Finding a classic car specialist to work on your pride and joy is a tricky task. Like many other businesses there are excellent companies and charlatans. So how do you find a business that offers the right expertise at the right price.

I always start by drawing up a shortlist of businesses from personal recommendations, specialist web sites and clubs. Ideally I would want them to be reasonably local so that I can visit regularly, have experience of the work I need and the marque that I own.

Next step is to check out their websites. On their website I would like to see an explanation of the type of work they do, project examples from start to finish and testimonials from clients.

I would then contact all the companies via the website with a query and see who comes back and how quickly they respond. If they can’t answer a simple query in a reasonable time from some one bringing business to them, then how quickly will they respond when they have your car in their workshop.

Of course not every business has a website, and not everyone needs to promote their business via the internet. So I wouldn’t exclude someone simply because they don’t have an effective website – if there is a compelling reason to use them.

Classic Car Lab is a Yorkshire based restoration business specialising in classic, sports and prestige cars. They have a full range of in house mechanical and bodywork services and have just updated their web site to include additional services.

Having been restoring classic cars for nearly 20 years in Otley, Yorkshire they are now embracing the internet to display their skills. Their new site includes a number of projects examples and current projects will be uploaded weekly to show progress. Many of the techniques used will also be shown on a youtube channel with video’s explaining the classic car restoration process in various disciplines, ie engine work, respray, restorations etc.

For owners of modern performance and luxury cars they have launched Sports Car Lab as a result of classic car clients asking them to look after their modern cars.

If you have a moment, take a look at their site. They certainly have an interesting range of projects and some very rare cars.

My final bit of advice. Pop round to the specialist, look round the premises, chat with the owner/manager and see if they are the kind of company you could do business with. And do the premises and projects reflect their web site? A company using library pictures is to be avoided.

Classic car restoration specialists 
https://classiccarlab.com

Sports Car Lab

https://classiccarlab.com/services/sports-car-lab/

Projects

https://classiccarlab.com/restoration-projects/

The Historic Sports Car Club has taken the wraps off its provisional 2024 race calendar.

Heading into the Club’s 57th season, the HSCC will run a range of race meetings at prime UK circuits for its members competing in a diverse portfolio of championships and series.

As ever, the HSCC caters for a fantastic array of period machinery, ranging from sports and GT cars of the 1960s through single-seaters and right up to its new series of Touring Car Legends for Group 2 and Group A touring cars from up to the 1990s.

As before, the HSCC is proud to be the race organising club for the Silverstone Festival at the end of August and will continue to play a significant role in this fantastic celebration of period race cars. Similarly, the HSCC will be the race organising club for the Oulton Park Gold Cup at the end of July when several HSCC categories will feature on the bill. At the end of the season, the HSCC will be the organising club for the annual Walter Hayes Trophy.

The season starts, as before, at Snetterton in East Anglia in April before switching to Cadwell Park in May. In early June, a very popular two-day event will run at Donington and then in mid-July, the HSCC will be at Brands Hatch on the fantastic Grand Prix circuit for the Legends of Brands Super Prix. The Croft Historic Race Weekend moves forward into August to give a better spread of dates in the busy calendar and the season then concludes at Silverstone for the traditional Finals Meeting in mid-October. In addition to its own race meetings, the HSCC is likely to play a role in providing races for several other events, including the Thruxton Historic in June and the Castle Combe Autumn Classic in September.

“We’re very pleased to unveil our 2024 race calendar,” said CEO Andy Dee Crowne. “We’ve listened to our racing members and have endeavoured to provide the dates and the venues that they want, with a well-spaced calendar.”

2024 HSCC provisional calendar:

20-21 April             Snetterton

18-19 May              Cadwell Park

8-9 June                 Donington Park

13-14 July              Brands Hatch GP

28-30 July              Oulton Park Gold Cup

10-11 August          Croft

23-25 August          Silverstone Festival

12-13 October        Silverstone National

2-3 November         Silverstone Walter Hayes Trophy

For more details about the HSCC, please visit www.hscc.org.uk .

Classic Yorkshire is delighted that Footman James has officially announced that the UK’s Classic Capital is The Motorist, North. The Yorkshire-based venue has been chosen as the best place in the country to celebrate all aspects of classic car and motorbike ownership.

CY readers voted to help The Motorist triumph over four other locations, each picked by the classic vehicle community as venues and locations of the UK that help make vehicle ownership so enjoyable. Proving that you don’t have to be in the South of England to enjoy your classic.

