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14 cars that smashed their estimates at first ACA sale of 2018

January 31, 2018

The largest crowd to date attended the latest Anglia Car Auctions classic sale, at which a 1964 Austin Healey 3000 sold for £39,220, an E39 BMW M5 fetched £24,910, and Honda UK paid £4,876 for a 1989 Honda Prelude.

Here, we focus on the cars that smashed their pre-auction estimate, including a couple of lots in need of restoration. As one of the first ‘everyman’ classic auctions of the year, the ACA sale might set the tone for the year ahead.

Jensen FF

Estimate: £20,000 – £30,000

Result: £43,460

There are three Jensen FFs for sale on Car & Classic and eBay, with prices ranging from £90,000 to £135,000. It’s little wonder, then, that somebody was prepared to spend £43,460 on this 1968 example. It has been stored for well over 30 years, but shows just one registered keeper and a mere 45,799 miles on the clock. Even in this condition, we suspect there’s room for a healthy profit.

Peugeot 504 Cabriolet

Estimate: £5,250 – £6,250

Result: £11,872

Together with the Jensen, this Peugeot 504 Cabriolet is proof that a car that doesn’t need to be in concours condition to sell for an unexpectedly high price. In fairness, the pre-auction estimate might have been a tad low, but £11,872 is a meaty price for a car in need of light restoration. The 1972 example is described as being “abandoned”, having been dry-stored since 2009. After some recommissioning, it could be ready for the spring.

Land Rover Series III

Estimate: £8,000 – £10,000

Result: £14,416

A great deal of effort has gone into the two-year restoration of this 1980 Land Rover Series III, with the quality of work reflected in the sale price. New parts include doors, door pillars, footwells, tailgate, bonnet, seats, canvas, grille, front panel and tyres, along with rewired electrics.

Triumph Roadster

Estimate: £14,000 – £16,000

Result: £24,910

This 1949 Triumph Roadster is a bit before our time here at Retro MR, but the rate at which it smashed through its pre-auction estimate and on to a final sale price just shy of £25,000 is impressive. The Roadster is perhaps most famous for its role in the television detective series Bergerac, in which the car was driven by John Nettles. The actual car sold at auction for £23,000 in 2013.

Fiat 128 CL

Estimate: £3,000 – £4,000

Result: £5,936

The Fiat 128 won the European Car of the Year award in 1970, trouncing the Autobianchi A112 and Renault 12 in the process. It was a hugely successful car, amassing 1.75 million sales in its first five years of production. This 1979 example was owned by the same keeper from new until his death in 2010, and the mileage of 34,578 is believed to be genuine.

Alfa Romeo 147 GTA

Estimate: £6,000 – £8,000

Result: £9,752

We’ll be honest: we didn’t realise Alfa Romeo 147 GTAs were holding their value quite this well. On reflection, the pre-auction estimate appears to be very low, because there are three for sale on Auto Trader, with prices ranging from £9,495 to £17,965. You can understand the appeal: this is a lairy hot hatch with a 3.2-litre V6 engine developing what was, at the time, a crazy 250hp. This example benefits from the Q2 differential.

Mini 1275GT

Estimate: £3,500 – £4,500

Result: £5,512

Our auction preview featured this 1979 Mini 1275GT, which had been owned by the same gentleman since 1980. Relatively unloved within classic circles for so long, the Mini Clubman and 1275GT are finally coming of age, as highlighted by the sale price for a car in need of light restoration.

Bentley T1

Estimate: £4,500 – £5,500

Result: £7,420

One of two Bentley T1s in the ACA sale, this 1973 example actually sold for a cheaper price than the 1968 car, but exceeded its estimate with ease. The T- Series was, as is obvious from the photo, a badge-engineered version of the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, which was actually sold for the same price. As a result, more people opted for the Roller, which means T1s are harder to find.

BMW 325i

Estimate: £6,000 – £7,000

Result: £8,798

In 1985, the 325i replaced the 323i as the most exciting model in the BMW 3 Series range, at least until the M3 arrived. It was quicker and more powerful than the 323i, with its 2.5-litre straight-six engine developing 14 percent more power and nine percent more torque. Other significant changes included a lowered suspension and a switch from mechanical fuel-injection to Bosch ME-Motronic. It’s a highly sought-after E30, which explains the sale price knocking on for £9,000.

Ford F-150 Harley Davidson

Estimate: £10,000 – £12,000

Result: £15,900

This supercharged V8 Ford F-150 Harley Davidson is one of five converted to right-hand drive and has been in the UK since 2004. The Harley Davidson edition dates back to 1999, when Ford forged a partnership with the motorcycle manufacturer. Bespoke paint jobs, special wheels and interior upgrades were the order of the day.

Sunbeam Alpine

Estimate: £4,500 – £5,500

Result: £7,420

The Sunbeam Alpine was a mainstay of the sports car market throughout the 1960s, offering look-at-me styling and an alternative to the rivals from MG and Triumph. It’s credited for being one of the first British open two-seaters to feature wind-up windows and was responsible for pioneering the idea of a detachable factory-fitted hardtop.

