waschangingandadaptedthe911 tosuit –butthesamespiritisstill there.Andbecausemanypeople prefertheinherentstiffnessofthe fixedhead,theCabrioletisactually thebestvalue996ofallrelativeto theexperienceyouget.A budgetof £15,000willbuyyou afairlydecent example,withthemanualbox(the Tiptronictransmissionisn’tbad, butthemanualistheonetohave). They’refairlyrotresistant,as theyweregalvanisedfromnew –arustycarislikelytobehiding previousaccidentdamage,so youshouldwalkaway.Pre-2002 Cabrioletshaveaplasticrear screenthatcloudsandfogsover time,andcancrack.Latercars have aglassscreenthatisdesigned tobereplaceableseparately.Ifyou can,find acarwiththelatertypeof hood. Mechanicalissuestoconsider

includeproblemswiththerearmain seal(RMS),andthemoreserious intermediateshaft(IMS)bearing. Theissueissometimesoverstated, butwhenthisbearingfails,the intermediateshaftthatdrivesthe camchainswillfloat,causingcam timingtojumpandpotentiallywrite offtheengine.

Thankfully,whensolvinga leakyRMSyoucanbuyanewIMS

bearingthat’sfarlesslikelytofail. Severalaftermarketcompanies offerupgradedIMSbearing solutionsthataremoredurable andreliable,solookforevidenceof replacementinthehistoryfile.

TRIUMPHSTAG

WhatisitabouttheTriumphStag? Whydoesthiscar –fundamentally aTriumph2000withtwodoors,no roofand amellifluousV8 –capture ourimaginationsso?Isitbecause

it’sstilloneoftheprettiestcarsof itseramorethanhalf acenturyon fromits1970launch?Isitbecause thatenginesoundslikenothing

else?OrisitbecauseweinBritain lovetheunderdog,andtheStag’s alwaysbeenthepretenderina sea ofEuropeanalternatives?

Pricesareontherise,andour £15,000budgetprobablywon’t buythebestinthecountryany more.Butitwillstillget avery goodconditioncarwiththeoriginal Triumphengine –conversions havetheirdevotees,butwelike ourStagstohaveoriginalengines andthemanyspecialistsoutthere

mean aStagenginecanbejust asreliabletodayasanyofthe alternatives.

Themodificationswedolikeare modstotheheadertanklocation tobringitabovethewaterpump, eliminatingtheissuescausedby makingthewaterpumpthehighest pointinthecoolingsystem.TheZF four-speedautomaticconversion isalsoanexcellentupgrade,giving automaticsthesamelong-legged cruisingabilityasthefour-speed

manualcars.Manualsareworth moremoney,butmoreStagsare automaticandwethinkitsuitsthe carbetter.

Checkforcorrosion,especially inthesillsandthefloorpan.Doors, bootlids,bonnetsandwingscanall rottoo,butoftenthisiscosmetic ratherthanstructural.

Yes,thecamchainsalsoneed changingevery20,000milesbut inthelifeoftheaverageclassiccar thatequatestoonceeverydecade inmanycases,soit’snotreallya worry.Addinthosegreatlooksand theglorioussoundtrack,andits littlewondertheStaghasbecome anestablishedmemberofthe Britishclassiccanon.

MERCEDES-BENZA124

TheMercedes-BenzW124is arguablyoneofthemostversatile rangesinclassicmotoring: 2.0-litrefour-potto5.0-litreV8 petrol, achoiceofdiesels,manual andauto,saloon,coupe,estate, limousineandconvertible.And it’sthelatterwe’reinterestedin, becausemorethanthreedecades onfromits1992launchitisstill oneofthemostelegantandclassy convertiblesontheroad.Mercedes onlyofferedtheconvertiblewith thebiggersix-cylinderenginesin prefaceliftform– meaning300CE and300CE-24variants–andwith the2.2-litrefourinlatermodels, makingforanE220alongsidethe E320convertiblefrom1993. W124convertibles –orA124s, inMercedes-speak –weren’t cheapwhennew,withanE220 convertiblecostingthesamesort ofmoneyas aBMWM3cabriolet. Andthatimagehasstayedwith themtothisday –theygotdown toaround£5000buthavesince startedrising –ourfigureshould getyou averyrespectablesixcylinderoroneoftheverybest four-cylindermodelsleft. Therearetwobigproblemsthat canaffectthesecars;from1992 Mercedes-Benzstartedusing biodegradableinsulationinits wiringharnesses,andtheW124 serieswas oneofthemodels affected.Checktheconditionofall visiblewiringverycarefully,andif it’shad anewharnessfittedtreat itas abigbonusgiventhatthey aren’tcheaptoreplace.It’sworth notingthattheverylastcars,built in1997,nolongersufferwiththese issues –1992-1996aretheyears affected.Latercarswerealsobuilt fromworsesteelsocancorrode –typically,thefrontwingsarethe firstthingstogo.Geta goodone though,andyou’llsurelyfallinlove withit.

Special feature | Open classics

£25,000CHOICES

Spending£25,000opens awealthofillustriouschoices,including adiminutivesportingiconandsome desirableprestige

LOTUSELAN

You’llbeluckytogetanoriginal Elanfor£25,000unlessyou’re happywith afixedhead.But convertiblesdostilljustabout comeintothebudgetifyou’re carefulandknowwhatyou’re lookingfor.

Exclusivityandstunning performancehasmeantthat Elanshavelongbeenamongthe mostprizedandthusthemost valuableof1960ssportscars,and haverepresentedthepinnacle ofcollectingachievementto hundredsofowners.Thereare, broadly,fiveseriesofElan –the

original1500waslaunchedin October1962,butjust22were builtbeforethefitmentofthe larger1600ccengineinearly1963. TheS2waslaunchedin1964, featuringbetterbrakesandminor bodychanges.Thecoupefollowed for1965asthefirstS3,followed ayearlaterbyanS3convertible, whichincorporatedthecoupe’s framedelectricwindowsanda betterhood.Thelastmajorbody changewastotheS4of1968, whichreceivednewrearlights sharedwiththeSeries 2Jaguar E-Type, abonnetbulgetoclear theStrombergcarburettors,

wider,squarerwheelarchesanda redesigneddash.

ThefinalElan,theSprint,was arguablybestofall.Reverting to aflatbonnetandsporting(in mostcases)duo-tonepaintand graphics,theSprintsawtheS4’s Strombergsreplacedwithtwin Weber40DCOEs(replacedby DellortoDHLA40Esin1972)anda newbig-valvecylinderheadfitted toboostpowerto126bhp.

Youwon’tfind aSprint,butaS3 orS4DHCinreasonablecondition shouldjustaboutbeachievablein budget.Themainthingtocheck withthesecarsisthechassis

condition;yes,it’spossibleforthe GRPshellstocrazebutthat’snot asbigadealascorrosionor –just asbad– thebackbonechassis crackingatthecentralrib.Any ripplesinthechassisindicate pastcrashdamage,andit’seasier tofindanotherexamplethanto ensurerepairshavebeencarried outproperly.

Thereisanalternativewayinto theElanexperience,thatshouldbe achievablewithinourbudget.The Elan+2was aslightlylargervariant aimedsomewhatoptimisticallyat familymotorists.Andwhilethey onlyeverleftthefactoryasfixedheads,manyhavesubsequently undergone alittlecosmeticsurgery toletthesunlightin.Asrecently astheturnoftheMillennium, therewas aconversionkiton offerdevelopedandmarketedby ChristopherNeilthatreplacedthe GRPtopwith ahoodandframe.

Worthlessthan a‘proper’Elan drophead,theseconverted+2s offermorespaceandthesame intoxicatingdrivetrainasthe factorycars.Theproblemsyou’ll findarethesameasthestandard car –check theconditionofthe chassisthoroughly.Andasa converted+2soldthreeyears agoattheIconicAuctioneers NECClassicMotorShowsalefor justover£16,000,even atidy conversionshouldfallwithinour budgetifyoucanfindone.

ASTONMARTINDB9

Forthoseofuswhogrewup inthe1990swatchingAston Martinproducebigtradbitsas andreskinnedJags,thelaunch oftheDB9was arevelation.The Vanquishhadbeen astepinthe rightdirection,butthemotoring pressdidn’tlikethegearboxand someangleslookedalittlebit

overdone.Bycontrast,theDB9 wasandalwayshasbeen athingof sheerbeauty.

TakingtheV12enginefromthe outgoingDB7andmarryingittoa modifiedversionoftheVanquish architecture,theautomaticderivedgearboxwasthething thatmarkedthissylph-likebeauty outasthewayforwardwhenit waslaunchedin2004.Motoring magslovedthewayitdrove,and schoolboyslovedthewayitlooked.

Theopen-topVolantearrivedin 2005,makingthefirstexamples over20yearsold.Itfeelslike insanitythatforthepriceof anew

VauxhallCorsa, aVolantecouldbe onyourdriveway–butwith alittle careandattention,that’sexactly whatyoucouldget.

Firstandforemost,makesure thecaryou’relookingathadno accidentdamage –thesearehigh speedcars,andit’sessentialthat they’reasstraightasthedaythey leftthefactory.Theydon’tseem tohaveearned areputationfor corrosiondueinnosmallpart tothealuminiumbodyshell,but bearinmindthatthebonnet, bootlidandbumpersaremadeof compositematerials.Thismakes smallrepairsharderandmore

expensive,somakesurethese panelsinparticularareingood shape.Checkthehood,too –17 secondsisallthetimeitshould taketoliftordrop,anditgoes withoutsayingitshouldbeintact withnoripsortears.

Initially,thecar’sspeedwas limitedto amere165mphto retaintheroof’sintegrity,but AstonMartinremovedthiswith theupgraded2007model.And from2008,theVolante’soutput increasedfrom450to470bhp, meaningthisultra-fastandultra stylishconvertiblewasnoweven quicker.

JAGUARXJ-S

TimewaswhenanXJ-Swas a£1000car,withproper convertiblestoppingoutatno morethanfive.However,that wasalongtimeago,andthey’re startingtofollowE-Typesinto seriouscollectorterritory.And while£25,000mightseemlikea lot,considerthis;we’veseenand drivenexamplesadvertisedfor twicethisfigurethatsoldwithin days.

BestvalueintermsofopenXJ-S models(XJ-Sprefacelift,XJSpost facelift)arethetargaroofedXJ-SC modelsbuiltfrom1983onwards, whichcanstillbehadindecent conditionforaround£10,000.But theoneeverybodywantsisthe fullyopenconvertiblethatwent onsalefrom1988– particularly faceliftexamples,whichcamenot onlywiththeV12butalsowiththe 4.0-litrestraight-sixasanoption. Thisistheonewethinkyoushould lookfor –intherealworlditsno slowerthanthe6.0-litreV12found inlatercars,andwhileitis alittle lesssmooththetruthisyou’ll nevernoticeunlessyoudrivethem back-to-back.Butwiththe4.0, you’llaverage25mpg,andparts areeasyandinexpensivetosource.

There’s afantasticXJSClubwhich willensureeveryqueryyouhave isanswered,andtherearescores ofgoodspecialists.Justcheck thoroughlyforrot,becausethese carsarefarfromimmune.

Thebestmodeltobuyfroma collectabilityperspectiveisthe run-outCelebration,whichhada uniquespecificationandadded diamond-turned‘Aerosport’alloy wheels, alittleextrawoodtrimand someothernicetiestothealready temptingXJSpackage.LateV12s areevenmorelavish,butcostly tomaintainandabletodrainafull fueltankcrossingLondonon abad day.Hiddengem?TheXJ-SC3.6 manual,whichfeelslikeaproper, old-schoolGT.

KIM CAIRNS -

Open classics | Special feature

£50,000CHOICES

Gota£50,000budget?Thenyou’llhavethepickofsometrulyspecialclassics,likethistriowe’veselected

CITROËNDS DECAPOTABLE

Okay,weadmitit.Thisoneisa cheat. ACitroënDSDecapotable isnorthof£100,000andshouldn’t reallybeonthislistatall.However, therearescoresofconverted saloonsoutthere,evocationsofthe Chapronoriginalthatfrequently useGRPtubsatthebackto recreatetheoriginaleffect.These

carsarethemselvesnotcheap either –but£50,000shouldbe enoughtogetholdofoneifyou’re patient,you’recapableof alittle tidyingworkandyoudon’tmindleft handdrive.

Andwhyshouldyougotoall thatefforttoownwhatisn’tthe realthing?Well,it’ssimple.The CitroënDSDecapotableisthemost beautifulopencarintheworld.

Simpleandelegant,itturnsheads fromanydirection –andbecause ofthatfabulousoleopneumatic suspension,itwon’tturnstomachs evenontheharshestoffarm tracks.You’llglidealongingreater comforteventhanJaguarsand Rolls-Royces,in adesigniconinits mostdesirableform.

Decapotableconversions rarelyfallintothehandsofthe uninitiated,sooddsaretheseller willbeanardentCitrophilewithat leastonegoodspecialistonspeed dial.That’snoexcuseforyou nottochecktheservicehistorymechanicallythey’refairlysimple, butwewouldwanttoseeevidence of afreshsetofsuspensionspheres withinthelastfiveyearsor15,000 miles,whicheverwasthelonger. Testthey’restillsoftbypushing downoneachcorner.Itshouldsink like apillowbeforerisingagain. Alternatively,sitontheslampanel ortherearbumper,andcheckto seethatthecarrisestolevelwith yourweight.

JAGUARE-TYPE SERIES3

ItmightnotbetheSeries 1flat flooryoualwaysdreamedof,but £50,000willstillgetyouanE-Type convertible.Andunlessyouget

luckywithanearliercar,youhave twochoices, aTriple-CChallenger GRPE-TypereplicausingXJ6bits, or aSeries3– whichmightbe wearingflaresandwhichmightbea littleportlier,butis arealE-Type. Wereckonthelatteroptionisthe betterofthetwo.Andremember, theE-Typein1971-1974V12form mightbebiggerandsofter,but thanksto272bhpfromits5.3-litre V12,it’sjustasrip-snortinglyfast astheoriginalwithoutanyofthe compromises.Softersuspension makesitnicertouse,whilethe longerwheelbasemeansmore space.It’snot asportscar,butit’s

Special feature | Open classics

aproper,grown-upGTcar.

Jaguarbuiltthesecarstoacost, nottoastandard–andtherefore therewillbeelementsofyour E-Typethatmightnotbeinthe bestshape.Wewouldexpectmost E-Typestohaveundergonesome degreeofrestorationworkbynow, too– andwhiletherearesome superlativespecialistssuchas M+CWilkinson,equallythereare somecompaniesthatmightnot havebeenquitesocarefulinthe executionoftheirwork.Checkfor anysignsofcorrosiononthelower halfofthebody,andtake amagnet

withyou –duringthe1980sclassic carboomE-Typevaluesentered thestratosphereandsomeofthe restorationworkfromtheperiod wassub-par.Thereshouldn’tbe anyGRPorfillerpresent.

Get agoodone,andyou’llhave acarthatstilllooksstunning, even morethanfivedecadeson.And let’sbehonest,there’snobetter barroombragthanchuckingthe keysofanE-Typeontothetable.

ROLLS-ROYCE CORNICHE

Ifyou’recareful,youcangethold

of aRollsRoyceCornichefor £50,000.Andlet’sbehonest,you shouldn’treallyneedanymore incentivethanthatstatementin ordertodoso.BecauseifaRollsRoyceisthebestcarintheworld –anditisanepithetthathasbeen aimedatthemarqueonseveral occasions– thenanopenRoyce mustbethebestopencarinthe worldbythesamemeasure.

Itisn’t,ofcourse–weallknow thattherearebettercarsinmany ways.Butifyoujustwanttomotor aboutintheultimateofcomfort, feelinglikeyouhavearrivedin life,therearen’tmanybetter waystotravelthana Corniche. It’sfastenough,softenough,and justvulgarenoughwithoutbeing overstated.

TheCornichewaslaunchedas adevelopmentoftheMulliner ParkWardtwo-doorversionsof theRolls-RoyceSilverShadowin 1971.Butwhilethehardtopcar wasdiscontinuedin1980,the convertiblewasonsaleuntil1995.

Thatmeansfivetimesasmany wereproducedasthesteel-roofed car.

Nevertheless,your£50,000 doesn’tgoveryfarinCorniche dropheadterms,soyou’llneedto inspectyourpotentialpurchase with afine-toothedcomb.Check forcorrosiontothesillsand floorpans –there’s alotofhand assembledmetalandunlessthe car’salwaysbeendrystored it’sworthchecking.Check theCitroën-styleself-levelling spheresattherear,andthetriple circuitbrakes,asthesewillbe thecostliestmechanicalitemsto repair.Checkthefluidtoo– be awarethatpre-1980carsdonot usegreenLHM(RR363inRR speak)intheirsystems,butthe earlierredLHSasusedinpre1967Citroëns.Itcanbeharder tofindthanLHMbutthetwo aren’tcross-compatible.Ifyou findanearliercarwithgreenfluid, checkforaninvoicefor asystem conversion.

Offering the widest choice of parts for all Rolls-Royce and Bentley models from 1946 to the present day

We stock an extensive range of new, reconditioned and recycled parts to suit your requirements

• Free technical advice

• Over 300 combined years of knowledge

• Supplying parts to customers globally for over 30 years

TRIED &TESTED | Citroën2CV

RAYOFSUNSHINE

ThesimplecharmsoftheCitroën2CVcanbrighteneventhegloomiestday,especiallyinbrightyellow –Joeprovesitwithadrivein afantastic,importedexample

Therearesomeclassicsthat canmakeyousmileinany circumstances,no matter theweather,trafficorevenwhere you’regoing.TheBentleyTurboR withitsbrutishcharmisone,the little,lightandzippyFrogeyeSprite another,andthewonderfullyquirky Citroën2CVanunquestionable memberofthelist.Certainly,the gloomyskiesandfrequentrain

showersprevailingwhenwewent todriveKimCairns’19812CV4 werehardlypicture-perfect,butthe brilliantlyyellowCitroënbrightened ourdayinstantly.