Beating Bicester Heritage, Coleshill Auto Breakfast, Goodwood Motor Circuit, and Re:Fuel, The Motorist gathered 39% of the public vote and combined with the decision of the FJ judges, it is the winner of the Footman James Classic Capital competition.

Based in Sherburn in Elmet near Leeds, The Motorist has rapidly grown into one of the most popular automotive venues in the north of England since its launch a few years ago. Featuring an on-site café, The Arnage restaurant, and a garage & bodyshop, The Motorist is open all year round, but also hosts themed shows and meets each week.

Voters commented on The Motorist’s “great atmosphere”, saying it is a “true petrolhead’s dream and delight”. With a focus on welcoming visitors no matter what sort of vehicle – classic or modern – they favour, praise was given for its facilities and space.

Yorkshire has a strong and growing classic car scene as reported on by Footman James partner, The Classic Valuer. The Classic Valuer’s platform allows you to see price guides for classic cars in one handy place, combining the sales data from across the years you can see the value of a specific classic, browse the latest auction results and more.

In 2023, the most valuable classic to be sold publicly was a 1961 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 ‘Flat Floor’ 3.8 FHC, for more than £304,000. Other models sold include a 2004 BMW M3 CSL (E46) for just under £100,000, and a 1989 Ferrari Testarossa for more than £87,500.

Analysis of Footman James policies shows that the most popular classic car in Yorkshire is the MGB. Followed closely by the Morris Minor and Land Rover 88. Other popular cars range from classic Minis to Porsche 911s. 

“We are delighted to have been recognised and to have won this fantastic award, voted for by car enthusiasts, our wonderful visitors and guests,” said Alec Howarth, Managing Director at The Motorist.

“We are excited over the journey we are taking together and this accolade really does spur us on, filling all the team at The Motorist with great pride and thanks. Thank you to Footman James, Classic Capital, the judges and to all those that took time to vote for us as we represent Yorkshire in this competition, your support is greatly appreciated.”

Charlotte Moseley, Head of Marketing at FJ commented: “Footman James is thrilled that The Motorist has been crowned the UK’s Classic Capital. Each of the finalists would have been a worthy winner so the competition was strong, but the strength of support from enthusiasts for The Motorist and Yorkshire was outstanding.

If you’d like to find out more about The Motorist, please visit: themotorist.com

On 30 October 1963, the Turin Motor Show – then one of the biggest motoring events in the world – opened the doors to its 45^th event. At the Maserati stand, the Quattroporte made its debut.

The first-generation Quattroporte was a pioneer, featuring a roaring 8-cylinder racing-derived engine which was enhanced by a dynamic yet elegant design and a refined interior.

Positioned over the years as a “living room on the move,” or a “limousine with a racing spirit,” the initial version could reach 230 km/h. A majestic car with extremely welcoming spaces and regal allure, Quattroporte has always been accustomed to the limelight and was destined to generate a fortunate lineage of cars that can still surprise to this day. 

While the second-generation Quattroporte was a more daring and less memorable attempt, the Quattroporte III – in the hands of De Tomaso – marked a resounding success; followed by a new challenge that was fully overcome toward the end of the intense 1990s; then by a model that severed ties with the past while remaining faithful to its winning formula as did the multi-award-winning 2003 generation, and that – with the sixth-generation – has taken to the stage once again in its most modern version years later.

In the garages of the most discerning motorists, of kings and princes, in the background of memorable films (having been featured in more than 60 productions), photographed on red carpets or accompanying the highest-ranking officials at events, and beloved by the most significant VIPs in numerous industries, Quattroporte was a mainstay of the automotive landscape in the 20^th century and remains so in the new millennium. Sixty years later and after travelling innumerable miles, it continues its journey as an undisputed star of its times.

Car & Classic, Europe’s largest online marketplace for classic and niche vehicles is set to offer a beloved 1972 Fiat 500 Jolly evocation, currently owned by British Formula 1 superstar Lando Norris.

Norris’ car is an evocation of the famous ‘Jolly’ variant of the classic Fiat 500. World-renowned Italian styling house Ghia built only an estimated 650 original Jollys, meaning they are rare and survivors are highly prized. The Jolly’s rarity combined with its desirability has resulted in many original Fiat 500s being converted to the doorless, open-air configuration, with iconic wicker seats and canopy roof.