Nissan Figaro

Estimate: £2,800 – £3,500

Result: £5,406

The Nissan Figaro was one of four Pike cars dating from the late 80s and early 90s, so-called because they were designed to spearhead a new approach, embracing design and marketing from non-automotive industries. Underneath, it’s little more than a Nissan Micra, but owners love its cutesy styling and cheap running costs. The Figaro market remains buoyant, as highlighted by the sale price of this 133,000km example.

Riley Elf

Estimate: £4,500 – £5,000

Result: £6,360

Look at it: how could anybody not love the Riley Elf? At the time, this was one of the most expensive ways to buy a Mini, with its price tag reflective of its distinctive interior styling and interior upgrades. It also featured a large boot, complete with a carpeted floor panel covering the spare wheel and battery.

Aston Martin DBS V8

Estimate: no reserve

Result: £65,720

We’ve deliberately steered clear of cars listed without a reserve, but we’ll make an exception for our final car from the Anglia Car Auctions sale. The Aston Martin DBS V8 arrived in 1969 – two years after the original DBS – and could boast a top speed of 160mph, making it the fastest four-seater production car in the world. This 1971 example has recently returned from Japan and is in need of restoration.

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Cape Town: the South African city with incredible car culture

January 31, 2018

I’ve just arrived in the city of Cape Town. I’m in a Toyota Etios, surrounded by modified Honda Civics, old BMWs and the odd fast Ford. “Are you going to the same place as these guys,” asks our Uber driver. On replying that we are, he responds with “shall we get there before they do?”

And at that, he drops a cog and works the little 1.5-litre engine hard as he points the Etios at Cape Town’s back streets. Along the way, he tells me how much he loves the plucky little motor, while I crane my neck at the cars that we’re passing. Modifying is clearly a ‘thing’ in the Cape Town area – young drivers are keen to put their own stamp on their car in a way that seems to be dying out elsewhere.

When we get to the meet at a car park on the seafront, it’s clear that this ‘thing’ is something the local cops don’t necessarily approve of. Any modified vehicle is being stopped with tickets handed out for minor offences. One modified E30 BMW necessitates a senior officer with a clipboard. He’s there a while.

What’s impressive is the variety on display. Old Toyotas are popular, as are Volkswagens. But there’s weirder stuff, too: a slammed Micra, a Hyundai i10 on deep dish rims, a modern VW Polo all but standard apart from a dixie horn (I only know it has a dixie horn because the driver beeps at the officer holding traffic up and promptly earns herself a ticket).

There’s an obvious divide between the rich and the poor in South Africa and – while I wouldn’t want to suggest that the car scene reflects that (most of the poor can barely afford a house, never mind a modified car) – it does at least mimic the state of the country. Just as the slum neighbourhoods border well-to-do gated estates, someone’s pride-and-joy Opel Kadett (Vauxhall Astra to you and I) is parked next to a C63 AMG.

It’s not long before the police kill the party spirit, so it’s time to head elsewhere. We jump in another Uber (sorry, local taxi drivers) and head to a must-visit tourist attraction: Table Mountain. Having been dropped off at the bottom of the hill, a classic Datsun is spied descending into a hidden car park. We follow for a closer look, and find more than 30 similar models parked up. Initially, their owners (members of the All About Datsun Facebook group, I later discover) treat us with suspicion – we have just turned up at their hidden meet out-of-the-blue and started taking pics, but after a brief chat they’re happy to show off their vehicles.

Unfortunately the event is over as quickly as we discovered it. Of course, watching the cars leaving is quite the spectacle – models that either were never sold in the UK or disintegrated within a few years of arriving are on display with a variety of modifications. Their owners, of course, are also willing to burn some rubber – as much as ancient Datsuns with open differentials can, anyway.

One-wheel burnout ftw. pic.twitter.com/n24Jqc7Umz

— Andrew Brady (@TheAndrewBrady) January 30, 2018

This is a city that loves cars. Stumbling across two car meets within hours of arriving is evidence of that, while there are weird and wacky creations cruising up and down the streets 24 hours a day. The best thing, though, is the respect from the majority of the public, no matter what you drive. There’s very little in the way of snobbery: people were happy to stop an admire cars at both the meets I visited, whether the car in question was an old Datsun or something European and therefore seen as exotic.

As car modification seems to be long out of fashion in the UK – whether that’s because of restrictive insurance, a downturn in car ownership or just a plain simple lack of interest – I can’t help but be a smidgen jealous of Cape Town’s thriving car scene.

In pictures: Cape Town cars

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Is this steam-powered Land Rover the most British thing ever?

January 26, 2018

Britain’s a nation of eccentrics. And nothing exemplifies that more than a northern traction engine enthusiast who’s converted his Land Rover to run on steam.

67-year-old engineer Frank Rothwell was looking for a project to keep him out of the pub in the evening, when he found a 50-year-old Land Rover being sold by a manufacturing company.

“We all need a hobby and I like doing things that are difficult,” he explained. So why not take the perfectly acceptable, albeit slow, 2.25-litre petrol engine out of the Series IIA and fit it with an even slower, noisier and more polluting powertrain?

“We all need a hobby…”

Meet the man behind the first Land Rover in the world to be powered by steam ?

