首页/汽车与摩托车/Classics World/April 2024/本期
Classics World|April 2024EditorialWe have a new series starting this issue, called People and Places. Like all good titles, that one pretty much explains what the feature will be about! However, rather than focus exclusively on the big names who tend to get all the credit and media exposure, our series will take a more eclectic approach, mixing some less well known subjects in with big names that will be more familiar. The series kicks off on p48 with a look back over the amazing career of Mike Wilds, who has been a professional race driver for half a century and shows no sign of slowing down. Elsewhere, we've got the usual great mix of marques, models and eras, a spread that is exemplifi ed perfectly by two of the four project cars…2 分
Classics World|April 2024MERCEDES SL SELLS FOR £340KOur Forgotten Hero in this issue's Future Classics section is singing the praises of the R129 SL Mercedes, and just to prove that we are not the only ones to have noticed this sleeping giant, a new auction record has surely been set for the model when a very lowmileage SL73 AMG (believed to be one of only two RHD examples produced) sold for a whopping £340,000. Powered by a naturally aspirated 7.3-litre V12 delivering 518bhp, it left the factory as an SL600 before being converted in period to SL73 specification for the Brunei royal family. The car was recommissioned following its arrival into the UK in 2017 before being registered last year. Remarkably, it attracted 73 bids on its way to an eye-watering six-figure sale.…1 分
Classics World|April 2024FOTU'S 10TH B'DAYHagerty's world renowned Festival of the Unexceptional celebrates its 10-year anniversary at Grimsthorpe Castle, Lincolnshire on Saturday 27th July. The show dedicated to great everyday classic cars was launched by Hagerty in 2014 to showcase much-maligned and long-forgotten ‘ordinary’ classic cars of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Since its launch, FOTU has grown from a small gathering of cars and their enthusiastic owners to an event where thousands of guests and cars gather, many travelling from far flung corners of the world. To celebrate 10 years of success, the 2024 event will offer an amazing array of attractions, special guests, unexceptional cars and plenty of anniversary celebrations soon to be announced. Tickets for the 2024 Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional are on sale now from www.eventbrite.com, priced at just £35…1 分
Classics World|April 2024NEVER MIND THE FUEL BILL, JUST FEEL THE QUALITY!EMAIL: CLASSICS.ED@KELSEY.CO.UK FIND US ON FACEBOOK: THE LATEST FEEDS AT WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/CLASSICSMONTHLYMAGAZINE I have just finished reading the March issue, and write to congratulate you on a well put-together and refreshingly informative magazine. This is the first time I've bought Classics World, but recognizing David Gianessi's blue Peugeot 504 on the front cover, I was persuaded to part with the requisite cash. You see, I live not so very far from David, and have admired his Peugeot at close quarters before. In the March editorial you asked for contributions about cars we once knew. I've owned an eclectic mix of interesting motors, from a Bond 875 three-wheeler to a Jensen Interceptor and a Lloyd LS600 Kombi-Wagen (the only one in the UK) to a Vauxhall Royale Coupé. However, I'm writing today…6 分
Classics World|April 2024THE COMMANDO CARRIERI recently came by a wonderful 1960s brochure from Citroën, issued to celebrate the 35th anniversary of its factory in Slough. It has photos of the production line in the building which covered four acres. The publication features pictures of the DS, the Safari and the unusual Bijou. However, I was particularly intrigued by the small pick-up pictured here, which was trialed by the Admiralty and is being lowered onto an aircraft carrier. I wonder if any of your readers might have used one of these vehicles during their Royal Navy service?…1 分
Classics World|April 2024PHIL WHITE ISLAND MAGICAs I drove into town, it was going in the opposite direction. When I strolled up to the local shop for supplies later, it was parking up by a bar. I have seen it several times since. It is a Phase 1 Renault 5 GT Turbo from about 1986. At some point the plastic bumpers and side skirts have been painted to match the rest of the bodywork. It wears the badge of the ultra-rare, limited-numbers Copa edition, although I am insufficiently qualified to know if it is genuine. But it is in beautiful condition, and it is in regular use. I am living for three weeks in Playa de Sardina del Norte, a small beachside town surrounded by banana plantations in the north-west corner of Gran Canaria. This is…4 分
