LANCASTER CLASSIC CAR NEWS
Remember to have your say on the future of our classic community!
Last month, the government launched a consultation giving enthusiasts the chance to have their say and help shape future policy on how to protect classic vehicles and safeguard our industry for generations to come.
RARER THAN RARE – THE ALFA ROMEO 2000 BERLINA
Some cars of the 1970s are greeted with the words “My dad/mum/teacher/pet goldfish used to have one of those,” but an Alfa Romeo 2000 Berlina never seems to fall into this category. During this writer’s (very distant) youth, it was transport for the ‘smart set’ at the local yachting marina, all suntans, dark glasses, and cocktails on the deck.
MEET THE OWNER – KARL HOBBS AND HIS VAUXHALL VENTORA ESTATE
I bought my Ventora five years ago after hearing about it from a friend in the Owners’ Club. It had been resprayed, but that was as far as the work went, so I basically acquired the shell and six boxes of spares. Also, most of the bits fitted to the car were wrong anyway!
DO YOU REMEMBER – THE MORRIS J4?
If this 1964 Morris J4 seems familiar, it is probably because you have seen it on Heartbeat, The Royal, or Cradle to the Grave. Counting Stars of Leighton Buzzard is selling this rare surviving example of a van that once dominated the roads of the UK.
MEET THE OWNER – MICHAEL CARPENTER AND HIS SINGER GAZELLE SERIES V
We have previously featured members of Michael Carpenter’s fleet, but he has now decided to take a walk on the wild side. Yes, throwing caution to the wind, this week Michael became the proud owner of a Singer Gazelle Series V.
THE ESTATE CAR WITH TWO BOOTS – A 1969 VOLKSWAGEN TYPE 3 VARIANT
Car customisation is inevitably a very personal matter. That said, it is intriguing to encounter a 1969 Volkswagen 1600 Type 3 Variant that has not been lowered, given alloy wheels or turned into the grooviest surf wagon in the history of Swindon.
GO SWIFT, GO SAFE – GO SAAB 95
Recently, I had the great pleasure of being reacquainted with one of my favourite cars. In the early 1970s, a Saab 95 stood apart from a Ford Escort Mk. I or Vauxhall Viva HC Estate. Its uncompromising lines were a masterpiece of post-war industrial design.
A 7,500 MILE JOURNEY IN A 1954 FIAT 1100-103
Any 1954 Fiat 1100/103 is a splendid machine – the small saloon that was to post-war Italy what the Morris Minor was to the UK. But the example offered for sale by Dorset Vintage & Classic Auctions on the 20th June is even more exceptional.
MEET THE OWNER – GRAHAM BULL AND HIS VAUXHALL VICTOR 2300SL FE ESTATE
“You just know that this is the car for the man with fawn flared slacks and Yardley Black Label – ‘for the man who sets the pace’ – aftershave”. I wrote this description of Graham Bull’s 2300SL FE Estate in 2017, a memorable day with Practical Classics celebrating the Victor’s 60th birthday.
MEET THE OWNER – JOHN LANGFORD AND HIS FORD GRANADA 2.8I GHIA MK. 2
“It is family-owned from new and has only 26k on the clock. The first owner had it for 27 years, and the second was his godson, who kept it for 15 years”. We have previously featured John’s MG Magnette ‘Farina’ Mk. IV and Austin J40, but he has recently embarked on blue oval ownership with his 1982 Ford Granada Ghia 2.8i Mk.2.
MEET THE OWNER – RUSSELL MACFARLANE AND HIS MORRIS MARINA SUPER
I believe ‘Aqua’ was only available on the Marina for the first year of production. Only six Aqua Marinas are known to exist, split between the 1.3 and the 1.8 and Saloon and Coupe. So, who knows - my 1.8 Super Deluxe Saloon could be the sole survivor in Aqua!
EARL MOUNTBATTEN OF BURMA’S ROVER 3500S
Many readers of a certain age will recall the police P6, whether it was chasing miscreants in a 1970s television crime drama or looming ominously in your rear-view mirror. This 3500S offered for sale by Classic Car Auctions not only brought law and order to the roads around Winchester, but also served as the Earl of Mountbatten’s staff car.
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