More here: https://t.co/MLKdA7i19T pic.twitter.com/FNyz8rK9vs

— ITV Granada Reports (@GranadaReports) January 23, 2018

The Land Rover, called Mildred on account of all the mildew it was covered in when it was rescued, features a custom-built motor that works like Thomas the Tank Engine, explains Frank.

It uses a coal-fired boiler to heat up water and turn it into steam, building up pressure to run a small engine. It gets through coal at a rate of around 45kg an hour.

Inspired? Buy your own classic Land Rover on eBay

In all, Rothwell reckons the project took him around 400 hours – split equally between building the engine and converting the Land Rover. It’s also said to have cost in the region of £24,000.

Although he’s yet to take the Land Rover for a full-speed run, Frank reckons it’ll be good for 12-15mph – fast enough for his commute, he jibes.

“We’ve just increased the pressure to 200psi,” he said. “I’m expecting it then to do about 12 or 15mph max. And, if I’m going from here to work, I don’t do much more than that anyway. There might be a couple of bits where I might hit 25mph but that’s it, so… I’ll be able to go to work in it in summer.”

Watch: Land Rover converted to run on coal

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Drive a classic car in Scotland? You’re officially less likely to crash

January 23, 2018

If you drive a classic car and want cheap insurance, it might be time to move to Scotland.

Specialist insurer ClassicLine has revealed that six out of 10 postcodes for the lowest number of crashes involving classic vehicles are in Scotland. The firm says postcodes covering Dundee, Paisley, Kilmarnock, Galashiels, Kirkcaldy and Aberdeen are all considered low risk.

In England, the south-west fares well, with Devon and Cornwall both name-checked by the company. In Wales, the Llandudno postcode is where classic car drivers are the least likely to be involved in a smash.

Admittedly, none of this data is a huge surprise. Rural areas with low populations are safer for classic cars – in terms of accidents, anyway. The company doesn’t mention how many cars are stolen in these areas.

“Each motoring accident claim has its own unique circumstances,” said ClassicLine’s managing director, Ian Fray.

“However, our data suggests that you are less likely to suffer a motoring accident in certain parts of Scotland and the south-west of England.”

Care to guess where classic car owners are most likely to suffer a prang? Yes… in London, with ClassicLine identifying NW, N, E and W postcodes as the worst. Isn’t that, erm, most of them?

London aside, classic car drivers in Halifax, Sunderland, Watford and Liverpool feature the highest accident frequency.

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This Citroen 2CV driver gives us a masterclass in maintaining momentum

January 19, 2018

The new Volkswagen Up GTI’s 115hp three-cylinder petrol engine is perky enough that you don’t have to be a particularly skilled driver to drive it fast along a twisty, hairpinned road in the South of France. I should know, I tried it yesterday.

But what was really impressive, while driving along said road, was eventually catching up with an enthusiastic local in a Citroen 2CV van.

Now, anyone who knows anything about the 2CV will know that its long-travel suspension means you can get some pretty impressive body lean in the corners. But equally, its lack of power means you have little choice but to maintain momentum through corners, especially when travelling uphill.

There’s nothing faster on rural, French roads that a cigarette-smoking local, and that’s what exactly what we came across yesterday. His commitment to getting up the hill was incredible – to the point that he nearly ran out of road at one point. Even then, he refused to lift.

Anyway, the video tells the story better than words can. Enjoy…

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The auction full of genuinely cheap classic cars

January 18, 2018

Hold the front page: we’ve found a classic car auction without a Peugeot 205 GTi listed as one of the lots. But don’t despair, because there’s plenty on offer at the forthcoming Anglia Car Auctions (ACA) sale, including some cars being auctioned without reserve. Here are some of the more reasonably priced lots.

Porsche Boxster: £4,250 – £6,000

We’ve seen this Ocean Jade Metallic Porsche Boxster 986 for sale on Car & Classic for the not-unreasonable price of £6,995, so the pre-auction estimate looks about right. You should probably put aside an additional £2,000 on top of the sale price for future maintenance. And yes, we know a 2.7 or 3.2 would be superior, but a £7k Boxster remains a tantalising prospect.

Find a used Porsche Boxster on Auto Trader

Toyota Starlet GL: £1,700 – £2,000

The 70-series Starlet represented a significant change of direction, with the supermini going front-wheel drive for the first time. The old rear-wheel-drive Starlet sold well enough, but in the mid-80s it felt outmoded in a segment featuring the likes of the Metro, Fiesta and Micra. This 1985 Starlet looks like real peach, with an impeccable MOT history and just 46,000 miles on the clock.

Find a used Toyota Starlet on Auto Trader

Volkswagen Golf GTI: £6,000 – £8,000

We’re not going to pretend that a Golf GTI with a pre-auction estimate of £6,000 to £8,000 is ‘cheap’, but given some of the crazy prices we saw in 2017, it seems reasonable if it’s as good as it looks. According to ACA, this 1981 example has been stored for many years, having been owned by the same keeper since 1992. It has also been subject to a full body restoration, refurbished alloys, and new tyres, carpets and parcel shelf.

Find a used Volkswagen Golf on Auto Trader

Audi TT: £1,500 – £1,800

Fans of Hugh Grant should form an orderly queue, as this Audi TT was driven by the star in the 2002 film About a Boy. Head to IMCDb if you want to see stills of the TT in action. If you’re more interested in reading about an Audi, it’s powered by a 1.8-litre turbocharged engine, and there are 131,475 miles on the clock. A modern classic with a sensible price tag.