Classics World|April 2024SECOND TIME AROUNDCan I ask first of all whether you are you a Vauxhall man through and through, a Viva specialist, or simply into classics in general? DAVE WHEATLEY: Pretty much Vauxhall, really. I've always been into them, but it all started by chance because my mum happened to have an HC Viva and I started working on that from a young age with my dad teaching me how to take things apart and put them back together. Then I found out about the bigger-engined models, and of course as a youngster they were the ones that interested me most. The Firenza Coupé is the one that really caught my eye, but I did always have a soft spot for the Viva GT because that is really where the whole big-enginein-a-small-car thing…11 分
Classics World|April 2024NOSTALGIA-STILL WHAT IT USED TO BE?It is hard to follow a legend, but Volkswagen arguably did it better than most when they (finally!) replaced the original air-cooled Type 1 Beetle with the Golf in 1974. That was exactly what the company needed to rescue them from plummeting sales and set them on the path to modernity and fresh success as the 1970s turned into the 1980s. However, as the world's best-selling car ever, not to mention the one that created Volkswagen and saw it safely through the rockiest of postwar periods, the Beetle would never be forgotten. In fact, the original was still being produced in Mexico (and would continue until July 2003) when a concept car created on a VW Polo platform and designed in the USA at VW's California studio was exhibited at…12 分
Classics World|April 2024Panel gaps on the Minor TourerContributor Will has a collection of Morris Minors. This column follows the maintenance and modification of them for daily use, as well as the long-term restoration of a 1950 Lowlight Tourer from a desert scrapyard in America and a 1970 Morris Van which has been in his family for nearly 40 years. MY FLEET 1950 MORRIS MINOR LOWLIGHT SALOON OWNED SINCE: 2012 1950 MINOR LOWLIGHT CONVERTIBLE OWNED SINCE: 2017 1967 MINOR SALOON OWNED SINCE: 2010 1970 MINOR VAN OWNED (BY MUM) SINCE: 1980 With Lily my 1967 Morris Minor back on the road and my 1950 Morris Minor Lowlight saloon stored in a serviceable condition (ie. with no long list of jobs to do over the winter!), dad and I have found time to crack on with the winter project.…5 分
Classics World|April 2024PROJECT VW JETTA GTIOUR CARS PROJECT VW JETTA GTI Before Volkswagen's engineers secretly appropriated an Audi 80 GTE engine with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, nailed it into a stiffened Mk1 Golf shell, then lowered and uprated the suspension, nobody used the term hot hatch. But having convinced VW management that their skunk works project had legs early in 1975, the German company launched its new Golf GTI (Grand Tourer Injection) a year later in late 1976 and spawned a whole new genre that's still going very strongly to this day. Despite this, arguments rage about which car was the first hot hatch. According to some enthusiasts of the marque, the Simca 1100 Ti started the whole thing back in 1973. Others argue it was the Renault 5 Alpine in 1976. Even more ardent…9 分
Classics World|April 2024The TRUTH about… the Rootes Arrow SeriesWhen it comes to improbability, the world's motor industry has provided some excellent examples. How about a Mazda 121 (think Kia Pride) floorpan and mechanical units clothed in a first-generation Renault 5 body, complete with large black plastic wheelarch extensions? That would be the Pars Khodra Sepand PK. It's another story, but the design lasted from 2000 to 2008, and typifies the nature of Iran's motor industry, of which more later. A very British improbability, the Rootes Group – an independent manufacturer of cars, vans and trucks built up by two brothers who started as motor dealers and distributors – was facing a difficult future in the mid-1960s. Lacking a true small car, Rootes had invested heavily in the Hillman Imp, also building a new factory for it in Scotland.…7 分
Classics World|April 2024MERCEDES R129 SLWhen the wedge-like R129 broke cover in 1989 it was clear that the Stuttgart firm wanted to draw a line under what had gone before with its more aggressive styling providing a stark contrast with the classic looking W107 which stopped in 1985 after a production lifespan that lasted almost two decades. Yet if you hold your glance a little longer, with its long bonnet and two-seater format, the R129 still has that iconic SL look which made its predecessors such a success. And here's why. Bruno Sacco, who headed up the team responsible for the R129's elegant profile, believed in a ‘vertical affinity’ approach to car design which ensured the cars he styled wouldn't be made immediately obsolete by their successors by retaining key styling cues from the past,…5 分