Thisleft-handdriveimportis anexampleoftheFrench-market 2CV4Spécial, aslightlyoddspec thatfeaturescircularheadlights–therestofthe2CVrangeusingthe rectangularitemsbythispoint– no rear-quarterwindows, alackof brightworkand asimplerinterior.

Thefocalpoint,however,is theJauneCédrat(CitronYellow) paintwork,whichwasthemain colouravailableforthismodel. It’sinsuperbconditiononthis example,with alovelyshineand onlythetiniestofscabbyareas onthewindscreenventpanel. Whatchromeworkthereisonthis basic-spec2CVisbrightandtidy,

thewhitesteelwheelsarespotless andthefreshcanvasroofisin as-newcondition,somuchsothat itneededsomestretchingtolatch securely –I’drecommendleavingit upinthesunshinefor afewdays.

Theextensiverestorationin2024 includedtheinterior,whichboasts freshseatcovers,doorcardsand adashboardinfantasticcondition. Thefitmentofamodernradioin anauxiliaryboxonthepassenger’s sidejustaddstothe useability.

ONTHEROAD

Thehigh-pitchedcrankingand uniqueaircooledclatterare signaturesoundsofthe2CV experience,andas Ipullaway andtheengine’srumblebuilds, thesmileonlygrows.Duringits restoration,thiscar’senginewas swappedoutforafully-rebuilt

602ccunit, completewithrebuilt gearboxanditfeelsverystrong–relativelyspeakingofcourse,as we’restilltalkingabout a29bhp 2CVhere. Jokesaside,itpullscleanly, soundssweetandfeelstightand eager,easilykeepingpacewith 50-60mphtraffic. The2CV’s

‘umbrellahandle’gearleverand unconventionalshiftpattern areintimidatingatfirst,butget familiarwithitonaquietbackroad anditsoonbecomesintuitive–you’reunlikelytoskipgearslikea conventionalH-patterngearbox, andbuildingupspeeds,thelever alwaysseemstonaturallyslotinto

thenextgear.What’smore,the commoncomplaintofleft-hand drivecarshavingtheirgearleveron the‘wrongside’isn’tanissuewhen theleveritselfisthisunusual,not tomentionthe2CVissonarrow thatbeingsat‘kerbside’simply doesn’tmatter,you’rehardlygoing tobeovertakingregularlyareyou?

The2CV’swonderfullyfloaty ridesoaksupundulatingNorfolk laneswithease,whilethetotal lackofknocksorclonksconfirm thelegendary‘springsincans’ setupisinfinefettle –arguably offeringbetterridecomfortthan theJaguarMk2I’vejuststepped outof.Theslightlywaterbed-like rideof a2CVistrulyunique,and justoneofmanywaysthiscar standsout.Throwitinto acorner

CONTACT

Kim Cairns, Snettisham, Kings Lynn, PE31 7PF 01485 541526

kimcairnsclassics co uk

withsomeenthusiasmand you’re rewardedwiththathilariousbody roll,buttheskinny135-section Nankangtyresclingonwelldespite thevisualchaos.It’sworthnoting thatthe2CV’sbodyrollisentirely optional –youcancorneratspeed anditstaysrelativelyflat,it’llonly leanontothedoorhandlesifyou getaggressivewiththesteering andreallychuckitin.Havingto executeanemergencystopwhena cluelessSUVdriverpullsoutonme

alsoremindsmehowbrilliant2CV brakesare –thelittleCitroënstops initsownlength,straightandtrue andinspiringconfidencein away notmanycarsofitsagewould.

CCBVERDICT

Rumblingdownthelaneswell belowthelegallimit,thischarming, quirkyandutterlywonderfullittle

MODELHISTORY

602cc,flat-twin

29bhp

71mph

0-60mph: 31secs

GEARBOX: 4-spdman

ECONOMY: 45mpg

ASKINGPRICE: £16,995

carhasmegrinningfromear-toear,evenwhena heavydownpour doesitsbesttodampenthemood. It’s ahappycarwithitsbright yellowpaintwork,lovelyflattwinsoundtrack, thatrewarding gearchangeandcomedyhandling –I’dchallengeanyonetodrivea 2CVandnotsmile,it’sreallyrather wonderful.

Thisspecificexample toois anabsolutegem,withsuperb bodywork, afreshlyrebuiltengine thatfeelsstrong, agalvanised chassistofutureproofitandanallroundverytidyinterior.Somewill prefer apatinatedexample,butthis near-perfect2CVdidanexcellent jobofbrighteningupanotherwise gloomyday.

Conceivedduringthe1930s,the2CVprojectwasdesignedtoprovideaffordablemotoring forrural France. Citroën’sbrief wassimplebutambitious:createacar capableof carrying fourpeopleanda basketofeggs across aploughed field withoutbreakinga singleegg. Theresultingprototype, knownasthe TPV(Toute PetiteVoiture), wasreadybeforetheoutbreakof theSecond WorldWar,butdevelopment wasinterrupted by theconflict.

Theproduction2CV was finally unveiledat the1948 ParisMotorShow.Its minimalistdesign,air-cooled flat-twinengineand exceptionally softsuspensiondrew mixedreactions, yetitperfectly suited theneedsof post-warmotorists.Cheap to buy, economical to runand remarkablypractical,the2CVquickly becamea familiarsightacrossFranceandmuchofEurope.

Over thefollowing fourdecades thecar evolvedgradually,gainingmorepowerfulenginesandminor stylingupdates whileretainingitsdistinctivecharacter. Numerousspecialeditionshelpedmaintainits popularity,and themodeldevelopeda loyalfollowingamongstudents, farmersandadventurersalike.

Productionofthe2CVendedin1990aftermorethan 5.1million exampleshadbeenbuilt. Todayitremains abelovedautomotiveicon, celebrated forits simplicity, ingenuity andenduring charm.

STATESIDESTYLE

US-influencedstylingwas acommonthemeinBritishcars of the’50s,butwhichofthesethreechunksof Anglo-Americanawouldbeyourpersonalpick?

FORDZEPHYR Mk2

Havingbeenintroducedin 1956andproduceduntil 1962,theFordConsul, ZephyrandZodiacMk2collectively becameknownasthe‘Three Graces’.DesignedatDagenham undertheleadershipofColin Neale,themodelshad apositively Statesideappearance,withpeaked, hoodedheadlampsanddiscreet tailfins –arealsnapshotof’50s Americana.

Aswellasthesaloonmodels,you couldalsohave acoupleofspecialorderversions: aCarbodies-built convertible,or asmartfactoryapprovedestateconvertedbyED AbbottLimitedofFarnham.Inall, around682,000‘ThreeGraces’ weremadein asix-yearperiod, ofwhicharoundhalfwerethe four-cylinderConsulandtherest theswankiersix-potZephyrand Zodiac. Aminorfaceliftin1959 sawtheintroductionofthesleeker ‘Lowline’models,withtheroofline reducedbyaninchand ahalf.

Beneaththestrikingbodywork was aconventionalbutwellengineeredmechanicalset-up,with overhead-valveenginespowering

therearwheelsand achoiceof three-speedcolumn-shiftmanual orautomaticgearboxes.The entry-levelConsulcamewitha 1.7-litrefour-cylinderengine,while theZephyrreceived a2.6-litre six-cylinderunit,andtheZodiac, theflagshipofthebreed,featured additionalchrometrim,two-tone paint,and aplusherinterior.

Allaredecenttodrive,with even thefour-cylinderConsulfeeling reasonablyeagerwithits60bhp engine.TheZephyrandZodiac have86bhpandaregenuinely competentmotorwaycruisers–they’llsitat70mphallday,but afrontdiscbrakeconversionis agoodideaifyou’replanning onusingthemforregularlong distances.Such aset-upwas offeredas acostoptionfrom1960 onwards,andstandardisedfor 1961.

Thesuspensionconsistedofa liverearaxle,plusMacPherson strutsandcoilspringsupfront. Handlingispredictable,buttherear endcanbe alittletwitchyinthe

wet.Thesteeringisalsoveryheavy whenfittedwithradialtyres– they leftthefactoryoncrossplies,which wereharderandhadlessgrip.

Whenbuying,rustistheprincipal concern –especiallyinthesills, floorpans,wheelarches,and aroundtheheadlampsurrounds. Mechanicalcomponentsare generallyrobust,andparts availabilityremainsrelativelygood fora carofitsera.

Checkforsignsofbodged repairs,particularlyaround structuralareas,andinspectthe chromeworkcarefully –theornate frontgrille,inparticular,can be expensivetorenovate.Some interiorpartscanbetrickytofind, andtheleatherseatscanlook prettytired,thoughmanywillhave beenretrimmedbynow.

Themarkethasremainedsteady inrecentyearsandthey’reamong themostsought-aftermodelsof theera. Agood,useableConsul startsaround£6000– £8000, butexceptional,restoredcarscan reach£12,000ormore.

Thesix-cylindermodelsare morevaluable,with aZephyr rangingfrom£8000fortidybut unrestoredcars,upto£15,000for top-condition,originalvehicles. TheflagshipZodiackicksoffat around£10,000,with£18,000or sobeingtopdollar.Estatesare worthmarginallymore,butthe convertiblemodelshave afollowing oftheirown– theycancommand upwardsof£30,000forconcoursstandardexamples.

FORDZEPHYRMk2

ENGINE: 2553cc,6-cyl

POWER: 86bhp

TOPSPEED: 86mph

0-60MPH: 17.9secs

ECONOMY: 25mpg

GEARBOX: 3-speedman

BUYONEFOR: £8000£30,000

VAUXHALLPA VELOX/CRESTA

IntroducedinOctober1957,the PAseriesofVauxhallsaloons reallyembracedtheratherbold transatlanticdesigninfluencesof theera,andarguablydidsomore thanrivals.

TheVeloxandCrestawere designedbya teamledbyDavid Jones,withinputfromVauxhall’s stylingdepartment,whosoughtto blendthethemesseeninGeneral Motors’Americanmodelsina smallerpackage–thoughthePA wasstill abigcarbyUKstandards. Theoutcomewas acarthat

VAUXHALLPACRESTA

ENGINE: 2262cc, 6-cyl POWER: 82 5bhp

TOP SPEED: 90mph

0-60MPH: 16 8secs

ECONOMY: 25mpg

GEARBOX: 3-speed man

BUY ONE FOR: £3000£25,000

HUMBERSUPER SNIPE

Perhapslesswell-knownthan thePAVauxhallsandFord

ThreeGraces,theHumber SuperSnipe‘Series’modelswere nevertheless aprimesliceofUK Americana.Producedbetween 1958and1967,theSuperSnipe wasspunoffthebasicbodyshellof themonocoqueHumberHawkand evolvedthroughfiveseries,each slightlyenhancedwithmodelyear changesakintoUScarsoftheera.

HUMBERSUPERSNIPE SERIESIII

ENGINE: 2965cc,6-cyl

POWER: 129bhp

TOPSPEED: 95mph

0-60MPH: 16.5secs

ECONOMY: 22mpg

GEARBOX: 3-speedauto

BUYONEFOR: £6000£15,000

featuredsweepinglines,tailfins, awraparoundwindscreen,anda strikingchromegrille –andwhich lookedlikenothingelseontheroad. Produceduntil1962,succeeding theratherconservativebutstill US-influencedE-series,theVelox waspositionedasthemainstream model,whiletheCrestaoffered amoreluxuriousandflamboyant specification.In1959theywere given afacelift,with anewgrilleand thereplacementofthethree-piece rearwindowwith asinglewrap arounditem.Thefinal1961-62 modelssportednewrearlightswith modifiedtailfinsandweretoned downa littlefromthedramatic original.

Underthebonnet,thePAVelox

andCrestainitiallycameequipped with a2.2-litresix-cylinder engine,delivering82bhp.In1960, Vauxhallupgradedtheengine to a2.6-litreunit,increasingthe powerto95bhp.Thecarsfeatured athree-speedmanualgearbox, withoptionaloverdriveand,inlater models, athree-speedautomatic transmission.Discbrakeswere madestandardin1961.

TheSuperSnipe’sdesignwas heavilyinfluencedbyAmerican Chryslermodels,withRootes Groupchiefdesigner,RexLendon, playing akeyroleinshapingit. TheSeries Idebutedin1958, introducinganeweraforHumber withitslargerbodyandimproved ridequalityovertheolderSnipes. TheSeriesIIfollowedin1959, withminorcosmetictweaksand enhancedmechanicalreliability. TheSeriesIII,launchedin1960, featuredmorepronouncedtail finsandupdatedtrim,whilethe 1964SeriesIVsawrefinements tothesuspensionandinterior comfort.Thefinaliteration,the

SeriesV,appearedin1967,with amoderniseddashboardand improvedsafetyfeatures– but bythenitfeltlikesomethingofan anachronismcomparedwithmore modernandsquarerrivals.

Underthebonnet,theSuper Snipewaspoweredby apotent straight-sixengine,initiallya

ThePArodeandhandledwell fora carofitssizeandwashugely spaciousinside,butyoudidneed towatchyourkneeonthebottom ofthecurvedwindscreensurround whengettinginorout. Whenbuying,corrosionisyour biggestenemy.ThePA’sbodywork ispronetorust,particularlyaround thesills,wings,andbottomofthe doors,whilerepairstotheA-pillars

andscreensurroundcanbe particularlycomplex.Someinterior bitscanbeveryhardtofind,buton theplussidetheenginesareboth hardyandeasy-to-maintain,with mostserviceitemseasilyavailable. Intermsofvaluations, aproject startsataround£3000,while aroadworthycarinaverage conditiontypicallycommands £7000-£12,000.Well-preserved, originalexamplesorprofessionally restoredcarscanreach£15,000£20,000,withexceptional, concours-standardCrestas occasionallyexceeding£25,000. TheVelox,beinglessluxurious, tendstobeslightlylessvaluable thantheCresta,butbothare soughtafter.

2.6-litreunitdeveloping112bhp, thenfromtheSeriesII, a3.0-litre unitdeliveringbetween120and 132bhpdependingonthemodel. Theenginewasrenownedforits smoothnessandwasalsodoggedly reliable,whileitsoundsgreatand cruiseseffortlesslyatmotorway speeds.Inkeepingwithitsluxury

image,mosthaveautomatic transmission.

Prospectivebuyersshould inspectthebodyworkforrust, particularlyaroundthesills,wheel arches,scuttlepanels,lower bulkhead,outriggersandfloor pans.Mechanicalcomponents aregenerallytough,butregular maintenanceiskey.Interiortrim andoriginalfittingsarerare, socheckthatnothingmajoris missing.

Inthecurrentmarket,Humber SuperSnipeSeriesI-Vmodels typicallyrangefrom£6000to £15,000,dependingoncondition andprovenance.

PULL OUTAND KEEP

CLASSIC SCENES

WORDS: JEFFRUGGLES IMAGE: GETTY

There’sverymuch aBlueOvalthemeforthisweek’stripbackin time,withavisittotheErskineCarsForddealership,onMaybury RoadinWoking,onAugust2,1972.Itseemsitwasalso alocation forHertzrentalcars,butregardless,allthecarswe canseeareFords. Intheforegroundis averysmart-lookingandevidentlybrand-newMk1 EscortEstate,whichcould’veonlybeenregisteredthedaybeforeat theearliest.However,wereckonplentyofadmiringeyeswould’vebeen drawntotheMk3Cortinanexttoit –adesirable2000GTmodelthat waslasttaxedin1984.TheotherthreeCortinaswe canseelooktobe morebasicmodels,andarejoinedby apairoftwo-doorEscorts. Thedealersiteisnowflats,buttheiconicturrethasbeenincludedin thenewdesign.Spotanythingwe’vemissed?Letusknowvia ccb.ed@kesley.co.uk.

Jaguaranniversaries | FEATURE

SURVIVAL INSTINCT

TheXJ40,XK8andX-TYPEeacharrivedatpivotalmomentsinJaguar’s

anniversarymilestones

Jaguarenthusiastsfindthemselves markingthreeparticularlyimportant milestonesin2026:40yearssincethe launchoftheXJ40,30yearssincethearrival oftheXK8and25yearssincethedebutof theX-TYPE.

Atfirstglance,theycouldhardlybemore different.TheXJ40wasanangularluxury saloondevelopedduringoneofthemost turbulentperiodsinJaguar’shistory,while theXK8was aglamorousgrandtourerthat restoredexcitementtothebrand’ssporting image.TheX-TYPE,tocompletethe trio, was acontroversialcompactexecutive that soughttobringJaguarownershiptoan entirelynewgenerationofbuyers. Yetallthreecarssharedsomething important.Eachrepresented abreakwith whathadcomebefore.Andeach,initsown way,helpedensurethesurvivalandevolution ofoneofBritain’smostfamousmotoring marques.So,bywayofcelebration,we’re lookingbackattheirstories.

XJ40

It’snow40yearssincetheXJ40reached showrooms,butitsrootsextendmuch further.Indeed,fewcarsendureda developmentprogrammequiteaslongor ascomplicatedastheXJ40,withworkon Jaguar’snext-generationluxurysaloon beginningasfarbackas1972.Duringthose 14years,thecompanyexperiencedthe upheavalofbeingunderBritishLeyland ownership,completewithnationalisation, beforeultimatelyreturningtoindependence. Earlyplanswereforpowertocomefrom thethen-newV12and aslant-sixderivedfrom it,madeusingthesametooling.Bythelate ’70s,however,thenewcarwasrunningwell behindschedule,anditwaslefttoPininfarina

torestyletheexistingXJintotheSeriesIII as astopgap –a stopgapthatstillusedwhat wasbynowtheageingXKengine. During1980,thearrivalofJohnEganas JaguarchairmangavetheXJ40projectfresh impetus,anditsnewenginewasunderway too.Thefuelcrisesofthe1970shadaltered customerexpectations,whileGermanrivals wereprovingthatbuyersincreasinglywanted efficiencyaswellasluxury.TheV12-based slantsixhadfallenbythewaysideinthe mid-1970s,andplansinvolving a24-valve variantoftheXKlookedpromisingbutwould costthesametoimplementasdeveloping awholenewunit,soJaguarcommittedtoa newengineoflighterandmoreeconomical design.