Find a used Audi TT on Auto Trader

Austin Allegro: £1,500 – £1,800

“Allegro 2 can hold its own anywhere in Europe. The difference is, it’s British. Here’s to the difference.” Based on the ad copy from 1976, Theresa May should be tackling Brexit negotiations in an Austin Allegro. This 1978 example is finished in a very 70s colour and was subject to a complete mechanical overhaul by Edd China in 2014.

Find a used Austin on Auto Trader

Bentley Eight: £4,500 – £5,500

In his series of books, The Magic of a Name: The Rolls-Royce story, Peter Pugh said: “The Bentley Eight, launched in July 1984, was close to being a loss-leader. With precisely the same engineering as a Rolls-Royce, its price was £49,500, about £6,000 cheaper than any other car sold by the company.” It helped to attract new customers to the brand, and it’s now it’s your opportunity to bag a Bentley for less than the price of a Dacia Sandero Access.

Find a used Bentley Eight on Auto Trader

Lotus Elan SE Turbo: £5,000 – £6,000

Nearly three decades on from its launch, the M100 Lotus Elan continues to split opinion, with some declaring it one of the best front-wheel-drive sports cars of all-time, while others argue that ‘front-wheel drive’ and ‘sports car’ should never appear in the same sentence. Whatever, this strikes us as a cost-effective means of entry to the Lotus experience.

Find a used Lotus Elan on Auto Trader

Lada Niva: £3,500 – £4,500

In a month in which Mercedes-Benz has launched an all-new G-Class and Land Rover has unveiled a born-again Defender, allow ACA to deliver something a little more down to earth. The Niva was Lada’s first non-Fiat based model, but some Fiat-derived components were carried over. This is a Cossack version, positioned as a more upmarket take on the standard Niva. But don’t be fooled: this remains a basic, go-anywhere mud-plugger. And we want it.

Find a used Lada Niva on Auto Trader

Skoda 136 Rapid Coupe: £3,750 – £4,500

We remember one magazine referring to the Skoda 136 Rapid as a kind of entry-level Porsche 911, and you can understand why. These things are a hoot to drive, with the rear-engine layout making for lively and entertaining handling. Standard performance is hardly what you’d call… rapid, but this one has been treated to a tuned engine.

Find a used Skoda Rapid on Auto Trader

Volkswagen Golf GTI: £3,000 – £4,000

Another Golf GTI, but this time it’s a Mk2, with a pre-auction estimate that’s precisely half that of the Mk1. According to ACA, this 1991 example has been stored for the last four years and benefits from some new parts. Rather worryingly, the MOT history suggests that the car had covered 209,315 miles in 2012, but the odometer now reads 99,395. Something to check out.

Find a used Volkswagen Golf on Auto Trader

Volvo 144: £800 – £1,200

When Volvo launched the 144 in 1967, it was quick to point out that it featured “more safety features than any other car in the world”, including a pop-out safety windscreen, energy absorbing front and rear ends, a collapsing steering column, burst-proof door locks and a dual-circuit brake system. Not much is known about this 1971 example, but we know that it has been family-owned from new.

Find a used Volvo on Auto Trader

Mini 1275GT: £3,500 – £4,500

Launched in 1969, the 1275GT was the hot version of the new Clubman range, featuring the same controversial restyled nose and a single-carburettor 1,275cc engine. This 1979 example has been owned by the same gentleman since 1980 and is in need of light restoration. Cool thing.

Find a used Austin Mini on Auto Trader

BMW M3 Evolution: £7,000 – £9,000

We suspect this BMW M3 Evolution will be in high demand, not least because it has been owned by the same family since new and is offered with a warranted mileage of 89,600. The MOT history is encouraging, while the condition – based on the photos – looks okay, but those alloy wheels will require refurbishing.

Find a used BMW M3 on Auto Trader

Ford Capri 2.8i: no reserve

This 1983 Ford Capri 2.8i is being offered with no reserve so it will be interesting to see the final price. Values of fast Fords have been on the up for a while, with six-cylinder Capris in particular demand. The two-tone paintwork is a classic 80s combo, but we’d lose those non-original alloys.

Find a used Ford Capri on Auto Trader

Honda Prelude: no reserve

This could be one of the stars of the ACA sale. It’s a one owner Honda Prelude with just 22,210 miles on the clock, described as being entirely original with an interior in excellent condition. Bonus points for the pop-up headlights.

Find a used Honda Prelude on Auto Trader

Jaguar XJR-S: £9,000 – £12,000

This might miss the ‘genuinely cheap’ target by a country mile, but it’s dripping in provenance. The XJS was plucked from the Jaguar production line in 1988 and sent to the part-Tom Walkinshaw owned JaguarSport business, where it was transformed into the test-bed for the production XJR-S. This 6.0-litre V12 GT car offered supercar levels of performance, with a top speed of 160mph.