Classics World|April 2024STANDARD MOTOR CLUB GOLDEN JUBILEEJanuary 19th 2024 was a momentous day in the history of the Standard Motor Club as it celebrated its Golden Jubilee. That's half a century of dedication to the preservation of Standard cars and their derivatives, a milestone that will be marked at the club's Golden Jubilee International Rally in June. Before that, they plan to have a four-car display at Birmingham's NEC on 22nd-24th March for the Classic Car and Restoration Show – one of just six known survivors with coachwork by Swallow on a Standard Big Nine chassis, the only known surviving Standard Flying 20 V-Eight saloon in the UK, a 1937 Standard Flying 20 straight-six project car and a very original Standard Eight from 1957 (pictured). As the club says: ‘All four cars are remarkable survivors and…2 分
Classics World|April 2024CLASSIC CAR LOAN SUCCESSThe Classic Car Loan Project has enjoyed yet another success, with the most recent custodians of the CCLP's Riley Elf having now bought their own classic to enjoy. Emma Merryweather and her husband first heard about the CCLP at the NEC Restoration Show, just after they discovered they were expecting their first child. ‘I have always liked the Riley Elf/Wolseley Hornet shape, so to be given the chance of having an Elf for a year, kindly offered into the CCLP by the Riley Heritage Trust, seemed too good to be true,’ said Emma, ‘and even more so when we found out we were successful with my application.’ The key handover formally took place at the British Motor Museum the following year, members from the Riley Motor Club having kindly fitted…1 分
Classics World|April 2024DREAM GARAGENearly two-thirds of UK motorists (65%) would consider moving house for the perfect garage, and they'd be prepared to pay 4.9% over a property's asking price for the dream layout – that's according to the latest research by eBay. While 91% of respondents to the poll had a garage big enough to house a car, only half (51%) used their garage for this purpose – with clutter preventing 60% of motorists from making the best use of the space available. The study also revealed that the Aston Martin DB5 (22%) is the car respondents most wanted to have in their garage, followed by the Jaguar E-Type (18%), Porsche 911 (17%) Ford Mustang (17%), and Audi R8 (17%).…1 分
Classics World|April 2024A TALE OF TWO RILEYSEMAIL: CLASSICS.ED@KELSEY.CO.UK FIND US ON FACEBOOK: THE LATEST FEEDS AT WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/CLASSICSMONTHLYMAGAZINE This tale involves my late father's 1947 1.5-litre Riley and my 1964 Riley Elf. The one and half litre Riley, registration number DBX 425, was registered in Carmarthenshire in 1947, the year I was born. My father purchased this vehicle secondhand in approximately 1953 from a Riley dealer called Rex Neate in Botley, Hampshire. We understood that the first owner was a doctor from Carmarthen. This car was to replace a Riley 9 Monaco of which dad was really proud. The picture on the right was taken in approximately 1955 at the mainland end of Telford's lovely bridge spanning the Menai Straits. We were nearing the end of our touring holiday around North Wales, hence the Riley is very…3 分
Classics World|April 2024OLD SCHOOL TECHNIQUES AT JAGUARPeter Simpson's description of Morris Minor door fitting in the March issue took me back to the late 1990s when a friend invited me to accompany him on a day out by coach, organised by the Sussex branches of a Jaguar club, to visit the factories at Browns Lane, Coventry and Castle Bromwich, Birmingham. At the latter, we were given a tour of the automated assembly line for the S-Type, with components reaching the line just as they were needed and the bodyshells being assembled and welded together by robots. Just after the four doors had been lifted into place, there came the one point when things went ‘old school.’ There was a gentleman in a lab coat who had a bench on which were various hand tools and a…1 分
Classics World|April 2024ROBIN FLETCHER THE FIATS IN MY LIFEMy late mum and I loved coincidences. Her favourite was serving in an antiques shop and talking to a colleague about a mutual friend they'd not seen for years – when of course said friend then walked through the door. I thought of my mum the other morning when I was out walking our mad co*ckerpoo called Roarie. While randomly pondering why my teenage daughter's dream car is a teal Fiat 500, I happened to glance at a row of cars opposite and, almost inevitably, the first one in line of sight was of course a teal Fiat 500. Having never got behind a Fiat wheel I can't give a driver's view on the Italian marque, but one way or another Fiats have been a presence in my life over…4 分
