Classics Monthly

I don’t know about you, but I hate selling my cars. That’s not because I am a hoarder, although I am aware that I do have more vehicles than any one person really needs. The problem is that I enjoy all classics, and I love being able to jump out of o

70 years ago on 8th March 1950, the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg began full production of the Type 2, the VW Transporter (Type 1 was the Beetle). On 5th August that year, a dove blue panel van with chassis number 20-1880 rolled off the lines, and th

You do have to feel sorry for anybody trying to organise an event, let alone something as huge as the annual Classic Motor Show at Birmingham's NEC! Organisers Clarion Events had put numerous safeguards in place already when the government announced

On Saturday 5th September, the Royal Automobile Club awarded its Club Trophy to a magnificent 1962 Messerschmitt KR200 at the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace. Owner Dave Watson from Bedfordshire was awarded the trophy by Club President H

Saturday 26th September 2020 marked 210 years of the Peugeot brand. To celebrate this milestone, on Thursday 1st October a global social media campaign launched across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, which will run until the end of the month and wil

I was almost a month behind the crowd in my reading of the September issue of Classics Monthly – I really must get a subscription as during these odd times I'm not getting out to the nearest big town as often as I did. When I did get hold of a copy I

Price: £1425 A dry-sump system offers many advantages over a standard factory oil pan – engine reliability is improved thanks to a more consistent oil pressure especially when cornering, there is an increased oil capacity due to a large external rese

I saw a video online recently all about designer Chip Foose re-imagining the E-Type. My heart sank at the thought, and sure enough it was a mess. The front and back didn’t look too bad because they still looked like bits of E-Type, but the first thin

Recently, while wearing my historian’s hat, I have had a great time sorting out just what, where, when and how the complex which BMW now calls Plant Oxford (making MINIs in huge numbers) started life as the Pressed Steel company. As an example, did y

While we may disagree about the classic factor of some cars from the last millennium, few would dismiss the Mazda MX-5. First launched in 1989 after a complicated gestation, the smiley-faced sportster effectively took over from where the MGB, TR, Spi

One day in 1973, Michael Binns received a letter from HMRC to say that he had overpaid his income tax by £970 and a cheque for that amount was enclosed. Michael's wife Anne remembers this like it was yesterday, saying: 'Our Triumph Herald was on its

The E-Type is arguably the most widely recognised and desirable classic car in the world today. Good examples command profoundly serious money, particularly original or well-restored cars. But if you had been able to look around the Jaguar factory at

In the UK we tend to associate the Matra name with motor racing, but the reach of this innovative French business went far beyond motorsport. In fact the activities of Mecanique Aviation Traction – or Matra for short – covered a wide range of activit

Morgan made its name with three-wheelers, but four-wheelers arrived in 1936. These were powered by an 1122cc Coventry Climax inlet-over-exhaust engine built for Morgan under licence by Triumph, though a 1098cc option was offered to fit below the 1100

It was the big ends that did it – or rather the prospect of lying underneath the car on wet and cold concrete changing the shells. Again! The year was 1975 and I had a white 1098cc Midget, originally registered in the Channel Islands, then re-registe

Martyn has been passionate about classics ever since he joined the Imp Club back in 1981 and has owned around 15 Imps over the years. If money were no object he’d love to own a 1972 Porsche 911S, an Austin-Healey 3000, a Renault 8 Gordini – and anoth

Having confirmed that I needed to manufacture spacers to fit between the differential flanges and the new driveshafts on my Stag, I needed to find some suitable material. So, after considering aluminium, I decided that steel would be a better option

I have been spending quite a bit of time working on the Davrian lately, and since the lock-down has started easing, I’ve been driving it too. Apart from the fact that it is rather noisy, it drives remarkably well – the ride is compliant, the gear cha

Rob confesses to a borderline addiction for cars, especially ones he can tinker with, which has inevitably resulted in him owning a variety of classics. He’s not a purist when it comes to originality and is always keen on modern upgrades, admitting h