Find a used Jaguar XJS on Auto Trader

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL: no reserve

By the time this 300 SL rolled out of the factory, the R107 was nearing the end of a production run dating back to 1971. It comes with heated front seats and rear jump seats, with the latter being a rare factory option. The SL Shop offers an aftermarket alternative for £1,777.95, and the seat is said to be indistinguishable from the factory item.

Find a used Mercedes-Benz SL on Auto Trader

Rover 3500S: £3,750 – £4,750

In his book, Rover P6: 1963 to 1977, James Taylor described the 3500S as the “most charismatic of all the P6 range”, thanks largely to the manual gearbox. The Almond paint and Huntsman vinyl roof is a colour combo so evocative of the era, while the original owner splashed out on optional leather upholstery.

Find a used Rover P6 on Auto Trader

BMW 535i SE: £3,750 – £4,500

Before the arrival of the M5, the 3.5-litre 535i was the range-topping E34 BMW 5 Series, and was, at the time at least, probably the best executive car in the world. Few cars could rival the 535i for all-round performance, ride and handling, while the level of engineering was first-rate. All of which makes this one-owner example look delightfully tempting.

Find a used BMW 5 Series on Auto Trader

Ford Fiesta XR2: no reserve

It’s a fast Ford from the 1980s, so you can almost name your price. That said, a quick trawl through the completed listed on eBay reveals prices ranging from £3,000 to £6,000 for good quality Mk2 Fiesta XR2s. This 1989 example has covered 94,374 miles and has been subject to a full strip-down and respray.

Find a used Ford Fiesta on Auto Trader

Mitsubishi GTO: £3,000 – £4,000

The Mitsubishi GTO was sold in the UK as the 3000GT, and, as the name suggests, power was provided by a 3.0-litre engine. This 1995 example was registered in the UK in 2005 and is said to be in a standard and unmodified condition.

Find a used Mitsubishi GTO on Auto Trader

Rover Mini Cooper: £5,000 – £6,000

Arguably the best junior hot hatch without a hatchback, this Rover Mini Cooper has covered 51,900 miles since new in 1998. This is a late version of the classic Mini: three years later, BMW launched the new Mini.

Find a used Rover Mini on Auto Trader

Fiat 850 Spider: £11,000 – £13,000

The majority of the oh-so-pretty Fiat 850 Spiders were sold in the US, where it was, at the time, the only 1.0-litre sports car on the market. We’re not going to pretend that the pre-auction estimate is cheap, but our justification for including it is that it’s around half the price of a new Fiat 124 Spider.

Find a used Fiat on Auto Trader

Ford Cortina 1600: no reserve

We conclude with this 1969 Ford Cortina, which is fitted with a supercharged 1600E engine. There are around 200 entries on offer at the ACA sale, which takes place on Saturday 27 January 2018. You can view the lots a day earlier at the auction house in King’s Lynn.

Find a used Ford Cortina on Auto Trader

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Land Rover Defender: driving 70 years of history

January 17, 2018

The Isle of Islay, just off the west coast of Scotland, is home to around 3,000 inhabitants. Accessible from the mainland only by ferry or air, it’s an isolated place. Mobile phone signal is barely existent – and if you can get it, your operator will assume you’re abroad and charge you exorbitant rates.

It’s no surprise, then, that Rover managing director Spencer Wilks and his chief engineer brother Maurice liked to escape the West Midlands in favour of their family retreat on the island. Not that getting a mobile phone signal was a concern more than 60 years ago.

Although the Isle of Anglesey in North Wales is often considered the birthplace of the Land Rover (it’s where Maurice drew an initial sketch of the car into the sand), Islay is where it really developed as an idea.

So, with Land Rover announcing its new Defender V8 Works to celebrate the firm’s 70th anniversary, we headed out to Islay to discover the island that inspired an iconic vehicle – and drive a line-up of the Defender’s predecessors.

Series I

The Series I, or simply the Land Rover as it was known back then, was introduced in 1948.

The example we’ve driven is owned by the Dunsfold Collection. Apparently it’s manager Phil Bashall’s pride and joy, and that’s evident from its simply immaculate condition.

The car is a 1954 Series I 107-inch pick-up – the equivalent of today’s Defender 110 truck cab. There’s little evidence that it’s more than 60 years old, but there are little quirks that set it apart from today’s Defender.

The wipers, for example, are manually operated. An interesting concept on a wet Scottish island. And the speedo is set in the middle and bobs around telling you vaguely how fast you’re daring to go – with VMax from its 53hp 2.0-litre petrol engine somewhere around 50mph.

‘Charming’ is the word.

Series II

Technically, this isn’t a Series II, but a Series IIA. Cosmetically there’s little difference to the II, but at this point a 2.25-litre diesel engine was introduced to the Land Rover for the first time.

The Series IIA on Islay is a 2.25-litre petrol, however. The first vehicle we drive after landing on the island, it’s a quick lesson in driving older cars. With no synchromesh on lower gears, it requires double de-clutching. Combine that with brakes lacking in servo assistance, and we soon discover how difficult it is to slow down an old Land Rover while heading downhill into a twee Islay village.

The steering doesn’t help the experience, either. Driving in a straight line is tricky – something we put down to an ‘old Land Rover’ thing, but actually turned out to be a dodgy steering box.