Classics World|April 2024CLASS OF 1955These two sports cars have broadly similar lines and proportions, a fact only accentuated by them both being painted in white. In part that can be explained by the fact they are both from 1955, but they also share quite a bit of DNA under those gorgeous skins, by no means enough to make them twins or even siblings, but certainly sufficient to qualify as cousins. The Triumph TR2 will need little introduction, having been a regular fixture at both Triumph and general classic car events for many years. The TR2 was the car that enabled Triumph to grab a slice of the lucrative sports car cake in 1953, opening up the vast American market in the process. A genuine 100+mph car, it rode on a bespoke chassis and was…11 分
Classics World|April 2024A BMW for just £70…Contributor After years with Minis and Alfas, Andrew latched onto BMW in the late 1980s and has had at least one every year since. In fact he's now had well over 100. MY FLEET 1989 BMW 730I. OWNED SINCE: 2003. 1994 BMW 318TI: OWNED SINCE: 2017. 2006 BMW 118D: It's my dirty diesel daily. Let's not go there. This is my first ever entry in Drivers Diaries and I'm afraid it's going to be a BMW fest, but there are worse things to own. We will talk about my 1989 730i more next time, but despite having 316,000 miles on the clock it's a show queen I've owned for 20 years. I don't use it as much as I ought to, but it is a very rare five-speed manual. However,…5 分
Classics World|April 2024Fuel leak? Sorted. Occasional misfire? Ah…Contributor Will once drove to the Czech Republic with Simon Goldsworthy in a 1966 Vauxhall Cresta, who bought a Tatra 603 there and drove it home. He has owned a huge variety of cars, and claims to be unique in having owned a threedoor Sierra Cosworth and a Citroën 2CV at the same time. MY FLEET 1986 MERCEDES 500 SEC OWNED SINCE: 2012 1977 YAMAHA XS650 OWNED SINCE: 2020 Wise mechanics will tell you that 90% of fuelling problems are actually ignition faults, but for once conventional wisdom didn't apply to my Mercedes. While hunting down a persistent and long running (seven years and counting) misfire at idle – and getting nowhere fast – a petrol line somewhere underneath the car let go and turned my garage into a potential…5 分
Classics World|April 2024MORRIS TRAVELLER PROJECTPART 4 With work on the front doors finally completed, the next item on our to-do list was the woodwork. Overall, our car's wood was pretty good; that was one of the reasons I bought it. But though the wood was extremely solid, its varnish was anything but, and the wood's good state of preservation is pretty much entirely down to it having spent many years in barn storage. Clearly, a full rub down and reseal was needed, not only for cosmetic reasons but also to give the wood a chance to survive in the world outside that barn. As most classic enthusiasts know, a Minor Traveller's woodwork isn't just for show. Rather, it forms the whole structural frame of the car's back end in exactly the same way as…10 分
Classics World|April 2024LEYLAND'S PRINCESSBUYING GUIDE With the benefit of hindsight, it is fair to say that the BMC Landcrab – the AD017 known as the Austin 1800 – missed its mark. Originally intended as a replacement for the Farina series, it grew too big, lacked the sense of style that came naturally to an Italian styled saloon, and unless your budget would stretch to the Wolseley 18/85 version, the interior was austere in the extreme. The designer, Alec Issigonis, felt that regardless of the size of a car there was no need for any sort of luxury aside from space, a view that was perhaps part of the car's downfall. Even when the Landcrab gained a six-cylinder engine wearing Austin/Morris 2200 or Wolseley Six badges, it still stole few sales from the likes…10 分
Classics World|April 2024FUTURE ClassicsLike people, some cars age more gracefully than others. That's why this issue we've put the timeless Mercedes-Benz R129 SL under the spotlight on pages 116-117. The car was a game changer in many respects with its innovative safety features – not least the fact it was the first Merc to boast a rollover bar which would pop up automatically in roofdown mode in less than half a second to protect the occupants if the car was about to flip over. But more than that, park up outside a swish coffee bar or high street restaurant and it still looks as fresh as it did 35 years ago. It's one of those ‘forever’ cars – elegant, easy to keep and stacked with lovely little features which will make you reluctant…2 分