Aninfamousanecdotefromthisperiod suggeststhattheXJ40enginebayhadbeen designedinsuch awayastoprecludethe fitmentofRover’sV8andthusforcethe developmentof anewstraightsix.Jaguar

engineeringchiefJimRandleadmitted decadeslaterthathehadtoldmanagement theV8wouldn’tgoin,inthehopethatit woulddissuadeanysuggestionsofparts sharing–butnobodyhadeverchecked.

TheeventualresultwastheAJ6engine family,asophisticatednewsix-pot thatformed thebackboneoftheXJ40 programme.Lightweight,efficientand powerful –atleastaftersomeearlyteething troubles –itdemonstratedthatJaguar couldembracemodernengineeringwithout sacrificingperformance.

Indeed,thenew3.6-litremodelwas soeffectivethatJaguarinitiallybelieved customerswouldnotmissa V12flagship. Eventsprovedotherwise,withBMW’s launchof aV12 7Seriesencouraging

JaguartoretaintheolderSeriesIIIV12 andlaterdeveloptheXJ81V12derivative. Nevertheless,theAJ6represented acrucial technologicalleapforward.

Anyway,thisnewsatthetopoftherange wasovershadowedattheXJ40launchby bignewsattheotherend –theastounding valueformoneyofferedbytheentrylevel 2.9-litremodel.Itmayhavelackedair conditioningandalloywheels,butitboasted animpressivespecification,as wellasthe cachetof aJaguarbadge.Atjust£16,495, itwasover£1000lessthanaFordGranada Scorpio,andmuchnearertothe£15,871 of aRover825ithanthe£18,795of aRover Sterling.SuddenlyJaguarownership becameattainableforcustomerswhomight previouslyhavelookedelsewhere.

TheXJ40alsobroughtJaguarinto anew eraofelectronicsandequipment,courtesyof thedigitalinstrumentdisplaysfittedtoearly cars.Whilelaterrevisionsreplacedsome ofthistechnologywithmoreconventional instrumentation,theoriginaldashboardwas adistinctiveandsomewhatdivisivemixof futurismandtradition.

FEATURE | Jaguaranniversaries

Atlaunch,thetwomodelsweretheXJ6 andSovereign,andbothcouldbehadwith the2.9-or3.6litreengine.TheSovereign addedprettymuchtheentireoptionslist, alongsidebrightwindowtrimsandsquare headlamps.TheDaimlerwas3.6only,adding anelectricsunroof,heatedseatsanda limited-slipdifferentialtotheSovereign’s impressivespec,andhaditsownunique interiorwithfourindividualseatsand apair ofoccasionaltablesforthoseintheback.

AltogethersportierwastheXJRthatwent onsalefrom1988.Developedinconjunction withTWR, abodykit,revisedsuspension settingsandnewinteriortrimweremelded withuniquecolourcombinationstotargeta moreyouthfulandperformance-orientated market,thoughearly3.6carshadnoengine mods.

Astheyearspassed,theXJ40continued tomature.The3.6-litreAJ6enginewas increasedto4.0-litresin1989,which wasalsotunedforfitmentintheXJR. Concernsoverthesingle-cam2.9-litreunit’s performancewereaddressedin1990by itsreplacementby astroke-stroke3.2-litre twin-cam.

Bythispoint,Fordownershiphadarrived. Thedealwasannouncedin1989andwould seemanyengineeringimprovements introducedduringtheXJ40’sfinalyears.The rangewas(literally)extendedin1992with theadditionofthelong-wheelbaseversion, marketedastheMajesticandgainingfive inchesinthereardoorarea.TheninFebruary 1993cametheannouncementoftheV12poweredXJ12andDaimlerDouble-Six,a movethatwouldfinallyallowtheSeries3 XJ12tobeputtorest.Italsosawthe V12 itselfupratedto6.0-litrespec,inwhich

guiseitproduced313bhpandpushedthe newcomerwelloverthe150mphmark.

CreatingtheXJ81(astheV12-powered XJ40wascodenamed)hadn’tbeen asimple matter.Intotal,some140panelswere modifiedduringtheprocess,thereductionin thenumberofseparatepressingsmakinga bigdifferencetotheoverallqualityofthecar andnodoubtensuringthesuitabilityofthe platformforfurtherdevelopments.

NewtrimlevelsalsobroadenedtheXJ40’s appeal.Thesporty3.2-and4.0litre Smodels of1993modelsbroughtyoungerbuyersinto showrooms,whiletheInsigniaprogramme demonstratedJaguar’sabilitytooffer bespokeluxury.Thesewerefollowedupin 1994bytheGold,whichwasessentiallyan optionspackageat acompetitiveprice.In practice,boththeSportandGoldwererunoutmodels,sincethefinalXJ40cameoffthe lineinAugust1994– after atotalproduction runof208,706cars.

Theessenceofthedesignthathadtaken solongtobringtomarketwasdestinedto liveonforeightyearsmore –spanningtwo furthergenerationsofXJ,untiltheall-new aluminiumX350wasreadyforlaunchin 2002.TheXJ40hadinfactbeenscheduled forreplacementby anewmodelcodenamed XJ90,butthebudgetwouldn’tstretchto aground-upnewcar.Theresultwasthat partsof theXJ90 –essentiallythenoseand tail –weregraftedontothecentresectionof theXJ40,theresultbeingthemodelthatwe knowastheX300.

Itmightsoundlike arecipefordisasterbut theX300was aresoundingsuccess –and withFord’sinputinproductiondesign,the reliabilityissuesofthoseearlyXJ40swere finallysilenced.Thenin1997,thefirm’snew V8engineswereaddedtothemixtocreate theX308model,atwhichpointtheoriginal XJ40interiorandits unusualergonomic controllayoutwasfinallyreplacedby amore traditionalJaguarstylewiththe‘horse-collar’ centreconsole.Behindthescenesthough,it wasstilltheXJ40.

Formanyyears,enthusiastsstruggledto appreciatethesignificance.TheXJ40was oftendismissedastheawkwardmiddlechild betweentheclassicSeriesIIIandtheretro-

styledX300,withsomefeelingthatitsimply didn’tlooklike aproperJaguar,andothers putoffbythereliabilityissuesthatblighted earlyexamples.

Timehasbeenkind, however.Today,the XJ40isincreasinglyrecognisedasthemodel thatbridgedthegapbetweenoldJaguar andmodernJaguar.Itsurvivedcorporate turmoil,introducednewtechnology, modernisedthecompany’sengineering andlaidthefoundationsforeverythingthat followed.Accordingly,valueshaveincreased inrecentyears,withthebestlatercarsnow infive-figureterritory.Thatsaid,thereare stillplentyofcarsoutthereforless,withthe XJ40offeringawholelotofclassicJaguarfor yourmoney.

XK8

IftheXJ40wasaboutsurvival,theXK8was aboutdesire.WhenJaguarunveileditsnew grandtourer30yearsago,expectationswere immense.TheXJShadservedthecompany formorethantwodecades,butdespite numerousimprovements,wasfeelingoldfashioned.

ItwasreasonabletoexpectthattheXJS wouldhavehad ashelflifethatexpiredinor around1990,butaftertheall-wheel-drive, twinturboXJ41projectwascancelledby aFordownershipthatconsideredittoo expensive,replacingthevenerableoldGT keptbeingpushedback,andthecarlost groundinthemarketplaceas aresult.

Jaguarneeded areplacementcapableof competingwiththeBMW 8Series,MercedesBenzSLandPorsche’sfinestofferings, andthatleftthefirm’sdesignerswitha

considerablechallenge.Customerswanteda moderncar,buttheyalsowantedsomething unmistakablyJaguar.Memoriesofthe E-Typeremainedpowerful.Atthesame time,fellowFordsubsidiaryAstonMartin hadalreadydemonstratedtheappealof retro-inspiredBritishGTdesignwithitsDB7. Funnilyenough,theDB7hadresurrected theXJ41andcombineditwithanXJS floorpan,withIanCallumemployedtofurther ‘Astonise’thedesign.

Jaguar’ssolutionwasinspired.The ‘X100’XK8alsousedtheXJSfloorpanand employedsuspensionderivedfromtheX300, butdesignerFergusPollockanddesign directorGeoffLawsoncomplementedthis perfectlybycreatinga bodythatdrewupon Jaguar’sheritagewithoutbecomingtrapped byit.Theovalgrille,muscularhaunches andflowinglinesechoedtheE-Type,yet theoverallresultfeltcontemporaryand

sophisticated.FergusPollockclaimedit receivedoneofthehighestapprovalratings ofanyFord-orJaguar-producedvehicle beforelaunch,whichdemonstratedhow successfullythedesignteamhadjudgedthe market.

Beneaththebonnetlayanotherrevolution. Jaguar’sprevioustacticofsoft-launching enginesinsportsmodelshadworked beforeandtherewasnoneedtochangeit. SotheXK8wouldbethefirsthomeofthe AJ-V8engine,initiallyin4.0-litreguiseand producing290bhp.Developedtoreplace boththestraight-sixandV12engines,itwas athoroughlymodernpowerplantfeaturing advancedengineeringandimpressive refinement.Andwhileitwasdeveloped withFordmoneyandbuiltin aFordfactory inBridgend,theonlydirectlyshared componentsweretheWoodruffkeyatthe frontofthecrankandthesumpplug,both sharedwiththeFordZetec.

Atlaunch,theXK8couldbehadasa coupéor aconvertible.Roadtesterswere immediatelyimpressed:indeed,Jeremy Clarksonclaimeditwas“threetimesbetter thanthe 8SeriesBMWandfivetimes betterthantheoldXJS.”Thecarwaswidely praisedforitscombinationofperformance, refinementandcomfort –herewas agenuine grandtourercapableofcrossingcontinents ineffortlessstylewhilestilldeliveringenough paceandagilitytosatisfyenthusiastic drivers.Woodveneer,leatherupholstery andcarefullyjudgedergonomicscreatedan atmospherethatcompetitorsoftenstruggled tomatch.

TheXK8’spricingstrategywasequally

clever.Althoughitcompetedagainst prestigiousmachineryfromGermany,it consistentlyundercutmanyrivals.Buyers gainedV8performance,distinctivestyling andgenuineexclusivitywithoutventuring intoAstonMartinterritory.Thisvaluefor-moneypropositionbecameeven morecompellingwiththearrivalofthe superchargedXKRin1998.WithanEaton bloweradded,powerwas hikedtoan impressive370bhp.SuddenlyJaguaroffered near-supercarperformanceat apricethat embarrassedmanycompetitors.

Afaceliftcamein2000forthe 2001model year,with18-inchwheelsandrevisedexterior trim.TheXKRalsoreceivedsomeexterior nipandtucks,whileinsidetheseatswere restyledandgivenelectricadjustment,seatmountedsideairbagswereaddedandthe advanced‘ARTS’airbagdeploymentsystem wasadded.

Afurtherfaceliftcamein2002forthe 2003modelyear,whenthechangeswere moreextensiveandthemodelwasreferred toasthe‘newgeneration’XKbyJaguar’s marketingpeople.Thebigchangewas strokingtheAJ28versionoftheAJ-V8 fromitsoriginal3996ccto4196cc,good for300bhp,or400bhpfortheXKR.Itwas pairedwithanewelectronicallycontrolledZF six-speed6HP26transmission;theBrembo brakesfromthe‘R’optionsrangebecame standardontheXKRandthecargained modernelectronicstabilityaids.

As afinalflourish,the4.2-Swasunveiled inMarch2005,andboasteduprated suspensionandquickersteering.Thiswas thelastXKtoberolledout thatwasbased

upontheoriginal1996design,withthe all-new‘X150’aluminiumXKsubsequently arrivingasitsreplacement. TheX100haslongbeenaffordable,but withtheX150generationnowwellwithin reachtoo,themarketissplitbetweenthose preferringthestyleoftheoldercarandthe moremodernfeaturesofthealuminium car. ThathasmeantthattheX100hasnever beenbettervaluethanitistoday,witha sub-£2000XK8noweminentlypossible, thoughthebestcarscaneasilyenterfive figures.Evidenceofmaintenanceisessential tosecure agoodcar,though.Watchfor corrosionofsills,wheelarchesandfloorpans, aswellasNikasilborewearonearly cars.

WeexpecttheXK8toappreciateas onlythebetterexamplessurviveandthe marketrealisesitsimportance.Herewasa carthatbecame apublicfaceofJaguar’s renaissance,offeringaqualityproductthat successfullyreplaced alegend,launched anewenginefamilyandre-established Jaguar’ssportingcredentials.Even30years on,itstillimpresses,anditremainsmore affordablethanitsrivals.

X-TYPE

Andfinally,theX-TYPE.Whencompact executivesaloonwaslaunchedin2001, expectationswereenormous.Ford’sPremier AutomotiveGroupbelievedthecarwould transformJaguar’sfortunesbyopeningthe brandto anewgenerationofbuyers.

Thelogicwassound.BMW’s3 Series, Audi’sA4andMercedes-Benz’sC-Class dominated alucrativesectorofthemarket. Jaguarhadlongbeenabsentfromthis segment,so asmaller,moreaccessible saloonseemedtheobviousroutetogrowth. YettheX-TYPEquicklybecameoneofthe mostcontroversialcarsinJaguarhistory.

TheX-TYPEproject –codedX400 –receiveda £300millionbudget–a substantialsumforJaguarasitentereda newmarket.However,thatwasn’tenough for afreshrear-wheel-driveplatform,posing challengesforthoseinsalesandmarketing. Instead,itwasbuiltuponFord’sCD132 platform,sharedwiththeMk3Mondeo, VolvoS40, andMazda 6–practicalfroma technicalandfinancialstandpoint, butless bespokethanexpectedfromJaguar.

FEATURE | Jaguaranniversaries

Formanyobservers,theuseofa Mondeoplatformovershadowedalmost everythingelseaboutthecar,despiteit beingregardedasoneofthefinestfrontwheel-drivearchitecturesofitsera.Jaguar triedtocounterthisbycomprehensively re-engineeringthings,includingtheaddition ofall-wheeldrivetoavoidthestigmaoffrontwheeldrive –althoughmodelsso-equipped didappearintherangelater.

Thefrontsuspensionwasrevised,while intheconversiontoall-wheel-drive,the rearendreceivedwhatwasessentially the independentrearsetupdevelopedforthe Mondeoestate.IntheFordthiswasused togivetheestate aflatterloadarea,butin theX-Typeitallowed arearsubframeand differentialtobeaddedforadrivenrearaxle.

TheX-TYPEwasthelastJaguarstyled underGeoffLawson,withWayneBurgess shapingmuchofitsexterior.Itborrowed cuesfromthelargerXJbutintroduceda cleaner,morecontemporaryfeel.Indeed, ratherthanappealingsolelytoestablished customers,Jaguardeliberatelytargeted youngerbuyers.Thefamous“NewJag Generation”campaignperfectlycaptured thisshiftinthinking,promotingthefirmas aforward-lookingmodernbrandratherthan

onerelyinguponitshistory.

Unfortunately,thecompanymadeseveral strategicmistakes.Mostsignificantwasthe initialabsenceofsmallerenginesanddiesel options.Fleetbuyersincreasinglyprioritised fueleconomy,taxationandemissions,so thebrand’sdecisiontodelaycertainmodels andonlyoffera V6initiallydidn’thelp.Only withtheintroductionofthe2.0(actuallya 2.1-litre)in2002didthecarbecomeslightly moreattractivetofleets,eventhoughitwas front-wheel-drive –anotherfirstforJaguar. Adieselcametoo,butnotuntil2003.This timeitwasunashamedlytakenfromFord, adevelopmentoftheDuratorq2.0and 2.2-litreTDCiengines.Thediesel,ofcourse, becamethebest-sellingmodelintherange, disprovingconcernsthataJaguarrequired alargecapacitypetrolenginetohave showroomappeal.

Marketingalsoprovedproblematic.Jaguar oftenappeareddefensiveabouttheMondeo connection.Thisencouragedjournaliststo focusoncomponentsharingratherthan evaluatingthecaronitsownmerits.Had Jaguarcelebratedthefactthatitwasusing oneofthebest-handlingplatformsinthe industry,perceptionsmighthavebeenvery different.

In2004,updatesincludedminordesign tweaksandthedebut oftheX-TYPEEstate, whichbrieflyboostedsales,albeitnotby enoughtoreachJaguar’sinitialtargets.A finalroundofchangescamein2007, witha moresignificantlyfaceliftedmodelunveiled attheCanaryWharfMotorExpoinLondon. Therevisedcarincludedchunkier bumpers,anupdatedgrille,improved dashboard,andthelong-awaitedoptionofa sequentialsix-speedautomatictransmission fordiesels.Specswerechanged,too,to include anewluxurySovereignvariant,with amuch-improvedfasciaanddiamond-weave leatherseats.

Despitetheseefforts,externalpressures –includingtheglobaleconomicdownturn andFord’sshiftinstrategy–ledtoJaguar andLandRoverbeingsoldtoTata.Thenewly formedJaguarLandRovercompanyquickly revisitedtheJLRbusinessplananddecided tobringforwardproductionoftheLand RoverLRXconcept(whichwouldbecomethe RangeRoverEvoque)andearmarkeditfor

theHalewoodproductionfacilitywherethe X-TYPEwasmade.Thatmeantthecompact Jag’sdayswerenumbered,alongwiththe fledglingplansfor areplacementknownas X450.