The light blue ‘gelato’ paint colour is in fantastic condition inside and out and is complimented by whitewall tyres. The light exterior is contrasted by the browns of the high-quality caramel carpet and the famed, sand-friendly wicker seats. Mounted on the rear of the car is a handy wicker storage box, which when combined with the matching storage cubby mounted centrally under the dashboard, makes for some period-appropriate improvements to the diminutive Fiat’s practicality. That dashboard features the desirable Fiat 500 round Veglia dial, the icing on the cake for this stylish and charming Mediterranean runaround.

Like Lando’s other famous vehicle, the engine can be found behind the driver, but rather than a >1000bhp Mercedes-AMG HPP 1.6-litre V6 hybrid, the Jolly is powered by a 499cc air-cooled Fiat engine paired with a four-speed manual ‘box, half the gears Norris has to deal with at the day job. The Fiat Jolly has Lando Norris’ purchase invoice on file and its historic status makes it tax-free, ULEZ compliant, and MOT exempt.

The Jolly is being sold during a great run of form for its owner; Norris has enjoyed six podiums so far this year for his resurgent McLaren team and is currently on a streak of four in a row as he heads to Mexico for this weekend’s race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Last Sunday, the Brit secured P2 at the US Grand Prix, where he was also voted ‘Driver of the Day’. Norris is one of the most popular drivers on the F1 grid.

“Cars with famous former owners are popular on Car & Classic, but taking one off the hands of a current F1 driver, especially one in a rich vein of form, is a rare opportunity,” says Car & Classic head of editorial Dale Vinten. “Lando Norris has proven he knows the optimal way to get around the streets of Monte Carlo in a McLaren, and his beloved Jolly proves he knows how to do the same when he’s off-duty too”.

As the outdoor show season comes to a close in the UK, we need to look to sunnier climes for our fix. Unfortunately this is just a virtual visit as I can think of nothing better than jetting off to Italy for classic cars, Italian cuisine and some fine beers and wines.

At the Varignana, October 2023 – A 1939 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 S Berlinetta Touring, owned by Corrado and Elena Lopresto was awarded the prestigious ‘Best of Show’ accolade at the inaugural Concorso d’Eleganza Varignana 1705 event at the Palazzo di Varignana in Bologna, Italy. 

The judges noted that the 1939 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 S Berlinetta Touring stood out for its peerless design, rich history, and a meticulous restoration that allows admirers to behold the car in pristine condition – complete with its original registration document and license plate, revealing former illustrious owners such as Prince Caetani.

The Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 S Berlinetta Touring also claimed the top spot in the “Pre-war Elegance,” class, sharing the limelight with other exceptional winners. Noteworthy among them is the 1929 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 SS, driven by Luca Patron, triumphing in the “Heroic Races” class – a vehicle believed to be one of the last four Alfa Romeos crafted by English coachbuilder James Young.

In the “Italian Fine Gems” class, the spotlight shone on a stunning 1950 FIAT 1100 E Vistotal by Silvia Nicolis, hailing from the Nicolis Museum in Verona. This bespoke creation by Carrozzeria Castagna of Milan, held intricate details such as a transparent plexiglass steering wheel and the “Vistotal” panoramic windshield, which exemplified 1930s style.

The “Great Class Sports Car” trophy was claimed by Andrea Baroni’s 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso, surpassing rivals with its allure and elegance.

In the category of “Grit & Style”, the 1955 Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider owned by Gianmarco Rossi stood out, distinguished by a rare Pininfarina hard top and Resinflex interior.

Lastly, Lorenzo Matteucci’s 1972 BMW 3.0 CSL triumphed in the “German Icons” category, noted as a potent racing car which has been impeccably preserved and easily distinguishable due its unique “inca orange” paint.

In recognition of this ethos, a special prize, the “Spirit of Varignana”, was created and awarded to Alessandro Maccaferri’s 1993 Porsche 964 Speedster, as it best embodied the unique character inspired by the Palazzo di Varignana and reflected the lifestyle it represents.

North Yorkshire-based Twisted Automotive has announced an agreement that will see the company’s bespoke modified Land Rover Defenders sold in Japan, under the new ‘Twisted Japan’ brand.

The exclusive deal with Yone Motors of Tokyo means Twisted’s classic Defenders will be imported for the next three years. 