Classics World|April 2024BEST OF BRITISHFUTURE Classics BUYING GUIDE Combining archetypal British sports car good looks, supple ride quality and excellent high-speed body control, the Chimaera ticks all the modern classic boxes – and then some. Moreover, with its lift-out targa style roof panel which stores in the car's vast boot, it offers the best of both worlds and can cope with the best and the worst that our British climate has to throw at it. At its heart is the wellproven Rover V8 engine, which appeared in a variety of guises – including a 240bhp 4.0-litre, a 285bhp 4.5 and the range topping 340bhp 5.0-litre – a unit that it shared with its sister car the Griffith. The Chimaera's general body shape changed little during production, although in 1996 it adopted the front nose…6 分
Classics World|April 2024MISFIRE MAYHEMFLYING SPUR PROJECT PART 4 I signed off our last instalment having sorted out the failed CV joint boot on the offside front, which meant I could turn my attention to some of the easier cosmetic issues. But, as we're starting to discover with a car this complex, there's always something waiting in the wings with a W12-engined Bentley. This time it was a sudden loss of power accompanied by a noticeable change in the engine note which was obviously the result of at least one cylinder dropping out. Thinking nothing of it, I assumed it would sort itself out after restarting, but that didn't happen. So I plugged in a basic OBD reader which told me I had a misfire on cylinder seven. As we all optimistically do, I…5 分
Classics World|April 2024ONES TO WATCHVolkswagen Scirocco (2008-2017) The original Giugiaro-styled Karmann-built ‘Rocco is already a sought-after classic, and the rounded Mk2 that followed in 1981 also has a following – of sorts. However, we've got a good feeling about the third incarnation which made its debut in 2008. Based on the Mk5 Golf but with sleek coupé styling and a wider track, it looks and drives impeccably yet remains woefully undervalued in our opinion, with as little as £4000 being enough to secure a tidy, early 1.4 TSI. From launch it was offered with a choice of 1.4- or 2.0-litre turbo petrol engines in a variety of power outputs ranging from 120bhp to 200bhp, with the GTi version gaining an additional 10bhp in late 2009. There was also a 261bhp R version from 2010…5 分
Classics World|April 2024CLASSIC TAILSSo here we are in 2024, and it's now a whopping 50 years since the introduction of the Volkswagen Golf. I blow hot and cold on VW stuff, mainly because of their often baffling mechanical design that seems purposely made to fail. (Why have one cam belt when you can have two?) For me, the first two generations of Golf were the best, and certainly a good standard Mk2 Golf 1.8GL is still a very pleasant car to drive. I remember Mk1 Golfs when they were new. At Loders Garage where my mum bought her first new car – a 900cc Polo L in 1978 – there were Golfs in the showroom and they always looked good. My mum replaced her Polo in 1982 with EYB 340Y, a new black…4 分
Classics World|April 2024SPEEDY SPARES TO CLOSEPortslade-based Rootes specialists Speedy Spares is to cease trading on 28th March after 58 years in business. Speedy Spares is the main parts specialists for all Rootes Group vehicles. The business is owned by the same family as formerly ran R J Grimes of Coulsdon, who had specialised in obsolete Rootes parts as far back as the 1950s. Grimes closed in the early 2000s, with the Rootes stock, goodwill and most importantly the specialist knowledge all moved to the south coast. The business always provided excellent service and its loss will certainly be felt by many. In a statement, Speedy Spares said: ‘This voluntary decision to close has been taken after months of serious deliberation whilst thoroughly exploring all of the options. Recent years have seen many challenges and Brexit,…1 分
Classics World|April 2024HALF A CENTURY OF GOLFSIn 1974, the Golf succeeded the Volkswagen Beetle and quickly became a pioneer in its class. It was an automotive revolution when Volkswagen presented the first Golf, and thus the successor to the legendary Beetle, with front-wheel drive and versatile packaging thanks to the large boot lid and folding rear seat backrest. In addition, the straight-line design created by Giorgetto Giugiaro helped Volkswagen adopt a new style, and the first million units had been sold as early as 1976. Another seven Golf generations followed, and more than 37 million have been sold across all eight generations. In the anniversary year 2024, Volkswagen will present the evolutionary development of the eighth Golf generation. Volkswagen Classic will also present historic Golf models from the Volkswagen collection on numerous occasions. These started from…1 分
