LANCASTER CLASSIC CAR NEWS
Setting the Style – The Ford Consul Classic
Some years ago, I wrote in Classics Monthly I wrote of how in 1961:
The Jensen FF - “Here is a car which can be driven as no car has ever been driven”.
You are looking at a car that was so far removed from the everyday motoring sights of the UK in the late 1960s that it was virtual science-fiction to the average driver.
Push-Button Radio as Standard – Michael Carpenter’s Vauxhall Cavalier 1600L Series II
We have had the pleasure of previously featuring some of Michael’s fleet, and his latest acquisition was crucial to the future of its marque.
20 Facts About the Early Days of the M1
The Automobile Association recently posted this priceless film contrasting the Kenneth Kendall-narrated promotion of 1959 with the M1 of 2024:
Celebrating The Metropolitan
“One of the greatest public misconceptions about the Metropolitan is people confusing it with the Amphicar. When someone asks me at a show, ‘Does it float?’ I now have a stock answer - ‘Not for long’”.
LIVING THE 1960S EXECUTIVE DREAM – THE FORD CORTINA 1600E
The Ford Cortina 1600E (for “Executive”) managed to capture the late 1960s middle class motoring zeitgeist. The Telegraph thought it suited to “‘fashion-conscious’ motorists”, and this 1969 Amber Gold Series 2 example sold by KGF
LIVING THE GOOD LIFE – THE VOLVO 145
There is something quite redoubtable about the Volvo 145, and this 1970 example sold by https://www.prestigecarsscarborough.co.uk/ is the sort of car a go-ahead architect might have favoured. Not to mention Margo and Jerry Leadbetter of The Good Life.
MEET THE OWNER – MICHAEL FORMAN AND HIS AUSTIN ALLEGRO 1.3 HLS SERIES 3
When I was (a lot) younger, an Allegro Series 3 such as Michael’s would have greatly intrigued me. It was not only the front air dam – which BL claimed improved fuel economy by 11% – the redesigned instruments or the improved equipment levels.
AN AUSTIN ALLEGRO SPECIAL L.E. – REUNITED WITH ITS ORIGINAL OWNER AT A WEDDING
Almost anyone who owns a classic car knows that it is virtually never just about the engineering and the metalwork. When participating in a show, some members of the public instantly recall their parents’ former transport, their first company car or the now rare saloon once driven by their primary school teacher.
RARER THAN RARE – THE CHEVROLET CORVAIR LAKEWOOD 700 DE LUXE
Peter Hind is selling not just one of the rarest station wagons in the UK but one now seldom encountered in its homeland. And in 1961, no other US station wagon had a technical specification on par with the Chevrolet Corvair Lakewood 700 De Luxe.
Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show Report by Andrew Roberts
It is virtually impossible to do justice to the Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show - so here are my top 25 highlights from across the weekend.
Congratulations to Arthur Atkinson, our overall Bright Young Sparks winner!
Arthur Atkinson has been crowned our bright Young Sparks winner for 2025. The award was handed over in front of a packed audience at the Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show with Arthur clearly very happy to have won.