One job that has been nagging away at me for some time on my VW campervan concerns the engine lid and its wobbly, worn hinges. Every time I opened or closed the lid, I was reminded of this problem, which wasn’t getting any better. The problem is caus

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 a

Ican’t lie – yesterday was not an enjoyable time in the garage. Some days are like that and you just wish you had never started a job, but the good news is that I got there in the end. This little drama began when I noticed a curious problem with how

Despite being built in the 1990s, Figaros can rust as well as the cars of the 1950s from which they draw inspiration. To some extent that’s because the Figaro was only sold in the Japanese market, and rustproofing tends to be less extensive there for

QI have a 1978 VW Polo L 900cc, which I have recently acquired due to a family bereavement. The car has been garaged and is in good condition and runs well. The problem I have is that the brakes seem to require a lot of effort to stop the car efficie

In many ways, Rostyle wheels defined an era for classic car fans in the UK. From the late 1960s and into the 1970s they became a feature (optional or standard fit) on just about everything from the Mk2 Cortina 1600E to the rather more staid Rover P5B

It was seen as a major leap forwards in braking technology when hydraulically operated brakes replaced the older mechanically operated rod brakes. Anyone who has driven a pre-war Austin Seven followed by a more modern Morris Minor will surely back up

Chris Bentley of MGOC Spares gave us some insights as to what you should be looking out for when deciding whether a wheel is at the end of its service life. It is not suitable for reconditioning if: • There is significant pitting where the tyre sits

Chris Bentley sounded a note of warning on correctly identifying Rostyle wheels so that you get matched sets. For example, they were standard fitment on MGBs produced from 1970 onwards, but rubber bumper MGB wheels had a wider offset, presumably to c

1 These are the wheels that came off our new Midget project. They are the early design of Rostyle, as fitted to the Midget from October 1969 until the round wheelarch models arrived in October 1971. They are in a typical used condition after five dec

1 Meanwhile, this is the later and more familiar type of Rostyle wheel, one which became a feature of MGs throughout the 1970s. This one has been inspected by the MGOC Spares technicians and passed as fit for further service, blasted and painted silv

1 Your spending may not be over quite yet though, because once the wheels are looking like new, you may decide that other related items are no longer satisfactory! The centre holes of the Rostyle wheels are usually covered by a cap, which may or may

Every single classic car has its fans and devotees, but some marques are true titans of the classic car scene with a huge following around the world and entire industries built around servicing their needs. Into this category fall many cars from the

The Triumph Spitfire enjoys a reputation as one of Britain’s best-loved small sports cars. This reputation was earned over a lengthy 18 years of production encompassing five distinct models, plus almost 60 years of enthusiast owners. The Spitfire’s p

Triumph can trace its roots back to 1886, when Siegfried Bettmann started selling bicycles under the Triumph name. In 1902 the company branched out into motorcycles, though the first Triumph car did not appear until 1923. Initially Triumph focused on

Think of big, brutish British sports cars and the TR6 will probably be vying with the Big Healey to push to the forefront of your mind. And while some would argue that the TR6 was outdated even when new, the fact is that the simple chassis traceable

The Triumph Stag has not enjoyed the easiest history in classic car circles. Early problems in service tarnished the model’s reputation and pub wisdom still maintains that they are unreliable, but the truth is that over 40 years after production ceas

Launched in 1959, the Triumph Herald fitted perfectly into Prime Minister Harold Macmillan’s world of glossy magazines, and for a country which had ‘never had it so good,’ the Herald was the perfect companion. By the time production ended in 1971, 51

In a competition to choose the most confusing model range of all time, the small Triumph saloons that comprise the Dolomite family have to be near the top of any list. Front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, two engine families, two body lengths, two an

Launched in 1963 and in fierce competition with the Rover P6 from day one, the Mk1 Triumph 2000 had wonderfully delicate styling so typical of the 1960s, while a 1970 facelift created the Mk2 with updated styling in line with the newly launched and 2

As I write this, it’s 50 years since the Ford Escort Mexico was launched and there is little doubt that it is one of Ford’s absolute classics. Because of the kind of car it was, not many have made it this far unscathed and many of the survivors have