Classics World|April 2024PRODUCTSMOTOR-THEMED TOILETRIES Price: £8.99 each What do you get for the man with motors in his life who has everything he needs for the garage? MOTÖR's premium modern toiletries for men from car care specialist, Morethanpolish! Whether your life throbs to a lazy or flat plane crank V8, is soundtracked by a high revving flat-six or enjoys the thrust of a turbo, these new, distinctively packaged products will kick-start any shower routine, and benefit your body throughout the day. The large 400ml recyclable bottles not only look the part, but the products inside smell great and are premium formulations using natural ingredients and extracts, scented with exotic natural oils. The range is cruelty free, vegan, and suitable for all skin and hair types. Each product is priced at £8.99 and…3 分
Classics World|April 2024MK1 ASTRAJust reading your piece on the Mk1 Vauxhall Astra in the February issue. I agree with what you say, apart from when you say there is absolutely nothing wrong with the cabin. I borrowed one from Skipper of Gloucester, neighbouring dealer to Haines and Strange of Cheltenham whose plates are attached to the yellow car in your pictures. My test car for the Gloucester Citizen, a car from initial launch stock, was a pea green estate and I can still hear the engine rasp as I read your words. However, the early cars seemed to have a problem with the sun visors. They folded down OK, but try to turn them sideways and the stem snapped so the visor came off in your hands. It happened both on the estate…1 分
Classics World|April 2024IAIN AYRE HELEN POON – RIPRegular readers will be familiar with the name of Helen Poon, my Canadian partner in many road trips and automotive japes. You will remember reading about our fairly silly road trip last year in the Reliant Robin to the Isle of Man, and last month the much more sensible and civilised trip to France in the Rover 95. I'm very sad to have to report that Helen was involved in a serious crash on a road trip in New Zealand in January while driving an Audi TT, and that she did not survive her injuries. She had been a close friend of mine for more than a decade, although she was only in her mid-30s. The first trip we did together was top fun: I was the Prime MINIster of…4 分
Classics World|April 2024AN ASPIRATIONAL MOTOR CARWhen retired classic guitarist Erik Hill was a young boy scout, once a year he and the other members of his troop would take part in Bob-aJob week. Apart from the usual gardening jobs, Erik was also employed washing a considerable number of cars. ‘I particularly remember a Rover P3 in our neighbourhood that I used to wash,’ he said. ‘This was the era when a Rover had the quality of an Armstrong-Siddeley or perhaps even Rolls-Royce, but without the price that went with those marques. It was a middleclass car to which people were rather proud to aspire. I remember that feeling as I ran my hand over the Rover's bodywork – it felt so much more solid, well-built and better quality than the Austins Morrises and Fords of…9 分
Classics World|April 2024PEOPLE AND PLACES MIKE WILDSIn the early 1980s you could buy a ticket to Silverstone practice days for a quid. Although barred from the pit lane, you could wander freely round the paddock. For car-obsessed parents of carfixated kids, it offered cheap but epic weekend child care. At the time we lived close enough to the circuit to hear race meetings on the wind, so my dad took us to practice regularly. On 14th May 1982, 11 year old me was strolling round the Silverstone paddock clutching a pen and the Motoring News. It was open at a half-page advert for the Pace Six Hours, a round of the FIA World Endurance championship. Every so often, my dad would point out a figure. ‘Go and ask for his autograph,’ was his simple instruction. Every…9 分
Classics World|April 2024Bodging, or sensible work-arounds?Contributor An ex-expat motoring author and journo previously resident in Vancouver BC, Iain culled his fleet and shipped the survivors to Scotland, which unlike British Columbia is neither on fire nor under water. Here he hopes to make more progress with grand project plans, as well as bimbling around in his old Bentley and blatting around in his now completed Mini Marcos. MY FLEET 1947 BENTLEY MKVI OWNED SINCE 2015 ENGINE 4.25-litre straight six 1957 BENTLEY S1 OWNED SINCE 2019 ENGINE 4.9-litre straight six 1974 MINI MARCOS OWNED SINCE 2010 ENGINE Cooper-spec 1.1-litre A-series CHEVY/GMC RALLY VAN OWNED SINCE 2022 ENGINE 5.7-litre V8 1952 MKVI BENTLEY BOATTAILED SPECIAL, PROJECT OWNED SINCE 2014 ENGINE supercharged 4.9-litre straight six 1953 R-TYPE BENTLEY SPECIAL, PROJECT OWNED SINCE 2020 ENGINE 2.5-litre straight six 1971…5 分
