LANCASTER CLASSIC CAR NEWS
THE BMW ISETTA – A CELEBRATION
The bubble car is often associated with the 1950s, but they really belong to the previous decade. The Isetta belongs to a lost country, one of skiffle, Teddy Boys and Tony Hancock and Sidney James squabbling in the front parlour of 23 Railway Cuttings. It is also the vehicle that helped save BMW.
MEET THE OWNER – KEITH JONES AND HIS VAUXHALL CAVALIER GLS COUPE
‘I receive a lot of attention, and I must have spoken to thousands of people at the NEC. The main start to the conversation “was usually my dad had one of those.” But this is only to be expected when you own one of the few Vauxhall Cavalier Coupes still on the road.
FORTY YEARS OF THE PEUGEOT 205
The 15th of February 1983 marked the launch of a car that, by 1984, would end the Renault 5’s long reign as France’s best-selling car. It was also once Peugeot’s most successful model in the UK and the model that changed its identity in this country. It was, of course, the 205.
Carbon offsetting for classics: two sides of the environmental coin flip
While the extent to which historic vehicles pollute is debated, their tailpipe emissions remain the most contentious issue. The continued burning of fossil fuels, for need of a better description, is what the aims of Net Zero environmental policies aim to stop – the curtailment of so-called ‘greenhouse gases’ heating up the planet.
Staying positive: when EVs go off the beaten track
In our last feature on battery converted classics, Lancaster Insurance Services met Matthew Quitter of London Electric Cars and his modified 1953 Morris Minor, now running as an electric vehicle in and around the capital.
The World Cup Escort’s legacy is still felt on classic rally stages today
‘Win on Sunday, sell on Monday’ – an apt phrase for the Ford Motor Company and none more so, in Europe at least, for the Escort. The Blue Oval’s small car contender was rallied from day one of its public career, picking up where the career of the Cortina MkII had left off.
THE AUSTIN-HEALEY SPRITE FROM ITALY – THE INNOCENTI 950/1100S
“A version of the Sprite with innate appeal to the sort of motorist who habitually wore sunglasses indoors” – that is how I described the Innocenti nearly eight years ago for Practical Classics and I stand by my words. It is the sort of sports car that belongs in the world described by Peter Sarstedt in Where Do You Go To My Lovely?, yet its underpinnings hailed from the UK.
Pick of the saleroom: our favourite cars heading to auction in March
With 2023’s sales well underway, March is looking excellent for fans of British classics – whether they be barn finds, ex-celebrity or working vehicles with a new lease of life. Last month saw a fascinating collection of historics go under the hammer at Silverstone Auctions’ Race Retro sale on 25 February, including an unregistered, 300-mile rubber-bumper MGB and a cache of seven Lotus Elans from the Piddington Collection, including an S3 drophead given to the late Dame Diana Rigg.
The future of classics is with youngsters
Like or not, the car – and by extension, historic vehicles – is under threat. Fewer youngsters aspire to drive than ever before, at least by the statistics of a 2021 Guardian report, which found just 2.97 million 16-25 year-olds had a licence, compared to the highs of 3.32 million in March 2020, and 3.42 million in 2012.
Buying a classic at auction: five top tips for how not to get carried away
You’ve seen the programmes, you’ve read the magazines: you want a classic car of your own. There are hundreds of auction houses, both online and in-person; if you don’t want to haggle via the classifieds, the salerooms are the place to go. For a newcomer, however, the process can be a daunting one; the adage of ‘buyer beware’ applies, as always.
Class of 1984: the stars of the National Classic Motor Show still doted on today
Alongside Ghostbusters, Purple Rain and the Austin Montego, the National Classic Motor Show appeared on the scene in 1984. It had to have started somewhere – and in the case of the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show with Discovery, that year was 1984.
Four underrated Eighties Japanese cars you should consider giving a home to
The Japanese car industry was on a roll in the 80s. Critical acclaim was rolling in from Europe and the United States – and as export markets grew, a greater awareness of Western tastes developed. Some brands gained notoriety owing to motorsport, anime or hard-won reputation; others, equally as deserving, had to live in their shadow.
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