ProductionoftheX-TYPEendedearlier thanplannedinDecember2009afterjust over350,000hadbeenbuilt,cuttingshort hopesfor asuccessor.Indeed,itwould be2015,withthelaunchoftheXE,before Jaguarventurednearthecompactexecutive marketagain.

Evenso,theX-TYPEwashardlya commercialdisaster.Formanydrivers itrepresentedtheirfirstexperienceof themarque.Somewouldlaterprogress intolargerJaguars,whileotherssimply appreciatedtheopportunitytoown somethingdifferentfromtheGerman mainstream.

Today,thebestV6all-wheel-drivecars,in particular,arebeginning to attractserious interestfromcollectors.Youcanstillfinda 2.0ordieselforunder agrand,butreallynice V6scannow commandasmuchas£6000 if purchasedfrom aspecialistdealer.

Providingyoudon’tfallintothetrapof buying apost-2006V6(whichgetsstung massivelybypunitiveBandM roadtax) they’rerelativelyinexpensivetoownand run.Otherwise,yourbiggestissuewillbe thespectreofrustysills –theissueisthat they’rehiddenbyplasticcovers,making inspectiontricky.Thatsaid,onthewhole theX-TYPEwas awell-madecar,withthe HalewoodplantwinningawardswithinFord forthequalityofitspaintwork.

Enthusiastsnowincreasinglyacknowledge theX-TYPE’sstrengths:comfortableride quality,strongequipmentlevels,handsome stylingandimpressiveall-weather capability. AndtheMondeocriticismsdon’treally matteranymore –whiletheX-TYPEnever fullyachievedthesalessuccessoriginally envisioned,itplayedanessentialrolein broadeningthebrand’sappeal.After25 years,itsurelydeservesfarmorerespect thanithastraditionallyreceived.

JUNIOR EXECUTIVE

MorethanthreedecadeshavepassedsincetheE363

sensetoday.Weshareourbuyingadvice

Morethan50yearshavepassed sincetheoriginalE21 3Series waslaunched,andthemodelis nowinitsseventhgeneration.Butwindthe clockbacktotheearly1980sandBMWwas alreadyworkingonthethirdcartowearthe badge.Itwouldmark asignificantleapover theoutgoingE30,withtheE36delivering cleargainsinbuildquality,refinementand drivingdynamics –resultingin acarthatstill feelsimpressivelycontemporarytoday.

Thethird-generationBMW 3Serieswas launchedin1990,withthefirstcarsarriving onBritishshoresearlyin1991.Larger exteriordimensionsaffordedoccupants morespace,andthestylingwasconsiderably modernisedtoo,with afreshnewdesign overseenbyPinkyLai.Safetywas abig priorityoverall,andallvariantsofE36 includedimprovedsideimpactprotection. Perhapsmostnotableofall,thenew3 Seriesusedtheimproved‘Z-axle’multi-link suspensionproveninthe1989Z1.

Buyerscouldchoosefromfivebodystyles: thesaloonwasjoinedbytheCoupéin1992,a Convertiblefrom1993,andboththeTouring estateandtheCompacthatchbackin1994.

Enginesincludedtheentry-level1.6-litre unitinthenew316i,whilethe318ihad 113bhp.In1992,the318iSreappeared,using theM42enginetoproduce140bhp.ThesixcylinderunitswereinitiallyM50units.Forthe 320i,thatmeant150bhp,and192bhpforthe 325i.ThenewgenerationofM52six-cylinder in-linepetrolenginesthatfollowedwere significantlylighter,andthedisplacement oftheflagshipunitincreasedfrom2.5-to 2.8litresin1995,creatingthe193bhp328i model.Then,ofcourse,therewastheM3 rangeinsaloon,CoupéandConvertibleform. Initiallyarrivingin1992asaCoupéwitha 286bhp3.0-litrestraight-six,itwaslater upratedin1995withtheEvolutionmodel, gaining a3.2-litreunitproducing321bhp. Thelackof aUKE30dieselwasremedied fortheE36,withtheturbochargedstraightsixM512.5-litreenginebeingusedin325td model.In1993,the325tdsmodelwas released,whichaddedanintercoolerto theM51anduppedpowerfrom115bhpto 143bhp.Thenin1994,the318tdsmodelwas alsointroduced,producing amoremodest 90bhp.

Thethird-generation3 Seriesstayedin productionforalmosttenyears.ItsE46 replacementwaslaunchedinlate1997, butthephasingoutoftheoldermodelwas gradual.TheCoupé,ConvertibleandTouring allsurvivedinto1999,andtheCompact lastedinto2000.Duringthistime,a total of2,745,780unitsoftheE36weresold,but doesthispremiummodernclassicstillcut themustard?

BODY &CHASSIS

Whennew,thebuildqualitywasentirelyin keepingwiththestandardsyouwouldhave expectedfromBMW,butdecliningvalues andthepassageoftwodecadesormorewill inevitablyhavetakentheirtoll.Whilemany examplesstillonthemarketpresentwell, itisessentialtoscrutinisethebodywork carefullyforanysignsofcorrosion,withthe frontwings,wheelarches,sillsandscreenor sunroofsurroundsbeingthemostcommon troublespots;ontheTouring,thetailgateis alsopronetorust.

Checkcarefullyforbubblingalongthe edgesofanybodykitsasthiscanindicate moreseriousdeteriorationhiddenbeneath thesurface.Theundersidealsowarrants closeinspection,ascorrosioncanaffect theboxsections,theforwardsectionofthe

floorpanandthejackingpoints.Inaddition, examinethebootareaonsaloonsand coupés,aswateringressmayhaveallowed corrosiontodevelopalongthepanelseams. Althoughwewillnotfocusextensively ontheM3here –itdeservesadedicated featureofitsown –alloftheaboveapplies equallytothatmodel,alongwiththeadded riskofaccidentdamagefromenthusiastic butinexperiencedowners.Itisimportantto beabsolutelyconfidentthatthereisnothing untowardinthecar’shistory.Ifyouare consideringanE36Convertible,takeplenty oftimetoinspectthehoodanditsoperating mechanism,andcheckcarefullyfora

cracked,fadedorcloudyrearscreen.

ENGINE &GEARBOX

Theresimplyisn’tspaceheretogothrough everyengineindetail,sothekeypointis tofocusonfinding acar whereregular maintenancehasn’t beenallowedtoslip. Thereareplentyonthemarket,sothere’s noneedtoburdenyourselfwithsomething that’sbeenneglected. Adocumented historyoffrequentoilandcoolantchanges isessentialforpeaceofmind,andon four-cylindermodelsmakesurethecam belthasbeenreplacedonschedule.The four-cylinderM40unitsarealsoknown

fortappetandcamshaftnoise,solisten carefullyforanytop-endrattles,whilelarger enginesshouldbecheckedforanysignsof noisytimingchains.Asever,lookoutfor theusualwarningsignsof acompromised headgasket,oilleaks,andexhaustsmoke thatmaypointtomoreseriousunderlying problems.

Enginemanagementfaultscanalso appear,althoughtherearemanyspecialists whocandiagnoseandresolvetheseissues atreasonablecost.Onlaterengines,pay attentiontoVANOSvariablevalvetiming units,asthesecanbecomenoisywithage. Coolingsystemsareanothercommonweak pointbynow –leaksfromthewaterpump andradiatorarenotunusual –andbleeding

BUYING GUIDE

themproperlycanbetroublesome,sokeep acloseeyeonthetemperaturegaugeduring anytestdrive.Alsorememberthatthe serviceindicatorcanbereseteasily,soany claimedservicehistorymustbesupported bypaperwork.Thismayalsorevealengine swaps,asearlyNikasilcylinderboreissues wereresolvedwithsteellinersfrom1998 onwards.

ExtracareisrequiredwiththeM3,where afullydocumentedservicehistoryisvital. Valveclearancesshouldbecheckedatevery service,andspecialistsoftenrecommend renewingmainbearingshellsandcon-rod boltsataround100,000miles.

Dieselenginesarerelativelyrareinthis range;whiletheyofferrespectableeconomy,

QuotationsuppliedbyLancasterInsurance Web:lancasterinsurance.co.uk |Tel:01480400761 INSURANCEQUOTE 1997BMWE36328iCoupé,£7000value

Examplequote:£157.88or£175.88withAgreedValue. Quotebasedona 45-year-oldmarketingmanager,accesstoanothercar,noclaims orconvictions,clubmember,3000 milesperyear,nomodifications,livinginSP20HL. Disclaimer: Subjecttounderwritingcriteria.Anadditionalchargemaybepayable. AuthorisedandregulatedbytheFinancialConductAuthority.

performanceanddurabilityaregenerally bettersuitedtothepetrolvariantsifproperly maintained.

Transmissionoptionsincludefive-speed manuals(with asix-speedfortheM3)and four-orfive-speedautomatics,noneofwhich areespeciallyproblematic.Theautomatic gearboxescanbenefitfromregularfluid andfilterchangesdespite claimstheyare “sealedforlife,”andathoroughroadtest willquicklyexposeanyconcerningnoises. Anytransmissionwarninglightmayalsobe downtoanelectricalfaultratherthan amajor mechanicalissue.

Atestdrivewillalsohelpidentifya worn ornoisydifferential,somethingthatcan affecthard-drivenM3sinparticular.TheM3 wasalsoavailablewiththeSMGautomated manualgearbox,whichhasearneda reputationforcostlyandcomplexrepairs. It’sworthbeingespeciallycautioushere,and ensuringitsuitsyourdrivingstyle,asit’svery muchanacquiredtaste –manyenthusiasts stillpreferthetraditionalmanual.

RUNNINGGEAR

BMWfittedtheE36withMacPhersonstruts atthefrontandthesophisticatedmulti-link ‘Z-Axle’attherear,althoughtheCompact stuckwiththeolderE30rearsetup.The resultis averywell-judgedbalanceofride

MODELTIMELINE

1990- TheE36is launchedand goeson salein1991insaloon form.

1992- TheCoupéis launched,and theM3 arrives. 318iSalsoadded to therange. 1993 -Convertibleadded to therange. Someenginesarerefreshed withthe four-cylinderM43unit replacingtheM40 and the320i getting theM52 enginein placeoftheM50.Intercooled325tds launched.

1994 -Touringestatelaunched,plus hatchback Compact model. BMW introduceslower-powered318tdsdiesel model.

1995 -325iisreplaced by thepunchier M52-powered328i,and anew mid-range 323imodelis launched,poweredbya2.5 litreversionof theM52.ThenewM3 Evolutiongetsamorepowerful3.2-litre motor.

1997 -TheE46is launchedasa replacement,althoughthe Convertible, Coupéand Touringstayinproduction until1999,and theCompactlastsuntil 2000.

RICHSAYS... Richard Morley

BrokingDirectoratLancaster Insurance,says:

“Blendingsolidbuildqualityanda fantasticallybroadrangeofengines andbodystyleswithhandsomelooks andtypicalBMWdynamics,theE36 makesfortheperfectdailyclassic.”

comfortandhandlingability.Inessence, it’sa fairlyrobustanduncomplicated arrangement,sowhenbuyingtodayit’sa caseoftheusualwear-and-tearinspection: tireddampersandsprings,perishedbushes, andparticularattentiontothefrontlower controlarms.Alsolistenoutforknocking fromwornreardampertopmounts,which is acommonage-relatedissue.

Rearsubframemountingpoints deservecloseinspectiontoo.Fortunately, replacement componentsarereadily availableandnotoverlycostly,so afull refreshwon’tbreakthebank.Thatsaid,it canbe ausefulnegotiatingpointifthecar nolongerfeelsastightandresponsiveasit

BUYING GUIDE

AT AGLANCE

1596cc 4cyl

1796cc 4cyl

1895cc 4cyl

1991cc 6cyl

2494cc 6cyl

2793cc 6cyl

2990cc 6cyl

3201cc 6cyl

DIESEL

1665cc 4cyl

2497cc 6cyl

GEARBOXES

5-speed manual

6-speed manual

4-speed auto 5-speed auto

kerbdamage –particularlythelargerSportspecitems –andbewaryofmismatchedor budgettyresfittedbycost-cuttingprevious owners.

INTERIOR &ELECTRICS

BMWcabinsofthisperiodwerea real highpointforergonomicsandclarity,and althoughtheydon’thavetheglitzortheatre ofmoderninteriors,theyremain agenuinely pleasantplacetospendtime.Theearliest carsdidsuffer afewminorniggleswith fitandfinish,butoverallthestandardof materialsandassemblywasverystrong.

Awell-cared-forexamplewillstillpresent andfeelimpressive,butasever,neglectand hardusemeannoteveryinteriorhasaged gracefully.Wornseatfabricandcollapsed bolstersaretheusualgiveaways,and whilebothcanberepairedbya competent trimmer,costscanescalatequickly.Door cardscanalsobecomelooseortattyover time,thoughgoodusedtrimisreadily availableandstraightforwardtoswapover.

Convertibles,andensurethebootareaon Touringmodelshasn’tsufferedfromheavydutyuseorneglect.

OURVERDICT

BMWE463SERIES

JoeMiller, HeadofVideo

Takeeverythinggreat abouttheE36,gentlyupdateandrefine itandthrowinanevenbroaderengine range,andyou’vegottheE46successor –seenbymanyaspeak 3Series. Stylish andgreattodrive,theE46won’tstay affordableformuchlonger.

should.Wewouldalsobecautiousof heavily modifiedorloweredexamples,asthese canoftencompromisewhatisotherwisean excellentfactorychassisset-up.

Brakesaregenerallytrouble-freebeyond standardconsumables,thoughit’sworth checkingforABSwarninglights,whichmay pointtofaultysensorsorcontrolmodules. Thankfully,partsarereasonablypriced,and forthosehappytogethands-on,padsand discsare astraightforwardandaffordable DIYjob.

Steeringissimilarlydependable, witha preciseandwell-weightedfeelwheningood order.Anyloosenessatthewheelwillbe obvious,socheckcarefully,alongwiththe conditionofthePAShydraulicsforleaks. Finally,inspectalloywheelsforcorrosionand

Intermsofspecification,basemodelsfeel rathersparsebytoday’sstandards,butmany buyerswiselysteppeduptoSEorSport trims,bothofwhichbringawell-judgedlevel ofequipment.Therewasalso alongoptions list,withdesirableextrassuchasleather upholstery,climatecontrolandupgraded audiosystems.Ratherthanchasingthe highestspecification,itmakesmoresense toprioritise acarthathasbeenproperly maintainedthroughoutitslife.

Asforknownissues,it’swellworth checkingthatelectricwindows,central lockingandair-conditioningarealloperating correctly,andkeepinganeyeoutforfaulty alarmsandimmobilisers –particularly aftermarketsystems –aswellaspixelloss ontheonboardcomputerdisplays.Beyond that,alsoinspectcarefullyforwateringress andanyresultingtrimdeteriorationon

Iftheideaof aBMWfromthiseraappeals toyou,youwillnotbedisappointedwith thisgenerationof 3Series.Despitethe besteffortsofrivals,bothpremiumand mainstream,nothingreallycamecloseto theE36’sblendofcomfort,buildqualityand excellentdrivingmanners.You willenjoy allofthesequalitieswhicheverversionyou choose,althoughwewouldsuggestthatthe Compactdoesnotquitesucceedinevery area.Whilethemoremodestfour-cylinder modelsarenotthemostexcitingperformers, thereisalwaystheappealofthewonderfully smoothstraightsixengines. Thereisnoescapingthefactthatmany ofthesecarshaveledhardlives,oftenwith ownersunwillingorunabletoinvestproperly intheirupkeep.Unlessa lowpurchaseprice isyourmainpriority,itwouldbe ashame nottoexperiencewhatthebestexamplesof theseexcellentcarscanoffer.Stretch your budget,seekouta well-maintained,cosseted exampleandcareforitcorrectly,andyou willsoondiscoverjusthowrewardingthis3 Seriesistoownanddrive.Infact,youmay findyourselfreluctanttoletitgo.

TODAY’SVALUES

ItisworthnotingthatConvertiblesarethe mostcommonlyfoundintheclassifieds, followedbysaloonandCoupémodels,which appearinfairlysimilarnumbers.Touring and Compactvariantsarerare,sopatiencewillbe requiredifyouaresetoneither.

Intermsofpricing,£1500-£2000isthe entrypointfor auseableexample,though highmileageshouldbeexpectedatthislevel. Increasethebudgettoaround£4000and youcanfindsmart,well-keptcarsshowing

AUDIA4B5

RichardMorley, LancasterInsurance

Audi’s small saloon to rival the E36 might lack quite the distinctive style or rear-driven thrills, but more than makes up for it with excellent all-round quality and a wide range of engines and variants as well as rockbottom prices at present

roughly80,000-100,000miles. Conditionimprovesnoticeablyinthe £5000-£7000bracket,andspendinga furthercoupleofthousandpoundswill secure aCoupéorConvertiblewitharound 50,000–60,000milesinexcellentcondition. Between£10,000and£12,000 willbuyjust aboutthefineststandardexamplesavailable, andwhilesomecarsareadvertisedinto themid-teens,thereislittlejustificationfor payingthatlevelforanE36.

AsfortheM3,realisticentrystartsat around£12,000,withtheverybestexamples reachingcloseto£40,000.

23rd August 2026, Silverstone Circuit

Ford Fair just gets bigger and better, with 5000-plus Blue Ovals of all types and ages on show, and not forgetting, of course, the non-stop action on Silverstone’s famous Grand Prix circuit! Don’t miss out!