Still, despite these issues, it’s hard to deny the Series IIA is a lovely vehicle in which to potter around a Scottish island. Made in 1965, it looks like something out of Heartbeat, while its 2.25-litre petrol engine provides adequate power for Islay’s minor roads.

Series III

This isn’t our first encounter with MJP 936W – a 1980 109-inch Series III. We first got to drive it around Land Rover’s off-road course in Solihull during a visit to the Defender production line.

It’s as terrifying as I remember, with the turning circle of a bus and ancient drum brakes. But it’s also brilliant fun. By now I’m starting to get used to dropping down through the gears rather than relying on the brakes – a technique few of us use in our everyday driving.

It’s got the same 2.25-litre petrol engine as the Series IIA, but with a load of extra mass. It’s certainly more suitable for pootling around than getting anywhere in a hurry.

90 40th Anniversary

The launch of the 90 and 110 in 1983 represented a turning point for Land Rover that some hardcore enthusiasts still struggle to accept. It’s when Land Rover made the switch to coil spring suspension, instead of leaf springs.

Driving this Land Rover 90, it’s hard to argue that leaf springs are better in any way. Not only do the coil springs provide a more comfortable ride, they also give more axle articulation when off-road.

But that’s enough about suspension – what makes this 90 so special? Well, it was produced to celebrate 40 years of Land Rover production in 1988. The plan was to launch a limited run of 40 special editions, all bearing the number ‘40’ on the number plate. However, with the 1980s being a turbulent time for car production in the UK, strike action led to the project being cancelled.

Just two were built. This one was finished in traditional Land Rover Bronze Green paint, with even the wheelarches colour-coded. It was equipped with a khaki soft-top, providing a nod to soft-top models of earlier Land Rovers.

Driving it around Islay, there’s just something about it that feels so right. Possibly the perfect compromise between old and new, it’s easy to drive, but still feels like you’re driving a classic vehicle.

110 V8 County Station Wagon

The 110 County Station Wagon represents a shift away from farmers’ workhorses to recreational family vehicles. With more comfortable seats than the regular 110, as well as a number of improvements over the years (from exterior stickers to a radio-cassette player), the CSW made the 110 genuinely desirable for the first time.

Powered by a 3.5-litre Rover V8, you’d expect the 110 CSW we drove on Islay to be pretty rapid. But with just 134hp and a weight nudging two tonnes, it’d struggle to keep up with a modern Transit-engined Defender (and certainly not the new Defender V8 Works). Still, if you do boot it (and try not to think about the fuel bills if you do), it does at least sound good.

The extra length of the 110 compared to the 90 can also make things tricky off-road – while negotiating a narrow, rocky descent onto a beach, for example, the shorter vehicles were much happier to lift a wheel and get on with it.

Defender 90 Heritage Edition

Launched as a final send-off for the Defender, our first impressions of the Heritage edition are that it looks stunning in its Grasmere Green paintwork.

After driving its predecessors, it even feels modern. And that’s not something we’d expect to write about a Defender.

The 2.2-litre TDCI diesel is quite vocal, but it does have a degree of performance to go with it. By that we mean it’ll keep up with normal traffic.

It’s still definitely a Defender, though. The whole experience is a bit Marmite. However, if you’re of the Defender mindset, you’ll love it.

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This sheddy Civic is the best £950 I’ve ever spent

January 16, 2018

The Christmas period is a brilliant time for buying a car. No one has any spare cash, and sellers are desperate to shift their old motors off their driveways.

I didn’t really need a car, but a plausible excuse for hunting out a winter runaround was formed and I hit my saved Auto Trader search for sub-£1,500 cars for sale within 20 miles. There were two contenders: a gold Vauxhall Omega and a Honda Civic

The former was quickly dismissed upon looking at it – it had clearly been neglected and would no doubt throw up some big bills, but the Honda was a little more promising.

OK, I did view it in the dark. That’s a bit of a no-no when it comes to used car buying. And the seller didn’t have the V5 in his name, but I believed his reasoning. Daft? Maybe, but it sounded plausible. And the car was a 2005 Honda Civic – practically new within this price range – and came with stacks of receipts. What’s the worst that could happen?

I haggled a bit, got him down to £950 (I’d previously seen it advertised at £1,300 before it was reduced to £1,050) and arranged to pick it up a few days before Christmas.

You may have noticed… it’s no ordinary Civic. It’s a Type S, which internet forum types will tell you is essentially a thinking man’s Type R. Kind of. It shares the same engine, albeit down on power by 40hp, and it’s got five doors. More doors, more friends. As they say.

The day I bought it, I loaded it with Christmas presents and headed a few hundred miles north-west for a test trip loosely disguised as visiting family. All was in order: it returned around 40mpg on the motorway (beating its 37.7mpg combined figure) and cruise control and various other goodies make it a surprisingly pleasant long distance cruiser.

One downside is the suspension. It’s rather firm and, with hindsight, I probably ought to have hunted out an Executive trim level with its full leather, heated seats and a sunroof. Not to mention more forgiving ride and a more frugal 1.6-litre engine.

But a 1.6-litre Civic doesn’t rev to 7,000. If you’re happy to cling onto the the revs, the Type S will shift along rather well, even if it does feel a bit mechanically unsympathetic.