Classics World|April 2024This month I've been mostly…Editor Simon always has too many projects on the go, which means progress on individual cars can sometimes be slow. On the bright side, it does mean he never gets stuck watching telly of an evening. He likes virtually all classics, but has a weak spot for anything small, basic and generally overlooked. MY FLEET 1968 RELIANT REGAL OWNED SINCE: 2022 1969 FIAT 500 OWNED SINCE: 2022 1970 MG MIDGET OWNED SINCE: 2019 1984 ACCLAIM OWNED SINCE: 2020 1997 RELIANT ROBIN OWNED SINCE: 2023 2000 VW BEETLE OWNED SINCE: 2023 Wasn't there a TV sketch show back in the 1980s or 1990s that had a character who would come out of his shed and say: ‘This week I've been mainly…’ Invariably the sentence would be completed by something mundane like…5 分
Classics World|April 2024FIAT 500PART 5 At the end of last issue I was rather glumly looking forward (if that is the right expression!) to scraping all the old underseal off the Fiat's floorpan. In part this was because thick underseal always makes you think that something is being covered up, but mostly because I had found a few areas of corrosion that needed investigation and rectification. Since the underseal was an old-fashioned bitumen coating, I also wanted to get rid of it because in time that has a tendency to lift and trap water against the metal, thus promoting rust rather than preventing it. So far I had confined my investigations to the underside of the car, and as reported last issue I had found a couple of relatively small holes towards the…9 分
Classics World|April 2024A STROKE OF GENIUSProject Colt – the son of the Mustang commenced in 1964. The design gained its distinctive curved rear windows three years later, and at the end of 1967 Colt was renamed Capri because Mitsubishi owned the former name. Ford GB had previously used the Capri name for the coupe version of the Consul Classic saloon, but the new Capri was to be Ford's third pan-European vehicle after the Transit and the Escort. To reduce potential costs it used a modified Cortina Mk2 suspension and floorpan, while the rack and pinion steering was from the Escort. Crucially, despite this crossover of running gear, the Capri resembled no other car from Ford's British or German operations. Production commenced in Halewood on 14th December 1968. The official launch took place on 21st January…13 分
Classics World|April 2024MODERN CLASSICS AT AUCTIONBrightwells, December 6 Brightwells’ last sale of 2023 included a huge variety of lots, from traditional classics to the hugely sophisticated RollsRoyce MPV which smashed its pre-sale estimate. Here are just a few of those newer classics that caught our eye. See www.brightwells.com for more info. 2019 Rolls-Royce Cullinan – £173,600 What is it, we hear you ask. Well, it's about the most expensive SUV you can buy, which is why it was named after the biggest diamond ever found. Power comes from a twinturbo V12, and this one was showing just 55,922 miles when it entered the auction. It's a lot of car – and still a lot of money. However, considering the first owner took out finance to pay its staggering £280,000 price tag but more recently had…4 分
Classics World|April 2024YOU MIGHT ALSO CONSIDER…Ian Cushway Modern Classics editor BMW Z3 It's the obviously rival, surely – but it would have to be the 2.8 because the smaller engine option is pointless. I almost fell off my chair when I saw how inexpensive the car that played a cameo role in Bond's Goldeneye is these days. Believe it or not, I spotted a ‘99 example advertised privately for just £2495. Yes, really. Andrew Evanson Lancaster Insurance Lexus SC430 Remember these? Possibly not because the sophisticated open-top Lexus which appeared in 2001 was always a rare sight on our roads. It's more a refined comfy cruiser than an outright racer, but it still offers V8 silkiness and effortless performance. Prices for this glorious convertible start at around £5000.…1 分
Classics World|April 2024JAGUAR XK8Mesh grille Mesh grilles always add extra sportiness, which is why they fitted them to the XKR from this era. And the good news is you can buy one for your XK8. There are different types available, but Adamesh supply ones that are made from electro-polished, handwoven stainless steel and supported within a thin metal band with protective rubber to protect your paintwork. They also do these three-piece grilles (£360) for extra visual drama. £179 from Adamesh. Sports cats Increased air flow always helps performance, which is why XK8 owners might be interested in fitting hi-flow catalytic converters with 200 cells per square inch (as opposed to the factory 400-500 cells). These ones are from Venom Motorsport. Brake disc upgrade The XK8's stock brakes are good, but you can add…2 分