Rover200 BRM | SALESSPOTLIGHT

£8495

Newonpurchase

ENGINE: 1796cc, 4cyl

POWER: 145bhp

TOP SPEED: 127mph

0-60MPH: 7 9secs

ECONOMY: 36mpg

GEARBOX: 5-spd, manual

Roverdidn’tgettomakemany performancemodelsduring BMW’sownershipofthe brand,asitsGermanpaymasterwas keenonhavingthatsegmentofthe markettoitself.Buttherewasthe oddonethatsnuckthroughthenet, andoneofthemostflamboyantof thelotwastheRover200BRM. Introducedin1998,theBRMwas basedontheRover200R3series andpaidhomagetoBritishRacing Motors,thehistoricFormulaOne team.Itwasinstantlyidentifiable thankstoitsboldred-orangegrille, anodtotheBRMracingcars’nose cone.This,togetherwiththesolid BritishRacingGreenpaintworkand distinctive16-inch‘Cosmos’alloy wheelsmadeit looknotablydifferent tomoreordinary200s.

Buttheboldnessoftheexterior wasnothingcomparedwiththe car’scabin.InteriordesignerTony

MGZR

BRMs arethemostexpensive ofall theR3Rovers, butif youwantone that’scomparableinmost respectsthen the MG ZR is well wortha look.Ithasa very similarchassis setupandisbasedonthesameplatform,whilein ZR 160 form ithasan evenmore powerful evolutionof theVVC engine –albeitit’snotasflamboyant.

HunterencouragedRover’sdesign teamtodevelop ahand-madelook totheBRM’sinterior,withredseats tomatchthoseintheBRMracing cars.Theleatherupholsterywas diamond-wovenandmatchedby redcarpetsanddoorcars,whilethe heatingandventilationcontrols,door speakers,gearknob,electricwindows switchpanelanddashboardfascia insertwerefinishedinrace-inspired machine-turnedaluminium.There wasalso atwo-toneredandblack leathersteeringwheel,andred seatbelts.

Underthebonnet,theBRMgot theVVCversionofthelively1.8-litre K-Seriesengine,whichproduced 145bhp.Itwasmatchedto acloserratiofive-speedmanualgearbox,with afewsuspensiontweaksoverthe 200Vionwhichitwasbased.Perhaps themostsignificantupgradewasa Torsenlimitedslipdifferential.

Intermsofperformance,theBRM couldacceleratefrom 0to60mph inaround7.9seconds,makingitone ofthequickerhothatchesofitsera. Yetdespiteitssportycredentials, theBRMretainedthepracticalityof theRover200hatch,witha spacious cabinanddecentbootspace. Today,it’sa rarecar.Therewere 1100madeintotal,and797built fortheUKmarket,ofwhichthisis 745/647UK,meaningitwasthe 745thseries-builtBRMand647thUK marketcar.Itcomesfrom alongtermownerwhoboughtthecarin 2001,andithascoveredjust18,400 milesintotal,meaningit’sbelieved tobethelowest-mileageBRMin Britain.

Areplacementsilverfrontgrille hasbeenfitted –apreferenceof themostrecentowner –butitalso comeswiththeoriginal,unmarked red-orangeoneshouldyouwishto

MGMAESTRO

Somethinga bitolder,but from thesamestableandalso worthy of asetof redseatbelts,theMG Maestrohasmore in common withtheRoverR3thanmostpeoplerealise. Indeed, theentirerearsuspensionset-upismostlythe same. Unless youcanafford thebonkers (and rare)Turbo, then the2.0 EFiistheonetogofor.

returnittostandard.

Accordingtothevendor,thecaris inoutstandingconditionthroughout, withzerorusttobefoundanywhere. Ithasalsobeenprofessionally undersealed.Thesellerdoesreport thatthereissome‘spidering’inthe paintonthefrontarches,though. Inside,theboldcabinisalmostas freshasitwaswhennew,asyou’d expectfrom acarwithsuchlow miles.

Thecarhastwopreviousrecorded keepers,sparekeysand afullbook, butminimalrecentservicehistory asithasbeenkeptinstoragestored since2014asthepreviousowner hasbeenunabletodriveitfollowing acyclingaccident.Itwillrequirea smallelementofrecommissioning if putbackintoregularroaduse,such as agoodserviceand anewcambelt. Thecarhasbeenstartedand exercisedregularly,however,andhas zeroissues.Theoilandfilterwere changed18monthsago,andithas onlybeenstarteda fewtimessince. Asrareasthis200BRMis,one driverdecidedtoget alittleto closeandclippedtherearbumper backin2012,withphotosonfileto showthesmallcreasealongwith repairguarantee.Theresultwas areplacementrearbumperand aCategoryD insuranceclaim–probablytheonlythingkeepingit frombeing a£10,000exampleof thisrarehothatch.

CONTACT

Yorkshire Classic and Sports Cars, Ripon, N Yorks, HG4 1JD 01765 609798 ycsc co uk

RENAULTCLIOWILLIAMS

The200 BRMwasn’ttheonlysmall hothatch of the’90sto beinspiredbya FormulaOne team.The RenaultClio Williams wasbasedonthe Clio16vandhad afruity150bhp 2.0-litreengineandasuper-sharpchassis, with atendency to cock itsinside rear wheelintheairwhen cornering hard.Few contemporary hatchesare more fun.

SALES SPOTLIGHT |

CONTACT: Milestone Classics, Billingshurst, RH14 0AZ 01403 900688 milestoneclassics co uk

YEAR: 1929

PRICE: £19,995

MoT: Exempt

ENGINE: 847cc, 4cyl

27bhp

SPEED: 68mph 0-60mph: 29secs

ECONOMY: 38mpg

GEARBOX: 3-spd, man

Fewcarscapturethespirit ofvintageBritishmotoring quiteliketheMGM-Type. Introducedin1929asthe marque’sfirsttruesportscar,the diminutive‘Midget’quicklyearned areputationforlivelyperformance, nimblehandlingandunmistakable charm.

Lightweight,purposefuland beautifullyproportioned,the M-Typebecamethefoundation uponwhichMGbuiltitssporting legacy,bothontheroadandin competition.Today,surviving examplesrepresent arare

ENGINE: 1485cc, 4cyl

POWER: 68bhp TOP SPEED: 90mph

0-60mph: 17secs

ECONOMY: 34mpg

GEARBOX: 5-spd, man

WhenRoverputan incongruouschrome grilleonthefrontof its200Seriesin1993,fewpeople battedan eyelid –butinmanyways, itwashistoryrepeatingitself.The samethinghadhappedin1974, whenBritishLeylanddecidedtoboot theAustinAllegroupmarket.

TheresultantVandenPlas1500 wasanunusualmachine –acar thatwasquiteclearlyanAllegro, butwiththebespoketrimanda hand-finishedinteriorsynonymous withVandenPlas.Withitsleather andwalnuttrimmingandrearpicnic tables,theVP1500wasuniqueto themarket.

MGM-Type

opportunitytoown asignificant pieceofpre-warmotoringhistory. Registeredin1929andeligible forVSCCevents,thisoneis offeredwith afascinatinghistory filethatperfectlycomplementsits character.Accompanyingitisthe originalbufflogbookcontaining ownerdetails,togetherwith aremarkableblackandwhite photographicrecorddocumenting thecarfromitsdiscoveryin astate ofcompletedisrepairthroughtoits painstakingrestoration.

Alsoincludedaretheoriginal instructionmanualforMGshort

FirstregisteredinSeptember 1977,thisexample,finishedin RussetBrownwithChamois leatherinterior,is aremarkably originalsurvivor.Originallysupplied byChristchurchStreetMotors ofSomerset,thecarwaslittle usedfromnewandmeticulously garaged.AccordingtotheearlyMoT certificates,by1982ithadcovered amere10,951miles.Remainingin Somerset,itsubsequentlypassed toitssecondowner –afriend ofthefirst –whocontinuedthe traditionofcarefuluseandregular maintenance.

Theaccompanyinghistoryfile containsnumerousMoTcertificates,

chassissportscarsandtheoriginal servicemanualforSalisburyHypoid Axles,bothwonderfulperiod piecesintheirownright.Further correspondencewithinthehistory fileincludes aletterfromWest SussexCountyCouncilconfirming thatanytraceablehistoryprior to1967hadunfortunatelybeen destroyed,althoughrecordsdid identifyoneformerownerasMrP. RutledgeofHorsham.

TheaccompanyingMoThistory reflectsperiodswherethecar remainedofftheroadwhile restorationworkswerecarried out, alabourofloveundertaken athomeovermanyyearswith immensecareanddevotion. Followingcompletion,theMG became acherishedmemberofthe familyuntilitsownersadlypassed away,meaningit’snowavailableon themarketonceagain –andisstill inwonderfulbutnotover-restored condition.

Atlessthan£20,000,it’s

documentingthecar’ssteadyand minimalmileageprogressionthrough thedecades.By1990,theodometer recordedjustover23,000miles, andduringthefollowingdecade, underitsthirdcustodian,fewerthan 10,000mileswereadded,showing agentlelifeandcarefulownership. Whenthethirdownerretiredfrom driving,theVandenPlassawless than100milesperyearbefore beingsoldtoacollectorinCornwall, whostoreditwithin apurpose-built facilityandisbelievednevertohave useditonthepublicroad.

In2014,itsfifthownerrecorded themileageat32,868miles, whichwasconfirmedagainunder thecurrentandsixthowner,who reports amodestincreaseofjust 174trouble-freemilesduringtheir tenure.Throughoutitslife,the carhasevidentlybeencherished, showingnosignsofcorrosionor previouswelding.

Maintenancehasbeencarried outtoensurecontinuedreliability,

RILEY NINE

While it was positioned slightly more upmarket than the MG M-Type, the Riley Nine also offered a sporty, light-car alternative that competed with the M-Type in both road and track settings, and is equally sought after today due to its eligibility for VSCC events, as well as its pretty styling

afabulouspieceofpre-war nostalgia,aswellasoneofthe mostimportantMGsevermade. Or,shouldyouwish,aninexpensive footstepintohistoricmotorsport.

TRIUMPH DOLOMITE

Also from the British Leyland stable, the Triumph Dolomite 1500 had a sportier image than the Vanden Plas, but was also a cut above most mid-sized rivals of the era It was a luxurious yet compact car and quite rightfully has a strong following today

includinga newsteeringrack,brake servo,mastercylinder,overhauled frontcallipers,newbrakepads, replacementrearwheelcylinders, fournewtyres,andanewbattery. Asoriginal,properlycared-for classicsgo,it’saboutasauthentic astheycome,anditappearstobe beautifullypresented.

CARS

1969, £36,000. Alfa Romeo Spider 1969, Italia Rosso, 1750 cc, Boat Tail, five speed manual, disk brakes all round, alloy wheels, no rust, body work and mechanicals are in excellent condition, Mot and road tax exempt. Please call 07438758085, Middlesex 12338 1957

AUSTIN A35 VAN

£8,900. Previously restored. History. Heritage Certificate. Been converted to SV Card and electric fuel pump. Comes with different spares. Great little van, gorgeous looking. V.G.C. Please call 07990 970754, South East 12381

WE’RE RATED EXCELLENT ON TRUSTPILOT

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FOR OVER 40 YEARS

AUDI A1 SPORT

CLASSIC CAR INSURANCE WITH YOU IN MIND 01480 400876

CLASSIC INSURANCE WITH MIND 01480 400 876

£3,295. 3 door 2011 1598cc diesel 6 speed manual, twin tone blue/silver, 98,048 miles, last service March 26 at 97,713 miles, no accidents, MOT 4th April 27 no advisorys valuation anywhere £4110 with 98,000. Can deliver anywhere, no texts. Please call 07895 675851, South West 12226

£750. 2003. 1.4 SX, 5 door 5 speed aircon, E sroof. EWS. Alloys new MOT. 80000 history. Please call 01234 213871, Bedford 12230

2001, £10,000. 2001 BMW Z3 1.9 Roadster in excellent condition with only 23,000 miles on the clock selling for £10,000. Full service history and has been dry stored in garage. Please call 07422 714873, Hertfordshire 12295

£795. 2005. 75,000 miles. It is a lovely BMW Diesel 5 door hatchback, silver, 1 lady owner, only 75,000 miles, full service history. Alloy wheels, e/windows in excellent condition. It requires a little attention and an MOT because my BMW car has been stood with no use for a while. It will make a lovely B.M.W. car with a little attention and an MOT. Please call 07527 446242, Wales 12235

BEWARE SCAMMERS!

We value your advertising and want to remind you be aware of scammers. Scammers are clever and can often seem genuine so please remember :

• Kelsey will never contact you to upsell your free advert to a paid for one.

• Do not share any financial or personal information with people you do not know.

• Kelsey are not responsible for any transactions between seller and buyer.

• You can report scam calls to us via email at cars@kelseyclassifieds.co.uk

BMW Z3

£2,995. 1.9 5 speed, petrol, November 1997 "R" Reg, Boston Metallic Green, tan leather seats 15 service stamps, 146000, MOT June 2027, full book pack, showroom brochure, done 690 miles in last 5 years, always garage stored, no accidents, lovely condition, must be seen to be appreciated, could deliver, no texts. Please call 07895 675851, South West 12400

CITROEN BX 1.4

1989, POA. Original, one previous owner car with Sunroof. Tow bar included. Car has been unused for 13 years and will require full service and attention to bodywork. No MOT. Previous receipts from main dealer included with paperwork. Car is in Redditch, Worcestershire. An OSR wing panel, is included, as shown, with car. Please call 07917208614, Gloucestershire 12264

Safe!

The overwhelming majority of car sellers and buyers are honest. However as with everything else in life, there’s a tiny percentage that aren’t. However it’s dead-easy to protect yourself from fraudsters by using a bit of common-sense...

ADVICE FOR SELLERS

● Stay safe! Don’t give a buyer your address until you know they are definitely coming to view. Better still, give them the general location only at first and ask them to phone for the full address once they are close.

● Always arrange a specific time for viewings – don’t accept vague ‘I may come sometime today’ type arrangements.

● Serious buyers will want to examine the car fully – that’s fine and you should be prepared to answer fully and honestly any questions a buyer may have about the car. Be wary though if they try to steer the conversation towards more general matters concerning you and your family. Similarly, while a genuine enthusiast will probably be interested in your other cars, so will a would-be burglar.

● Test drives need to be handled with care – on the one hand it’s perfectly reasonable for a serious buyer to want to drive a car before buying, but you need to remain in control. Make sure they are insured to drive your car too, bearing in mind that ‘driving other cars’ clauses on insurance policies normally cover only third-party risks, not damage to your car.

● Ensure you drive your car first to demonstrate controls (etc.) and then, once you are at a suitable place for the buyer to drive, get out, taking the keys with you, and hand them back only once you are back in the car.

● Do not accept a personal cheque from someone you do not know; there is no longer any guaranteed clearance time, and a cheque can now ‘bounce’ at any time – even weeks after it’s been banked – if it’s discovered to be forged.

● Don’t get involved in any complex arrangements involving giving ‘change’ for a payment that’s more than your asking price, especially involving overseas buyers or transfers using methods such as Western Union – these are almost always fraudulent.

● Be very wary indeed of anyone calling and trying to sell your advertisement in another publication. Such publications don’t always exist, and claimed distribution figures will often be vastly exaggerated. Calls are also often recorded as ‘evidence’ of a binding contract.

● Above all, trust your instincts! If something seems dodgy or not quite right to you, then there’s a good chance you’re right.

Stay Safe!

CLASSIC CAR INSURANCE EXPERTS

CLUB MEMBER DISCOUNTS

SPECIALIST CLASSIC CAR INSURANCE WITH YOU IN MIND 01480 400876

SPECIALIST

The overwhelming majority of car sellers and buyers are honest. However as with everything else in life, there’s a tiny percentage that aren’t. However it’s dead-easy to protect yourself from fraudsters by using a bit of common-sense...

ADVICE FOR BUYERS

● Start by asking ‘is the car for sale?’ If the seller is a trader pretending to sell privately, they will need to ask you ‘which one?’

● Be suspicious of a car that seems cheaper than it should be; if something seems too good to be true then it probably is.

● Be wary of sellers who can only be contacted via a mobile phone or an easy to obtain email address such as hotmail or gmail. They may ‘disappear’ once they have your money.

● Ask lots of specific questions about specific model weaknesses such as “is there any rust around the headlights”, and listen carefully to the answers; do they actually have the car?

● Never, ever send anyone money for a car that you have not seen. Crooks sometimes advertise cars that don’t exist solely to collect deposits from would-be buyers.

● If you’re suspicious that someone is trying to ‘sell’ a car they do not own, ask them to email or send you a photograph of a specific parts that they will not be able to provide without having access to the car. This isn’t 100 per cent foolproof – a fraudster may have access to a car he doesn’t own – but it can help.

● Always view the car at the seller’s home address. If they want to meet you in a car park or bring the car to you they may be trying to prevent you finding them again.

● Does the name and address on the V5C match the sellers name and address? If not, why not?

● Always check the chassis number/Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the registration document matches that on the car. A proper data check is also essential to avoid buying a car that’s stolen or an undisclosed insurance write-off.

● No registration document? Don’t accept excuses, don’t buy the car!