I was doing just that recently when the engine management light pinged on. Ah. Watch this space…

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A Ferrari for every budget: prancing horses up for auction

January 11, 2018

People who know about making money are regularly hyping up cars as the best way of investing cash. Auction results constantly throw up surprises as desirable vehicles achieve record sums, and there’s no better brand to invest in than Ferrari. The Maranello manufacturer has arguably the biggest fanbase in the world and, if you find a genuine Ferrari in good condition, it could prove a safer investment than the building society.

This weekend’s Autosport International show features an auction by specialists Coys, with a number of Ferraris going under the hammer. The usual caveats apply: do your homework first and don’t necessarily assume that every Ferrari will soar in price. But it probably will.

1981 Ferrari Mondial 8

Estimate: £25,000 – £30,000

A grey Mondial. It’s got to be one of the least desirable Ferraris ever sold, yet we still reckon it has something about it. Not to mention a £25,000 lower estimate, which is either desirable or bonkers depending on your view. On the one hand, £25,000 for a classic Ferrari is a bargain. On the other hand, ropey examples of these were dropping below £10,000 a few years ago.

This one has a red interior, which gives a much-needed pick-me-up we reckon. Left-hand-drive with a lack of MOT history suggests this one hasn’t enjoyed a life in the UK, although the auctioneers tell us it comes with plenty of history and a current UK registration document.

1986 Ferrari Mondial 3.2 Cabriolet

Estimate: £25,000 – £30,000

A four-seat, mid-engined soft-top Ferrari for £25,000 – £30,000, what’s not to like? With the Mondial’s V8 engine bored out to 3.2 litres and power up to 270hp, this Cabriolet should be more desirable than a standard Mondial or, indeed, the 8. Despite that, it’s likely to make a similar amount of money to the Mondial 8 also up for auction, reckons Coys.

Finished in Ferrari Rosso Corsa (red to you and me) with a yellow interior, this Mondial Cabriolet has covered just 78,800 miles in its 31-year life. There’s a history file to back that up, says the seller, including an 11-page specialist appraisal detailing the car’s condition.

1991 Ferrari 348 TS

Estimate: £40,000 – £50,000

The final ‘junior’ Ferrari developed by old man Enzo before his death, the 348 replaced the very successful 328 GTB/GTS. With a longitudinally-mounted V8 engine producing 304hp, the ‘TS’ stood for ‘trasversale spider’, referring to its transverse gearbox and soft-top roof.

This Giallo Fly yellow example was first registered in France before being imported to the UK in 1998. It’s covered just 41,300 miles and comes with a detailed history file, say the auctioneers. As Ferraris go, this could be a bargain…

1983 Ferrari 512 BBi

Estimate: £250,000 – £300,000

If you really want to splash out at this weekend’s sale, this could be the Ferrari for you. The name refers in part to the 512’s 5.0-litre 12-cylinder boxer engine, which helped take the Ferrari to a top speed of 183mph – incredible for the time.

This example was sold new by Charles Pozzi Automobiles of France and has passed through the hands of just three owners since new. All the important paperwork is included to prove this is a genuine car that’s been serviced and maintained to a high standard – an important consideration when you’re investing a serious amount of money in a V12 Ferrari.

1975 Ferrari 365 GT4/BB

Estimate: £280,000 – £320,000

The Ferrari 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer was a revolutionary car for the brand. It replaced the front-engined Daytona, and was the first mid-engined 12-cylinder road car produced by Maranello. Rivalling the Lamborghini Miura and later the Countach, the 365 GT4/BB proved to be extremely rare. Just 387 were built.

This is one of just 58 UK-spec right-hand-drive cars, sold new to “Ferrari royalty” Colonel Ronnie Hoare: chairman of Maranello Concessionaires UK. It comes with stacks of paperwork, including an original order form detailing blue metallic Dino paintwork with a beige interior. It’s had a full restoration and the seller describes it as “one of the best on the market today”.

1994 Ferrari 348 Spider

Estimate: £40,000 – £45,000

One of two 348s to feature at the Autosport International auction, the Spider version was a relatively late offering, arriving less than two years before the model was replaced by the F355. As such, it sold in relatively small numbers, making it a sensible investment today.

This 348 Spider looks the part in Nero Black paint with contrasting Crema leather. It’s covered just 40,000 miles with an enthusiast owner for the last 11 years. As such, it’s got plenty of history, and being stored in a temperature-controlled garage means it’s in exceptional condition.

1985 Ferrari 208 GTS Turbo

Estimate: £40,000 – £50,000

Downsized, turbocharged engines are all the range now, but they’re nothing new. Ferrari introduced a 2.0-litre turbo version of its 308 in 1980 to cater for the domestic Italian market, where cars with engines bigger than 2.0 litres faced much heavier VAT. The 2.0-litre V8 (yes, V8!) produced 220hp, taking it to a top speed of 150mph.

The 208 Turbo offered for sale this weekend was built in 1985 and first registered in 1987 when its first owner exported it to Malta. Its second owner was the president of Malta’s Ferrari Owners’ Club, who set about a comprehensive restoration. It then fell into the hands of its third and current owner, who’s owned the car for the last 17 years.