£2,595. 2014, 1461cc diesel 5 speed manual cheap tax, 2 previous owners, 50 mpg, Metallic Arctic Silver, no accidents, 68000, full book pack, electric windows, no dents, always garaged, lots room, can deliver anywhere, no texts. Please call 07895 675851, South West 12302

ESTATE 230TE AUTO 1988 LOW MILEAGE

1988, £3,500. Many extras & new parts fitted, cruise control, tow bar roof rack, power windows & mirrors, cd stereo, alloy wheels, etc. New fly head gasket, w/pump, rad, batt, brakes, comp. exhaust., rear wheel bearings, steer bar/joints, distrib/cap/rotar, plugs, & cables, lg, relay, engine mounts, etc, very clean, m.o.t. everything works, never crashed, 2nd owner, few bits of bodywork needed/wings & rear w/arches, spares, w/shop man., orig. h/book etc,. Offers. Please call 07821776334, Essex 12262

FLYING STANDARD 12 1937

£7,000. Body excellent and bright work good spare engine axel and gearbox £7000. 1950 Bristol for renovation alloy body offers. Please call 07889 196028, Essex 12326

FIAT 500 POPULAR

£1,395. £35 a year tax 1.2 5 speed, 2008, petrol, MOT 28th May 2027 no advisorys, brand new exhaust, HPi all clear, two keys, electric windows, Pacific Metallic Blue, can deliver anywhere, 50 MPG, no texts. Please call 07895 675851, South West 12399

£1,795. June 2011 petrol 1.2 5-speed U.L.E.Z. car, 109K service history, 6 stamps, cambelt kit just done Feb 2026, no advisorys Feb 27 MOT, Power Blue with alloys, two keys, 50 mpg can deliver anywhere, no texts please. Please call 07895 675851, South West 12303

FIAT 500

£2,495. £35 tax ULEZ car, 1242cc petrol 5-speed, "Popular", Charcoal Blue, 4 new tyres, MOT May 2027, 67,000, cambelt kit 59000, service history, full bookpack, showroom condition, can deliver anywhere, no texts. Please call 07895 675851, South West 12315

£4,750. Car is original from new. 3 speed gear. Mechanical sound, tyres are good, brakes are sound. Seats are worn due to age. A clean car for the year. Please call 01406 704134, Lincolnshire 12384

£3,295. 1300 cc petrol manual "5" speed, H-Reg 1990, 5 door, all original literature, Azure Metallic Blue, 2 new tyres, MOT June 2027, always garaged, a real headturner, getting v. rare, can deliver anywhere, no texts. Please call 07895 675851, South West 12402

FORD CAPRI MK3 4.6UNFINISHED PROJECT -RESTOMOD

1981, £9,500. 1981 Ford Capri Ghia. Tibetan Gold, black vinyl factory sunroof. Solid car minor rust. Waxoyled 1985. Brown velour interior. Owned 41 years, stored 33. Compomotive 15" rims. Ford Mustang 4.6l engine installed (16423mls). C/w ECU and wiring loom. Gearbox, new Tremec 5 speed assy. R/axle lsd. Car is complete. All the best parts either new, refurbished or uprated. Sold in its entirety. Not splitting. No more timewasters/canvassers or broke folk with rubber cheques -appreciate it. Best offer in excess of £9500 secures. Thanks for looking. Please call 07784263332, Middlesex 12374

1975 FORD GRANADA 3.0 GHIA V6 AUTOMATIC

POA. 1975 Ford Granada 3.0 Ghia V6 Automatic - Number 17 of 200 (Special Burgundy Edition). Vehicle is in original, pristine condition, Rust Free and drives extremely well. Vehicle is in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. If you have any interest in this classic vehicle, please contact me. Price is R450000.00 South African Rands. Please email shabeerkader77@ gmail.com. Please call 0847 864344, South Africa 12393

1992 FORD SIERRA 1.8 LX HATCHBACK

£2,995. In silver with grey interior. Only 38000 miles. Full service history. Nine stamps in book. Family owned (father then daughter) since 1992. In storage since 2004. Please call 07931 360396, Merseyside 12377

FORD AUTOMATIC FUSION 1.4 PETROL

£1,295. Petrol 5 door 2003, metallic dark grey, 79,000, MOT April 2027 elec front windows, can deliver anywhere, no texts. Please call 07895 675851, South West 12319

£1,195. 1242cc petrol 5 speed ULEZ car Zetec Climate, 3 door, powder metallic blue, November 2006, MOT 26th April 2027 no advisorys 12 services, 108000, ULEZ

1960 FORD PREFECT 107E RESTOMOD

£17,299. 3 year build with a 1700 Zetec SE engine from a Ford Puma mated to a 6 speed Mazda RX8 transmission through a custom propshaft to a 3.9:1 Cortina GT diff with a Black line LSD and anti tramp bars. Escort front suspension /steering with Gaz coil-overs and spherical top mounts. Rear adjustable Gaz shocks. Bare metal respray in Ford Carnival Red, no rust or rot and all usual 100e areas sorted. Please call 07583 286246, South East 11282

FIESTA

£2,895. £20 a year tax, petrol ULEZ ecotec 998 cc 3 cylinder 2016, Zetec 3 door, 2 previous owners, 6 services, last Aug 25, MOT April 2027 no advisorys 129000, A.B.S., full book pack, showroom condition, can deliver anywhere, no texts. Please call 07895 675851, South West

12227

PRE-FACELIFT MK2 GRANADA IN JUPITER RED WANTED

Wanted. Any trim level or engine. Please call 07879 331394, South East

FORD ESCORT MK3 CABRIOLET

1984, £10,995. Very good condition, garaged and only used for summer shows. New Tyres, recent cam belt and service. Partial history. Please call 07527189666, Kent

12253

FORD FOCUS TITANIUM

£995. Top of range 1.6 petrol 2008 100 brake horsepower "5 speed" manual, 111,000, MOT 26th January 2027, 2 brand new front tyres, 4 elec windows, privacy glass, remote locking, can deliver anywhere. No texts. Please call 07895 675851, South West

12297

FORD "C" MAX

£1,995. 1600cc petrol 5-speed 2011, star metallic silver, 101000, regular services, Ford optional alloys, nice cd stereo, MOT March 2027, electric tailgate, no accidents, can deliver anywhere. No texts. Please call 07895 675851, South West 12225

MK3 FIESTA 1.3LXI 1995

POA. Being worked on for Mot new springs & shocks all round/ new handbrake cable there is a towbar fitted. Can also sell you tiny extra trailer that has real mini wheels and tyres even have spare 1960s/ 1970s tiny car wheels/ most mots since new. Please call 07459 608118, Greater London 11763

FORD ZEPHYR MK1 FARNHAM ESTATE WANTED

Wanted. Any condition considered will travel. Please call 07930 731201, South East 12203

HILLMAN MINX SALOON MK7

1954, £2,500. Hillman Minx Saloon mk7, 1954, Embassy Black with Tan interior, 1265cc side valve engine, 4 speed manual column change, 57,000 miles. Starts, drives and stops, good gearbox, all electrics work, good chrome, nice original interior, solid body and underside. New spark plugs and recent oil change done. Some spares. Totally original throughout, tax and ULEZ exempt. Engine needs attention, otherwise nice example, worthwhile project. Hence £2500. Please call 07746859178, London 12371

HONDA CBR 600CC

£1,000. 2000. 26000 on clock, cancer struck so it's for sale, black and gold in overall nice condition, but will need attention as it hadn't been used/ or run. Please call 07790 512582, Shropshire 12327

HONDA CIVIC LS AUTO

£1,500. 1999. One previous lady owner always garaged excellent condition both body and interior all original. Some service history - new battery MOT April 26 electric sun roof. North East. Please call 01912 374955, Northumberland 11862

1972 JENSEN INTERCEPTOR MARK 3

£27,000. Runs well, resprayed, MOT not required, offers around £27,000. Please call 07590 580031, Cornwall

2005 JAGUAR XKR CONVERTIBLE 4.2 SUPER CHARGED

£26,500. 2005 Jaguar XKR Convertible 4.2 Super Charged. 19,000 miles. White badge carbon edition. Stratstone conversion no.3 of 30. Superb original condition. Full history. Copper black with black leather interior. Pepper pot pedals and carbon fibre dashboard. Too many extras by Stratstone to list here but this car would be a great investment. Kept in car coon. 12 month MOT when sale agreed. UK spec, 2 previous owners. Please call 07716359342 or 01513272353, Cheshire 12380

JAGUAR XKR CONVERTIBLE –PARAMOUNT PERFORMANCE UPGRADE

2000, £13,250. Finished in Royal Blue with contrasting Magnolia leather interior, this 2000 Jaguar XKR Convertible is a superb example of Jaguar’s iconic supercharged V8 grand tourer. Benefiting from a desirable Paramount Performance conversion, the car also features upgraded Brembo brakes, Arden OZ alloy wheels and an engine remap producing approximately 410 bhp. The car presents beautifully throughout and drives exceptionally well, combining effortless performance with refinement and comfort. A rare and increasingly sought-after modern classic with genuine presence and character. MOT until November and recently serviced. Private sale. Essex based. For further information please contact: Peter –07790 602186, Essex 12340

JAGUAR MK2 2.4

£14,995. 1961. BR Green all sychro transmission P.A.S. power brakes overdrive wire wheels FSH 61400 miles economical reliable Jaguar or will trade for MK2 or E Type automatic email naylor-david2@sky.com. Please call 07754 672030, Cambridgeshire 12307

2001 JAGUAR S TYPE 3.0 V6

£2,595. 2001 Jaguar S Type 3.0 V6 petrol in blue with ivory leather interior. One lady owner since 2001. 77000 miles. Fifteen services in book. MOT to February 2027. Sunroof, electric seats, air conditioning. Recent new tyres. Personalised reg. included in price. Drives beautifully. Please call 07931 360396, Merseyside 12314

JAGUAR XF 2.7 V6 DIESEL 01.05.2008 PREMIUM LUXURY

£3000. Finished in Lunar Grey with Dove Leather. 51535 miles, 1 previous owner, full detailed service history, recent cam belt change and tyres. Very high spec including keyless entry, reverse camera, spare wheel, memory seats, Xenon Headlamps, heated windscreen, blind spot monitor. MOT 27.11.25 £3000 ono. Please call 07815 040038, South West 10461

JAGUAR XJ LWB 5.0 V8 PREMIUM LUXURY 08.12.2010

£16000. Finished in Polaris White with Carbon Fibre Trim and Black Leather Memory/heated/cooled seats front and rear, 29802 miles, 2 previous owners, full detailed service history, recent service and Tyres. Very high spec including keyless entry, reverse camera, spare wheel, Xenon Headlamps, blind spot monitor, adaptive cruise control, panoramic roof. Stunning example of a very rare XJL MOT £16000 Ono. Please call 07815040038, South West 10460

JAGUAR "S" TYPE

£1,895. Automatic 2.7 diesel, Sept 2005, HPi clear, J222 GHG included, Maritime Metallic Blue, full leather, 96,180 miles MOT October, looks stunning, always garaged, can deliver anywhere, no texts. Please call 07895 675851, South West 12301

CLUB MEMBER DISCOUNTS

£1,995. £20 a year tax 3 cylinder 998cc petrol 2015, 108k 6 services, just serviced, MOT April 2027, no accidents, Calypso Metallic, 2 keys, alloys, 4 electric windows, full book pack, can deliver anywhere, no texts. Please call 07895 675851, South West 12199

LOTUS ELAN 1972

1972, £30,000. Elan + 2 S130. Full restoration completed 2017 including Lotus galvanised chassis and sills. Lemon yellow paint with metal flake roof. 5-speed conversion, Spyder Engineering driveshafts, full re-trim, new chrome and lights, new dashboard and more. Please call 07432486511, East of England

445

LOTUS EXCEL

POA. 1984. Offers. Engine, gearbox and prop, out of the car car complete, needs carbs and exhaust to finish lots of money spent by other owner, all info in my name open to offers, will need a trailer away. Please call 07754 750766, Staffordshire 12333

LANDROVER DEFENDER

£14,995. Started life in 1986 as light aircraft support vehicle for MOD. Very special vehicle totally rebuilt in 2016 by Trojan 4x4 and the retrofit engine is the bombproof Defender 200 TDI with 5-speed LT77 gearbox. Chassis, axles and diff guards are all galvanised. MOTd to June 2026. Extensive documented history - call for more details. Superb vehicle. Please call 07872 452483, Cheshire 11200

MAZDA MX5 MK1

1997, £7,995. Privately imported from new by the first owner (MAZ 4888) December 1997 registration.  Just 3 owners in total, with the last keeper for 17 years. Finished in classic British racing green with tan leather interior. An outstanding completely original car, including the hood, hardtop, radio and period CD and cassette player. No rust - no welding, bodywork or paint repairs wax oiled and rust- treated twice. Fully documented history. Full service history. Recent full service, MOT, timing belt and water pump completed. Please contact 07396 909470 or 01 225 287489, Wiltshire 12312

1963 MERCEDES BENZ 190 SL

1963, £85,000. This car is absolutely gorgeous 1963 Mercedes 190SL Convertible. It has been completely restored. Everything has been rebuilt, refinished or replaced.It runs and drives as new. This car is a work of art. It would look at home in an art gallery as well as the street. The hard top is completely restored as well. The dove grey soft top is a nice touch. Please call 089503490963, Sulawesi Selatan 12370

MERCEDES BENZ CLK 320 CONVERTIBLE

£3,500. Ice Blue. Long MOT. 03 includes personal plate K66 PAB. I am open to reasonable offers. Offers contact rstamps35@gmail.com any time. Please call 07957 074941, South East 12305

MERCEDES CL55 AMG W215

£6,500. CL55 AMG W215, 2002, low mileage 95k, FSR, mot Nov 2026, auto, fully loaded, double glazed, heated/cooled seats, Bi zenon headlights, key less entry/ignition, etc etc, first to see will buy, loss of storage forces sale. Please call 07584 020272, Surrey 12304

MERCEDES 280 SL

£13,995. 5-speed manual, Nov 1984 B-Reg 42 years old, Metallic Gold, new hood, also hardtop, totally original, 91000, looks amazing, a real head turner, original showroom brochure, can deliver, no texts. Please call 07895 675851, South West 12401

RARE LOW MILEAGE SLK200 KOMPRESSOR (R171)

2004, £13,500. 1,988 miles (Genuine Mileage) Red with cream interior. Immaculate condition. Kept in dry garage. MOT’d to 25 July 2026. 2 owners. Excellently maintained and drives superbly. Roof in excellent working order. Detailed photos available on request. Full paperwork. 2 Keys. smith. dean85@gmail.com. Please call 07981 438 395, County Durham. 12394

MG MIDGET

£1,600. 1979. Midget bodyshell on spit. Many new parts incl Heritage complete rear end, must go due to ill health, please call after 6pm for more information or email suegraham@hotmail.co.uk. Please call 07742 458902, Lancashire 12254

PRE-WAR MG TA

1938, £23,950. Original type MPJG engine, dark green with immaculate green leather interior. Large history folder including original buff logbooks. Beautifully restored to a very useable standard. Recent expenditure including full service, new Blockley tyres (5), new steering wheel, kingpins, prop-shaft. Uprated steering box. Pre war, VSCC eligible. Will be supplied with a new 12 month MOT. Absolute joy to drive. First registered in the UK on the 29th April 1938, the extensive folder of paperwork includes three buff logbooks and paperwork suggesting that the car was exported to Kenya in the late 1960’s and then re-imported by Mr Hutt in 1975. Extensive restoration was carried out during 2019 including engine work by the much respected Coventry Boring & Metalling Company. Please call 07796264004, Gloucestershire 12218

MG ZR

£1,200. 2004. £1200 or offers. Project, not finished, can't finish due to move, new wings front painted, headlights new, new disc's one new calipar brake, not starting so trailer needed, ok condition, 2, new radiators. Please call 07508 221894, Cheshire 12329

1970 MGB ROADSTER

1970, £12,000. 1970 MG MGB. Convertible. Driven 100,000 kilometres. Sadly it's time to sell my Dads much loved 1970 MGB which is in excellent condition for a classic car that is 56 years old. It has had only 3 owners from new with Dad owning it for the last 24 years. It has won numerous best of show awards and has been well cared for and maintained with lots of receipts for any work carried out. Comes with a nearly new hood and tonneau cover plus wind protector. MOT until 08.04.27. Call for more details or to arrange a viewing in Chelmsford, Essex. Vehicle registered: 07/08/1970. Please call 01245 473423, Essex 12311

MGB GT V8

1976, £22,000. MGB GT V8. Ex Terry Smith race car. Factory built V8. Still blue over silver. Many extras. PASLSD Now built as a GT road car. Owned 10 years. Very solid and reliable. Featured in MG Enthusiast magazine - December 2024 - Issue 443. PX - anything considered. Please call 07710796841, North Somerset 12251 MGB GT

£4,750. 1800cc 4 speed with overdrive, 1971 K-Reg, Teal Blue, immaculate paintwork, 87000, rebuilt engine, at 83000, costing £4281 MG specialist, tan upholstery, totally original always garaged, a real head turner, must be seen to be appreciated, can deliver, no texts. Please call 07895 675851, South West 12391

2004 MG ZT-T V8 260 SE

2004, £10,250. A/c compressor/condenser replaced. Great condition. Two-Sixties mods done, FSH, new MOT. Owned 16 years but not using enough. New unused spare wheel included. 2660 MG reg available otherwise '54 reg. View @ ZEDFEST or Hampshire. Please call 07939 903730, Hampshire

1959, POA. 1959 MGA Roadster. Restoration project car stored for many years with V5 documents. RHD and first registered new in the UK. Rare opportunity to acquire an untouched complete car for restoration. Also available (to greatly simplify restoration and avoid time consuming bodywork) is an ex USA complete "body tub", spare chassis and panels. Car located in East Yorkshire. Please call 07729752619, East Yorkshire 12339

1997 ROVER MINI COOPER S SPORT 5 (ONE OF 30)

1997, £25,000. One of the rarest classic Minis ever built (Google it!), Mini Cooper S Sport 5 built under licence by John Cooper Garages. What makes this car even rarer is that it is one lady owner from new and low mileage, now for sale due to long term illness. The car has been dry stored for the last 5 years but has just been recommissioned and has a new MOT. The car is in fantastic unrestored condition with only a couple of minor stone chips/ blemishes. 1275cc from factory producing 85 bhp. Key upgrades included: Polished and ported cylinder head with enlarged valve Ported inlet manifold and throttle body. Modified fuel pressure regulator for increased fuel pressure 1.5:1 ratio roller-tip rockers LCB (long centre branch) exhaust manifold system K&N air filter. Please call 07885432278, Dursley 12294

MINI

£995. "£20 tax" Cooper Diesel 6-speed 1.6 manual, 2010, MOT 28th January 2027, 12 services in book, remote locking black with white roof, remote locking, 155k hence £995, can deliver anywhere, no texts. Please call 07793 057069, South West 12360

MINI COOPER

£7,495. Automatic 1.3 petrol British Racing Green, white racing stripe, M-Reg 1994, 74000, black half leather, lots of money spent at specialist Mini centres, £577 just spent May 26 MOT 21st March 2027. Minilite original alloys, drives well, always garaged, real headturner, can deliver no texts. Please call 07895 675851, South West 12392

MORRIS MINI - MINOR

£9,000. 1963. Classic Mini-Minor. First registered July 1963, current owner 16 years, everything works. Fresh MOT new battery Powder Blue interior Fiesta Yellow paintwork. Offers around £9000. Please call 01223 811323, Cambridgeshire 12346

MORRIS OXFORD SERIES II SALOON

1956, £3,750. Morris Oxford Series ll Saloon, 1956. Smoke blue with red leather trim, 1489cc ohv B series engine, 4 speed manual column change, 90,000 miles. Starts, runs and drives very well, in daily use, very reliable, all electrics work, recent alternator conversion, solid underside. Recently serviced. Tax and ULEZ exempt. Original and presentable. Ideal starter classic. Please call 07956251328, Hertfordshire 12293

1956 MORRIS MINOR SPLIT SCREEN

£6,450. Restored and upgraded usable classic with 950cc engine, front disc brakes, renewed electrics, halogen headlights and recent paint refresh. Reliable, presentable show or daily car. Reluctant sale due to storage loss. Open to offers. Please call 07579 766206, Lancashire 12365

MORRIS OXFORD ESTATE FOR RESTORATION

£2,000. Unable to restore due to ill health. North Notts. Please call 07856 896019, Nottinghamshire 12223

MORRIS MINOR

£5,750. 1957. Good condition, tax and MOT exempt. New brake cylinders all round. Serviced regular many spare parts engine, gearbox, many more parts, garaged. Please call 07816 248459, Lancashire 12341

MORRIS SERIES TWO SPLIT SCREEN MINOR

£3,250. 4 door March 1955, 803cc engine, Almond Green, starts 1st time, new exhaust, and drives, red leather seats, getting very rare, paint faded over 70 years! Can deliver anywhere, no texts. Please call 07895 675851, South West 12403

MORRIS 1000 TRAVELLER

POA. 1969. 68545 miles. 1969 Morris 1000 Traveller. Garage find. In bits but rear chassis seems to be sound, front wing shot. Was running when laid up. Most parts are there. Please call 01315 383298, Edinburgh 12274

1991 NISSAN FIGARO

£3,995. MOT to December 2026. No advisories. Large file of service history. Imported in 2008. Current owner since 2015. Engine rebuilt at 97,000 miles. Total mileage now 132,000 miles. Recent engine oil service and automatic gearbox service. New brakes and exhaust, battery and front tyres. Please call 07931 360396, Merseyside 12313

NISSAN AUTO

£2,695. 1.6 petrol note 2010 "Tekna", Champagne Beige, 2 prev owners, alloys, good tyres, elec windows, new battery, lots of invoices, bookpack, MOT May 2027, 102000, can deliver anywhere, no texts. Please call 07895 675851, South West 12320

NISSAN SERENA VAN

£5,000. 1995. Lovely van. D/bed. Hob. Sink and hook up belts changed. 2.3 diesel. Economical swap classic car. ? W.H.Y? Favourites are Morris Oxford/ Cambridge. Please call 07835 651411, Lancashire 12330

PEUGEOT PARTNER

£1,295. Small wheel base "Professional" 1560cc diesel H.D.i. 5 speed 2014 van 2 previous owners, MOT 15th October, electric windows, Peugeot Phillips Digital R.D.S. Radio cd, aux plug for phones multi connection, 131000 hence £1295, can deliver anywhere, no texts. Please call 07793 057069, South West 12318

PEUGEOT 406

£1,800. 2.0L HDI 2 owners. Always garaged MOT April 2026. Well looked after dry use only. Maintained serviced bills etc sold with lots of spares. Lovely show car. Please call 07752 290909, North East 12257

2012 PORSCHE 997.2 CARRERA 4 GTS CABRIOLET PDK

£55,995. Available now is this fantastic 997 generation Carrera 4 GTS Cabrio finished in GT Silver Metallic over Black Extended Leather/Alcantara Interior and Gloss Black Turbo S centre-lock alloys. Benefitting from an extensive history and maintenance file as well as a generous specification from factory, this GTS is a brilliant offering for Sunday drives or summer road trips alike. Please call 01753 680558, Horton

2010 PORSCHE 987 BOXSTER S MANUAL

£22,995. A beautiful Porsche 987 Boxster S finished in Meteor Grey Metallic over Black leather and Silver Carrera S II alloys. Its 3.4 litre flat six engine is mated to the six speed manual gearbox that boasts the feel and directness many other modern day sportscars are unable to match. This lovely little Boxster S offers a small, midengined package with an open-top roof, a manual gearbox, and extensive history. Whether you’re looking for a sporting daily, a weekend toy, or just something to enjoy with the roof down and the summer breeze in your hair, this Boxster will do it all - and for the fraction of the cost of a manual 987 Spyder. Please call 01753 680558, Horton

2017 PORSCHE 911 T 991 4 GTS

£79,995. 1 owner from new - company then personal - we have original Bill of sale showing 1 owner too. Please call 01753 680558, Horton

1997 PORSCHE 993 TARGA MANUAL

£69,995. A lovely 993 Targa finished in Ocean Blue metallic with Marble grey leather interior and Cup 2 alloys. This highly original example benefits from the following options from factory - Sports seats, 17” New Cup Design Alloys, Rear wiper and top tinted windscreen. The roof mechanism appears to be the original unit and works faultlessly with no squeaks or rattles that these models can commonly experience, which, combined with this car’s comprehensive service history, indicates how well kept and cared for it has been by its previous keepers. Please call 01753 680558, Horton

2016 PORSCHE 991.2 CARRERA COUPE PDK

£55,995. A stunning 991.2 Carrera finished in Night Blue metallic and fitted with PSE Sports Exhaust and the Sports Chrono pack.

Please call 01753 680558, Horton

1973 PORSCHE 911 2.8 RSR

£194,995. The deeply impressive RSR replica offered here is the work of marque specialists Parr of Crawley, West Sussex. One of Parr’s existing clients wanted a widebodied 911 that would be eligible for FIA Historic road rallies. He loved the RSR look but could not afford the stratospheric price of an original. It was decided that Parr would build an eligible car as close to the original as possible, which would entail sourcing rare parts from all over the world. To comply with FIA regulations, a 1970s donor car was required, which arrived in the form of a 1973 911T sourced from France. Photographically documented, the project was very involved, but the end result is stunning. The bodyshell needed a lot of preparation plus the addition of a safety cage and front/rear wheelarch extensions. The shell was then sent away to be dipped and E-coated before being repainted. The twin-plug engine was built as close to factory specification as could be achieved, using many original parts including a correct magnesium crankcase and correct ignition system (sourced from Switzerland). Please call 01753 680558, Horton

2013/13 PORSCHE 991.1 CARRERA S COUPE PDK

£59,995. A lovely, low mile 991.1 Carrera S Coupe PDK finished in Guards Red over Black Extended Leather and Pepita cloth interior with Silver 20” Carrera S Alloys. This individual example has been well specified from factory and since upgraded with Pepita seat inserts, lifting the interior with a stylish nod to Porsche’s heritage. This 911 also benefits from extremely low mileage and feels almost as fresh as when it rolled out of the factory. We have just had a 12yr service carried out at a Porsche main dealer who have given the car a clean bill of health. Please call 01753 680558, Horton 1969 (M/Y 1970) PORSCHE 911 2.2 S

£150,000. A truly stunning 2.2S finished in its original special order colour of Signal Orange over Black Leatherette and correct Fuchs alloys. This 2.2S is an extremely rare find, being one of only eight cars imported into the UK by AFN for the 1970 model year (registered in November of 1969), and only 77 imported total throughout the 2.2’s life. The car also benefits from a wonderful history file, with invoices dating back to the 1980s from numerous Porsche specialists and MOT testing centres, and only four previous owners on its registration documentation. Please call 01753 680558, Horton

1997 PORSCHE 993 CARRERA S TIPTRONIC LHD

£99,995. Available with us is this stunning 993 Carrera S Tiptronic repainted in its factory colour of gloss white and freshly retrimmed with black extended leather and red contrast stitching. Rounded off with a set of the iconic Turbo Twist alloys, this Japanese 993 presents phenomenally well. Included in the car’s history file is the original folio pack from Porsche as well as the Japanese service booklet, as well as invoicing from Germany and the UK, most recently showing the two services carried out by Porsche Centre High Wycombe this year and last. Please call 01753 680558, Horton

1997 PORSCHE 993 CARRERA S MANUAL AEROKIT

£129,995. A beautiful 993 Carrera S manual finished in gloss white over grey leather and the iconic Turbo Twist alloys. Supplied new in LHD and benefits from a fantastic service history file as well as boasting a factory AeroKit along with its many other spec options. Please call 01753 680558, Horton PORSCHE 911 CARRERA 2 (993)

£82,995. This 911 Carrera 2 cabriolet (993) has the 6-speed manual gearbox and is presented in Arctic Silver with black leather hard backed sports seats and a black fully electric roof. The 3.6 litre flat six air-cooled VarioRam engine develops 285 bhp and standard features include electric windows & mirrors, power steering & anti-lock brakes, twin air bags and a headlamp wash system. Factory-fitted options include 17” Cup alloy wheels, air conditioning, hard backed sports seats, a 3rd high level brake light, crested wheel centres and a tonneau cover for roof. It also benefits from a Blaupunkt Bremen radio with Bluetooth phone and DAB radio. It has driven 74,180 miles from new in 1997. Please call 01825 830424, East Sussex

£57,995. This Porsche Boxster 718 T has the 6-speed manual gearbox and is presented in Python Green with black half leather sports seats and a black power hood. The 2.0 litre flat four turbocharged engine develops 300 bhp and standard features include air conditioning, a voice activated computer, touchscreen satellite navigation with Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth phone & DAB radio, a stop/start function, Porsche Active Suspension Management & Porsche Stability Management, 20" Carrera S wheels in Titanium Grey, the mirror heads, side decals and rear badge finished in Agate Grey, a mesh wind deflector, automatic headlights and LED daytime running lights. Factory-fitted options include a body coloured roll bar, heated seats, front & rear parking sensors, the Sport Chrono Pack, the 'T' interior pack with yellow seat belts, stitching & door pulls and cruise control. It also benefits from paint protection film to the front end of the vehicle. It has driven just 2,673 miles from new in 2023. Please call 01825 830424, East Sussex

ROVER 75, 1.8 K SERIES PETROL 2002 MODEL

£500. Present owner 20 years. Passed MOT September 2025 with no referrals, very low mileage since. Three new tyres, new front windscreen, new 4 year battery. 96,100 recorded mileage. Engine still pulls well. Fuel consumption at a steady 70 mph on motorway, approx 45 m.p.g. Head gasket and new ECU fitted some years ago. In need of some T.L.C. Full service history available. £500 or make an offer. Located 6 miles north of Plymouth. Please call 01752 793105, South West 12351

SUZUKI SWIFT

£1,795. "ULEZ car" 1242cc 2012 5 speed hatchback, 2 previous owners, MOT 11th March 2027, new brakes, no advisorys, 131k, full book pack, remote locking, alloys, elec windows, metallic Kingfisher blue, Suzuki digital radio cd, aircon, can deliver anywhere. No texts. Please call 07895 675851, South West 12316

TOYOTA YARIS

1999, £1,800. Toyota Yaris GS 3door, 1999 T-reg, 2 owners, same family, mot'd, 4 new tyres, 29000 miles genuine, fair condition. Please call 07738539418, Shrewsbury

12292

1975 TRIUMPH SPITFIRE MK4

1975, £6,695. 1975 Triumph Spitfire 1500 MK 4. Relevant photos showing ground up restoration. Extras include Electronic ignition, Electronic Fuel Pump, Twin Stainless Steel Exhausts, Twin K & N Air Filters, Upgraded Kenlow Fan, Darkwood Dash, Roll Bar. I no longer have Garage space for this car hence the reluctant sale. This car is in excellent driving condition. Please call 07702382439, Antrim 12373

TRIUMPH TR5 PI

£25,500. 1968. UK RHD with overdrive, centre laced wires, Tonneau and stainless exhaust. Improved fuel pump and PRV. Full MOT. Red with black trim. Located near Rugby. Please call 07366 920022, Warwickshire 12334

VAUXHALL CAVALIER 78/88 WANTED

Wanted. Vauxhall Cavalier/ Mant hatch. I'm after one to restore. Don't mind some welding but not a rot box please 78 to 88 reg. Thanks. Pocklington East Yorkshire. Please call 07707 817684, East Yorkshire 12281

SANDRAIL

1971, £3,250. VW Sandrail/Chenowth buggy with V5, road legal, tax exempt. Fitted with strong 1641cc engine, gearbox rebuilt by Bears, uprated suspension throughout, rebuilt and strengthened front beam, rack and pinion steering, ali tank, removable fibreglass body panels. Comes with four extra rear tyres and alternative exhausts. Huge fun as is but could easily be spiced up with a Subaru engine or even over to electric! Please call 07855 436187, Bedfordshire 12250

VAUXHALL AUTO 1.7 DIESEL

£2,495. MPV "High Up" easy accessible, exclusive 2011 model, 11 services in book, MOT May 2027, no accidents, always garaged, 121k two keys, can deliver anywhere, no texts. Please call 07895 675851, South West 12359

1993 VAUXHALL CAVALIER 1.8 CESARO 4 DOOR SALOON

£2,495. In blue, 97,178 miles. Full Vauxhall service history. Cesaro refinements, six spoke alloys, Recaro seats, sunroof, boot lip spoiler and Cesaro badging. Only 2 previous keepers. Current keeper since 1998. 97,178 miles. Full Vauxhall service history. MOT to May 2027. Drives great. Please call 07931 360396, Reading 12379

VW AUTO 1.4 PETROL POLO

£1,695. 3 door, MOT 28th April 2027 at 93,300 miles, 2004 53 plate, cambelt kit £360 at 74,200 miles 5 services, two keys, elec windows, alloys, lovely car can deliver anywhere, no texts. Please call 07895 675851, South West 12390

£1,395. Bluemotion diesel TDi, 2011, Moonstone Metallic Blue, full MOT, full book pack 9 services, lots invoices, 2 prev owners, two keys, Hpi clear no accidents, 183 miles, hence £1395 can deliver anywhere, no texts. Please call 07793 057069, South West 12398

VW BEETLE VOLKSWAGEN - 1950, 1960, 1970S WANTED

Wanted. Cash awaiting - happy to carry out some work. Luton, Bedfordshire. Please call 07851 710300, Bedfordshire 12378

1970, £4,000. Here is my 1970 beetle I've owned for roughly 24 years. It was a project when purchased and lots of new parts fitted and full paint job. Most receipts I've kept. Sadly due to circumstances I haven't used the car for a few years and would love to see it back on the road by someone who will love it and enjoy it as much as I did. The engine starts. The car is in need of TLC, new tyres and will be a project. Any questions please ask. MOT exempt tax exempt. Please call 07814559340, Gloucestershire

12217

VAUXHALL COMBO 2000

£1,695. 1.3 diesel C.D.T.i 5 speed 2014 panel van, no accidents MOT Feb 2027, 50 MPG, 140K, unsignwritten, can deliver anywhere, no texts. Please call 07793 057069, South West

12300

T2 CAMPERVAN /DORMOBILE

1972, £15,000. This RHD camper is fitted with Power steering, lowered Servo disc brakes, good tires new at front, good bodywork solid underneath, original interior, new sink with twin gas burners. Engine fitted with twin carbs, alternator, Firetrace automatic fire suppression system, Leisure battery. Both batteries have isolation terminals, two way fridge, Electric hookup, large history File. Please call 01493 661047, Norfolk 12296

VOLKSWAGEN TYPE 2 CAMPERVAN 1600

£11,000. 1969. Campervan 1600. Owned for 32 years. Reluctant sale due to our advancing years. Fair condition. Good runner. Rock and roll bed. Electric hook up complete with awning and camping equipment. Please call 07922 310108, East Sussex 12321

£17,000. Westfalia style Australian import very original bodywork. Photographic album of restoration. Tax and MOT exempt. Rock 'N' Roll bed. New battery. Fitted toilet. Fridge 240/v/12v. Fully equipped. Has a cooker and grill. Please call 07960 465470, Lincolnshire 12310

1972 VW BAYWINDOW

1972, £7,995. Here we have a 1972 VW T2 Baywindow. Has had extensive work underneath, with new driveshafts 3 years ago, a complete new front beam replacement with new shocks, springs, steering dampener and bearings 2 years ago. Welding and waxoyl also completed this past year. Currently tidying up the body work with a placement door and replacement sills. Will need to be resprayed. Restoration log and original birth certificate present. Extensive history with quite a few spare parts which will be included for the right price. Please call 07896203889, Worcestershire 12249

VOLVO 940 ESTATE 2.3 GL/GLE WANTED

Wanted. I am looking for a Volvo 940 Estate 2.3 GL/GLE, 1990/1992 manual Estate in VGC, please contact 07986 959015 if you have one for sale, South East 11678

1944, £20,000. Hello everyone I would like to sell my 1944 Willys MB completely restored, kept in a climate controlled environment, engine rebuilt, undercarriage looks solid with no rust. Please call 2083664108, Idaho 12263