1995 Ferrari F355 Spider

Estimate: £65,000 – £80,000

There was a time when the F355 was the modern classic Ferrari to own, but numbers are gradually starting to dwindle and prices are creeping up. It still represents good value for money, and a good compromise between old and new. In Spider form, it could make for a January bargain ahead of spring.

This F355 is a left-hand-drive model finished in the desirable Rosso Corsa with Nero leather. It’s covered just 23,000 miles and is UK-registered, despite seemingly have enjoyed a life in the sun. The perfect car to keep at your European holiday home, perhaps?

1993 Ferrari F40 Michelotto LM specification

Estimate: £800,000 – £1,000,000

The F40 is arguably the most desirable Ferrari of the last 30 years. The last model to be personally approved by Enzo Ferrari himself, the mid-engined V8, rear-drive sports car regularly achieves strong money when examples appear up for auction.

This is no ordinary F40, either. Rather than leading a pampered life, it was prepared for racing early on, and has spent most of its life competing in motorsport. More than £80,000 has been spent restoring it in recent years, and it comes with a stack of spare parts should you wish to take this rare F40 racing again.

1982 Ferrari Mondial 8

Estimate: £25,000 – £35,000

Thinking about bidding on the grey Mondial 8 we featured earlier on? This red example could be an excellent back-up. Ferrari’s first attempt at producing a ‘world car’, the Mondial 8 was powered by a fuel-injected 3.0-litre V8.

This Mondial 8’s had lots of recent work carried out by its owner of several years, with a large history folder accompanying the car. With a lower estimate of £25,000, it could be one of the more affordable stars of the auction.

1978 Ferrari 308 GTS

Estimate: £30,000 – £40,000

Readers of a certain age will associate the Ferrari 308 GTS with Magnum PI. It proved to be a hit for the firm – and not just because of its American crime drama connotations. More than 12,000 examples of the 308 GTB/GTS were sold over a 10-year production span, but that isn’t great news for collectors today. Although prices are creeping up, it’s never going to be a particularly exotic collector’s piece.

Since being sold by Maranello Ferrari of Egham, Surrey, this 308 GTS has passed through the hands of a small number of dedicated owners. During that time, it’s covered an incredibly low 7,649 miles, before being recommissioned with a full service and cambelt in 2017.

1976 Ferrari Dino 208 GT4

Estimate: £40,000 – £45,000

Revealed at the 1973 Paris Motor Salon, the Dino 208 GT4 was, like the 208 GTS Turbo we featured earlier, aimed at the Italian market with its tiny 2.0-litre V8 engine. Just 840 were sold, all left-hand drive and destined for Italy.

This very original Dino stayed with its first owner for nearly 40 years. It was recently purchased by ex-F1 driver Alex Wurz who registered it in Monaco, before quickly passing it on to its current owner who imported it to the UK. It’s yet to be registered here, however, meaning you have the chance to be its first UK-registered owner.

2002 Ferrari 360 Spider

Estimate: £55,000 – £65,000

A successor to the popular F355, the Ferrari 360 was groundbreaking when it arrived in the late 90s. Using an all aluminium spaceframe chassis and a new V8 engine, it was a huge step forward for the Maranello firm.

The number of Ferrari 360s around proves how popular it was but – like most Ferraris – prices are going up. This silver example has been used sparingly, covering an average of 1,000 miles a year since being bought new in 2002.

2012 Ferrari FF

Estimate: £120,000 – £130,000

We’ll end with the most modern Ferrari to feature at the auction, a 2012 FF. The manufacturer’s first four-wheel-drive model, the FF shooting brake proved you didn’t need to run a Range Rover as a family car alongside your Ferrari.

This Nero Black example has had one owner from new, with just 36,000 miles on the clock.

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David Bowie’s Volvo 262C Bertone Coupe makes £160,000 at auction

January 3, 2018

A rare Volvo 262C previously owned by rock legend David Bowie has sold at auction in Switzerland for an incredible 212,800 Swiss Francs (£160,735) including fees – nearly three times its top estimate.

Intended for the American market, the Volvo 262C was built by Italian design house Bertone as a rival to the likes of the Cadillac Eldorado. Like us, Bowie appears to have been a fan of its Italian-Swedish charm, ordering one of the final models before production ended in 1981. It was delivered to his base in Switzerland in June 1981 and registered in Bowie’s real name (David Robert Jones) before ownership was later officially transferred to his record company, the Bewlay Bros.

As a 1981 262C, the Volvo 200-based coupe lacks the desirable (in our opinion) vinyl roof of earlier models but it retains other 262C features: its 2.8-litre V6 engine co-developed by Volvo, Peugeot and Renault (producing 155hp in this guise) as well as, of course, that 2+2 Bertone styling. Standard kit was extensive, including a leather interior, cruise control and alloy wheels, while Bowie opted for a three-speed automatic gearbox and splashed out on a Volvo hi-fi system with Blaupunkt speakers.

With just 53,000km (33,000 miles) on the clock, the ex-Bowie Volvo 262C was described by the auctioneers as being in “very good and well maintained original condition” – slightly underwhelming considering the staggering £160,000 price tag. For an old Volvo.

The car’s rarity – not to mention celebrity owner – will no doubt have helped its value, though. Just 6,620 were ever produced, with most destined for the US.