TRUCKS/LORRIES

8 WHEEL ATKINSON TIPPER

Offers. 1974. 180 Gardner Engine. David Brown Gearbox. New clutch and flywheel. Reconditioned fuel pump. Cab partly restored. All parts available. Selling as owner deceased. Please call 01672 514 027, Wiltshire

POA. S.W.B. tested until December 26. Many new parts. For details ring John. Please call 07443 369856, South East

£6,000. 1963. AEC Merryweather TL dry stored 30 years on the button runs drives brakes working kept full of antifreeze for more info. Please call 07860 475279, Norfolk 12343

ALBION CLANSMAN

£5,200. 1985. 18,000 miles. Albion Clansman FT103N 6x4 double drive chassis cab 4.8 ltr 4 cyl diesel, EN286B engine. In good running order, five speed gearbox, DVLA reg 1985, believed to have only done 17,792 miles. Please call 07946 399573, Lancashire 12366

BEDFORD RASCAL PICK UP OR VAN OR SUZUKI PICK UP OR VAN WANTED

Wanted. Bedford Rascal pick up or van. Suzuki pick up or van. Good or bad. Cash awaiting. Please call Joe after 7pm. It's urgent. Please call 07851 710300, Bedfordshire 11646

BEDFORD CF DEBONAIR MOTORHOME

£2,000. 2.3 petrol extensive welding completed no interior unable to finish due to ill health North Notts. Please call 07856 896019, Nottinghamshire 12224

DAF LF + DON BURR TRAILER

£5,000. 2004, 470155km. DAF LF c/w DonBurr trailer, aluminium ramps and winch, both tested until March 27, please ring for more details or pictures. Kington Worcester. Please call 07970 158840, Worcestershire 12266

COMMER PB

£5,750. Very rare original Box Body Van, ideal conversion to catering, camper, removals etc. On the button 1725 engine with over drive g/box, starts and drives etc, internal lights and power points for hookup. Roller shutter rear or rear conversion kit supplied. Clear fiber glass original roof. All welding done on chassis whilst body was off. Needs work and finishing off to buyers requirements. Was to become a mobile food van but bereavement put an end to that plan. Please call 01604 395470, Northampton 12258

COMMER KARRIER GAMECOCK 1957

£7,500. Ex Dorset 6cyl lovely runner low miles needs some tlc to bodywork brass equipment, lots of spares. Genuine sale. Please call 07549 164960, South East 12395

DAIHATSU PICK UP, SUZUKI PICK UP, OR BEDFORD RASCAL PICK UP WANTED

Wanted. Serious cash buyer – will consider all conditions. Please call Mr McNally on 07842775894, South East

ERF A SER

£5,000. 1974. 24 foot flat Gardner 180 engine Eaton 2 speed axle power steering good running order. Bedford TM V6 Detroit diesel 1983 new cab beautifully restored drive away £180000. Please call 07759 473380, Lincolnshire 12348

FODEN 3275

£16,000. Year 1996. Mileage 564344. One owner from new. Dry stored for last 15 years. No rust. Restored as a working vehicle. Starts and runs perfectly. Reason for sale: Recent Bereavement. Please call 07860 522906, Cairndow 12358

FODEN LORRY

1968, £5,500. Foden lorry with 120 Gardner engine, 1968, cab is in primer ready for new owner, new single screen windscreen, new lights, Foden wheel discs, wiper blades, loads of extras, too many to list. Please call 07876633100, Holywell 12368

FORD THAMES ET64D

£4,000. 1957. Cab chassis engine done lots done. All there lot or new and old parts included needs lot more work too old to do it now. Need space. Please call 01454 774717, South Gloucestershire 12349

FORD THAMES 307E, 309E, OR ANGLIA VAN WANTED

Wanted. Any condition. Please call 07751 243693, Aberdeenshire 11365

FORD THAMES 400E CAMPER VAN WANTED

Wanted. 1960s. Must be V.G.C. Please call 07717 338587, Staffordshire 11795

FORD TRANSIT VAN

£14,000. 1972. Twin wheel pick up V4 engine wood side body in VGC. Also Rover TET Maestro van 60000 mile petrol B Ser engine in VGC £5000. Also Trajan 1959 van P3 diesel £6000. Please call 07759 473380, Lincolnshire 11928

LEYLAND BEAVER

£9,000. 1950. Previous ownership for 30 years during which restoration work was carried out. 4 new tyres on rear. Successful participant in HCVS 2026 London to Brighton. Please call for more info. Please call 07970 730870,

POST WAR TROJAN VAN WANTED

Wanted. Post war Trojan van powered by the Perkins P3 diesel engine or what have you. Please call 07436 802151, Norfolk

TOYOTA OR DAIHATSU LAND CRUISER OR FOUR TRAC LOW PICKUP WANTED

Wanted. Please call 07568 938550, Bedfordshire

PARTS

BEDFORD J TYPE NEW BLACK ROOF LINING

£130. Made from genuine card. Can post. Paypal or bank transfer. Please call 07749 586757, Surrey 1293

B.M.C. ENGINE - AUSTIN A35

£500. 1960. B.M.C. A. Series short engine. Rebored (+30 pistons) reground crank with new bearings and thrusts new timing chain and tensioners. Collection preferred but delivery can be arranged at extra cost. Please call 07415 693986, Cleveland 12383

E TYPE V12 BIG CARB CONVERSION

£2,250. E type v12 big carb conversion these are HS8 2 inch carbs no more hot starting problems better performance and much better MPG ready to bolt on. Please call 07395356562, Staffordshire 10872

FUEL TANK

£30. Fuel tank could fit Cobra, Hot Rod Special or Kit Car would exchange for MK 5 Cortina spares IE N/S/F door window regulator rear screen rubber. Please call 01306 884449, Surrey 12388

JAGUAR V12 WEBER CONVERSION KIT 6 IDF WEBERS

£3,450. Complete with manifolds and linkages fuel hose and clips the lot these are genuine webers and are stamped made in Spain. Please call 07395 356562, Staffordshire 12288

MORRIS MINOR REAR OFFSIDE TRAVELLER DOOR

£75. Excellent wood and very V.G.C. old English White £75. Cash buyer collects. Record bolt cutters V.G.C. £25, Bromley Kent. Please call 07759 011608, Kent 12386

CLASSIC MINI ORIGINAL DUNLOP ALLOYS

£220. 4 x 5 x 10. Very good condition. Please call 07979 406536, Yorkshire 12355

COOPER S REMOTE BRAKE SERVO

£35. Fits any single line system. Please call 07979 406536, Yorkshire 12352

FORD PARTS

£100-£150. Two reconditioned cylinder heads for Ford 3.0 Essex engine £150. MK III Zephyr new old stock drivers side rear wing £100. Ring Michael. Please call 07745 839979, Market Harborough 12345

FORD TRANSIT MK I/II/III PARTS

POA. Transit MK1, MK2, MK3 parts, panels Gen Ford 4x4 parts and complete kits for LWB, SWB conversion, seats also available. Please call 07801 642154, Warwickshire 12347

FORD MK 1 CORTINA GT

DASHBOARD GAUGE HOLDER AND GAUGES

£175. In good condition. Cash on collection from South Hertfordshire. Please call 07860 246900, South Hertfordshire 12361

GARDNER 180 6LXB ENGINE

POA. Reconditioned in cradle. Please call 07880 740639, West Midlands 12356

HILLMAN AVENGER STEERING RACK WANTED

Wanted. Any condition considered. Please call 07930 731201, South East 11858

MINI PARTS

POA. 970s crankshaft/ block/ rockers conrod's/ camshaft/ flywheel/ phone for details. Please call 07894 166121, Fife 12331

LUCAS KENZLE TACHOGRAPH HEAD UNITS

£50. I.D. 146818. Please call 07836 514189, West Midlands 12342

MK1 MINI PAIR GREEN FRONT SEATS

£175. Please call 07979 406536, Yorkshire 12354

MK1 MORRIS GRILLE

£60. Very good. Please call 07979 406536, Yorkshire 12353

FORD ANGLIA 105E/123E RADIATOR

£85. In good condition, I have a picture of the back. Always handy to have a spare. Cash on collection only from South Hertfordshire. Please call 07860 246900, South Hertfordshire 11761

FORD GRANADA SCORPIO FULL SET OF LEATHER SEATS IN NAVY BLUE

JAGUAR XJS SPARES

SPECIALIST

£200. Very good condition, been stored indoors. No offers. Cash on collection from South Herts. Please call 07860 246900, South Hertfordshire 11654

POA. Cars from 1987 to 1988. Priced to sell. Call anytime. Please call 07948 832015, Humberside 12309

USED CITROEN 2CV SPARES

POA. Please call 02085 293101, London 12306

AUSTIN HEALEY BJ8 PARTS

POA. 3.9 differential. Radiator. Bonnet. Calipers. Starter dynamo. Water pump front bumper new rear shoes 2 rear wheel bearings new ex. Manifolds. Bonnet chrome. Radiator. Re cored. New boot rack. Please call 07932 780161, Cheshire 12285

SPECIALIST

CLUB MEMBER DISCOUNTS

W113 PAGODA SL PARTS

GET A QUOTE TODAY

CLASSIC CAR INSURANCE EXPERTS

POA. Grille, grille barrel/star, RHD wiper linkage, amber rear lamps, headlamps, lenses, 230 hub caps, fuel gauge, air louvre grille, mouldings, many other spares. Please call 01773 835462, Derbys 11906

OLD DAF AND VOLVO TRACTOR UNITS WANTED

Wanted. Old tractor units/ others considered. All makes considered. Please call or WhatsApp 07786580969, South East 11281

MISC

1980 FORD STARCRAFT CAMPER (CORTINA GHIA 2.3 V6 AUTOMATIC)

1980, £1,995. A very rare opportunity to acquire a Ford Starcraft, the unusual six-wheel camper conversion produced by Spartan Cars Ltd between 1986 and 1992. This vehicle is based on a 1980 Ford Cortina Ghia 2.3 V6 automatic, featuring the original Cortina running gear on a bespoke steel chassis and topped with a distinctive fibreglass Starcraft camper body. Only one of the twin rear axles is driven. The conversion began in 1991 and the bodywork was completed to a high standard. The interior remains unfinished, offering the new owner the chance to complete it to their own specification or preserve it as a period display vehicle. It has covered just 56,810 miles from new and has not been on the road since 1990. The fibreglass body is in excellent condition with no major cracks, the underside is solid, and there is only minor, cosmetic rust. Around 200 Starcrafts were ever produced, making this an exceptionally rare survivor. It represents a fascinating piece of 1980s British motoring history and an ideal light restoration project for the enthusiast or collector seeking something genuinely unique. Please call 07818028763, West Sussex 12369

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CAR MASCOT COLLECTOR'S BOOK

£55 each. This lavish deluxe limited edition book covers every R. Lalique car mascot produced from 1920 to the end of production in 1931. Then post-war with Marc Lalique carrying on to modern times. Including factory experimental and non-commercial pieces, plus coloured examples. With auction realisation prices from around the world. This is the only book you will need on this subject. I have a box of 12 hardback copies (from Grosvenor House publishing Co. Ltd.) for £55 each or £550 the lot plus £5 packing & postage costs. Email: ggweiner11@gmail. com. Or call/text me on: 07890 836734. East Sussex 12397

GARAGE CLEARANCE

£5-£10. Garage clearance too much to list 2 Austin A30/ A35 half shafts £10, 2 new old stock Austin 1800 speedo clusters £5, reliant heater £10. Offside headlamp proton 1500 1991 new £10. Please call 01306 884449, Surrey 12387

HONDA CBR 600 M/CYCLE

£1,000. 2000. Classic bike. Bought 2 years ago, but due to ill health never ridden. 25000 miles- lovely condition original needs to go. Space limited- needs a service. Please call 07790 512582, Shropshire 12385

LAMBRETTA SERIES 1, 2 & 3 FIAAM TWIN TRIPLE PIPE EXHAUST

£450. Brand new it's got all the fixtures and fittings, all in chrome. It's only been unwrapped to take the photos. Can post for extra £20 including insurance. Please call 07749 586757, Surrey 720

MALCOLM CAMPBELL 245MPH USING CASTROL MOTOR OIL

£75. Size 10x15 inchs 4 fixing holes. Please call 07780 123683, Hampshire 12382 ONE ESSO TIGER TAIL 1960'S

£14. MOD’S Lambretta Scooter 1960's. Can post for £4.90 extra, Paypal or bank transfer. Please call 07749 586757, Surrey 1566

SCALEXTRIC BUGATTI C70

£950. Scalextric Bugatti c70 1960s De Havilland? The model is in excellent condition the rx motor has had light running only the box has a few light marks but solid the maintenance sheet is excellent. Bargain £950. Please call 07395 356562, Newcastle 10871

VOLKSWAGEN SALES BROCHURES FOR MK.1 GOLF, JETTA, POLO AND DERBY

POA. UK and foreign. Can split. Offers. Please call 07386 720552, Durham 12389

BELLSTAFF VINTAGE MOTORBIKE JACKET

£95. Size 38 to 40 Med good used condition as seen in photo. Black £95 free-standing or exchange for sidecar for motorbike. Please call 07863262603 or 02085341761, London 10879

BRITISH RAILWAYS BOX VAN SHEPARDS HUT

£14,000. Fully insulated lights and sockets. Double opening door with steps. Based in south Lincolnshire. Please call 07749 740366, South Lincolnshire 12367

CRANE FRUEHAUF TRI AXLE LOW LOADER TRAILER

£7,000. Step frame low loader trailer for sale. Twist locks, heavy lashing rings. Tyres 80% all round. New spare tyre and light cluster. All in very good condition. £7000 + vat with 1 years test. Call Richard. Please call 07836 634392, South East 12362

ESSO PUT A TIGER IN YOUR TANK ENAMEL SIGN

£65. 12 inches dia. With fixing holes. Post free. Please call 07968 659967, Surrey 12344

FLYING JACKET BROWN LEATHER

£450. Sheepskin irvin heavy X Large made in England cost new £1000 as new be quick. Bargain. Please call 07863262603 or 02085341761, London 10874

HYDRAULIC PLATFORM WANTED

Wanted. Must be tested and in reasonable condition. Contact photo/info. Please call 07807 970230, Durham 12350

DAVIDSON SIDECAR BODY

£3,500. 1928 upwards with seats arm rests spare wheel carrier and sidecar cover no chassis with opening door on left. £3500 firm or exchange best motorbike with sidecar. Please call 07863262603 or 02085341761, London 10876

HARLEY DAVIDSON SIDECAR BODY

£3,500. 1936 upwards with seats arm rests spare wheel carrier cover Leaf springs no chassis suit Big Twin uL knucklehead Harley Davidson. Ring for photo £3500 firm may exchange motor bike with sidecar. Please call 07863262603 or 02085341761, London 10875

OLD SIDE LIGHT

£20. Good for motorbike or other things freepost. East London. Please call 07863 262603, East London 10880

TASKERS TWIN AXLE BAULK TIPPER TRAILER

POA. Offers invited. Taskers Twin Axle Baulk Tipper Trailer. Generally in good order. Been off the road a while. Not seen Farm Tractor use. Offers invited. More information and photos by Whatsapp. Southampton Hants. Please call 07971 530398, Southampton 12364

1955 COPY OF BEDFORD & BRITISH CHEVROLET 1922-1950 WANTED

Wanted. ISBN. 9787898432067. Published 1995. Please call 01162 991121, Leicester 12276

HONDA CBR 600 M/CYCLE

£1,000. 2000. I've owned to bike, with 25000 on clock 2 years, but due to old age, have never ridden it. All works and looks good. No offer. Collect. Please call 07790 512582, Shropshire 12332

NUMBER PLATE S4D SW (SAD SW)

MEMORY LANE

Ushered in with the somewhat uninspiring tagline ‘Better Than Average’ the Princess 1700HLS and 2200HLS were keenly promoted in this 1979 brochure: “Until now this superlative standard of style, comfort and luxury was only available to purchasers of the six cylinder Princess 2200HLS Now, by popular demand, we ’ ve added two new high-luxury cars to the Princess range – the 1700HLS and the 2000HLS – both well above average in every conceivable aspect But what made them *so* above average? “See how the trapezoidal headlamps flanking a bright grille notice the additional bright wheel rims appreciate the tough rubbers inserts in the front and rear bumpers and reflect on the annoying dents and chrome damage they may save Let your eyes dwell on the tailored vinyl-covered roof and quarter panel, which effectively lowers the body line and announces to one and all that this is a rather special Princess ”

MONDEOMAN

TheFordMondeoMk1 roadtestvideoonour

ClassicsWorld YouTube channelpromptedplentyof comments.

@midsomerparva5188was fullyonboard:“I’mstill drivingmybeloved1996 Ghia, averyquiet,comfortableandreliable car.”@mountain_walkerhad fondchildhoodmemories:“Irememberhaving aridein abrandnewMk1 Mondeointhe‘90s.Itfeltreallyspecialtomeas akid.”@davidlang3625, meanwhile,thinksFordcoulddowithreturningtothisera:“Ford coulddo withsomeonelikeRichardParry-Jonesin2026...”

COZY COUPES

Reader James Clarkson got in touch regarding the coupes Classic Choice in our June 17 issue: “A great trio of cars here – I remember the buzz in the ‘90s when it seemed like we got a new stylish coupe every week For me, it has to be the Corrado –such a cool shape, great chassis and getting rare these days!”

Let us know ifyou find one, James!

NEXT ISSUE

CLASSICCHOICE

Threeprestigesaloonsdobattleas theDaimlerDoubleSixispitched againsttheRolls-RoyceSilverShadow andtheAstonMartinLagonda.

AMERICANDREAM

WiththeClassicAmericanStars &Stripesshowfast approaching,welookattheStatesidecarsthatare easytoownintheUK,fromtheFordMustangtothe JeepCherokee.

SMARTMOVE

There’splentytoloveabouttheSmartRoadster,but it’snotwithoutitsissues.Weshareourbuyingadvice.