Twisted’s first vehicles built for the Japanese market, in petrol-engined TVS and TV8 specifications, will depart on their 6,000-mile journey to the port of Yokohama next month.

Yone Motors has experience in selling and maintaining imported luxury vehicles, meaning Twisted’s converted Defenders will line up alongside high-end cars from McLaren, Rolls-Royce and Bentley. 

Valuence Holdings, the owner of Yone Motors, is particularly focused on repurposing and reusing luxury goods to make them last longer. This fits with the Twisted approach to restoring and modifying the original Defender. 

Twisted Automotive founder Charles Fawcett said: “To take the icon that is the classic Defender, re-engineer and upgrade it in Yorkshire, then send it to Japan is monumental for the team. The vehicles leaving the workshop have had over 1,200 hours each spent on them by the finest British technicians.”

Importing Twisted models to Japan is intended as the starting point for the project. Charles Fawcett added: “There is a significant volume of standard Defenders in the Japanese market, and longer-term these will be used as base models and assembled under licence in Japan by Twisted-trained technicians. This is the beginning of an exciting journey on the other side of the world.”

Kazuya Tanai of Valuence, responsible for the Twisted Japan project, said: “There’s a growing demand in Japan to buy and repurpose classic, quality products. It’s this circular economy ethos that’s at the core of what we do, so the partnership makes sense.”

By Classic Yorkshire correspondent Tony Lofthouse

It seems owners of ageing Ford Mondeos – once unfairly mocked as boring – are seeing prices soar for their favourite saloon.

In the mid-nineties, the car achieved notoriety for the description ‘Mondeo Man’, a phrase coined by Tony Blair in his battle for votes to become our next Prime Minister.

Fast forward to 2023 and analysis by Auto Trader shows this family favourite has taken on a new lease of life with the average value of a 2004 Mondeo jumping nearly 50% in the last four years.

In 2019, a typical Mondeo listed on their car-selling website sold for only £1,544. By 2023, the price shot up to £2,298.

This was a car that certainly ‘earned its strips’ for Ford, selling five million units in Europe over 29 years. A tidy 86,500 were sold in the UK alone in 2001

Unfortunately, over the years sales would drop off. In 2021, only 2,400 left local showrooms and production ended a year later.

It seems the Mondeo is not alone in this price revival as interest peaks again in the older family saloon. Research shows that since 2019 the value of other models from the early-noughties have risen even more.

They include the Vauxhall Astra which has increased in value by 87%, and the Renault Meganes which has shot up by 80%.

Top of the performance table though is the Vauxhall Corsa, going up 93% from £1,136 in 2004 to £2,197 today.

Amazingly, over the same period these returns have outstripped the value of other investments such as gold (21% increase) and UK house prices (24%).

But, it’s about more than being quids in!

Erin Baker from Auto Trader says: “Some nostalgia trends just leave you asking why. But there’s nothing confusing about the appeal of noughties cars. They’re simple, reliable and remind working Brits of when they fell in love with driving.”

Specialist soda blasting has revealed original mechanics’ markings on Land Speed Record breaker Sunbeam 1000hp as the National Motor Museum carried out the next major stage of its restoration.

The expert technique was chosen as the safest way to remove loose paint, dirt and rust from the historic car’s chassis, before it can be painted to preserve it for another 100 years.

National Motor Museum Manager and Chief Engineer Doug Hill explained: “Soda blasting is not as aggressive as shot blasting and was therefore the best way to remove the worst of the detritus. It exposed original markings, which would have been made at the Sunbeam Works in Wolverhampton in 1927.

“This was one of the biggest tasks for the main structure of the vehicle and the process was successful. Thankfully, it did not expose any areas of concern.”

Doug added: “We are now stress testing various areas before clear coating the chassis with Trimite paint to preserve and encapsulate as much of its history as possible. This work will preserve the car for another 100 years.”

To see soda blasting footage – and the markings it exposed – go to Beaulieu’s YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/bnXsvToP2LE. 

The Sunbeam 1000hp Restoration Campaign aims to raise £300k to restore ‘The Slug’ with the ambition of taking it back to Daytona Beach in Florida for the 100th anniversary of its record-breaking run in 2027.

A time capsule of original mechanics’ tools and a preserved shilling with a 1921 stamp was found in solidified oil on top of the rear suspension spring, when bodywork was previously taken off to expose the chassis. They had remained hidden in the vehicle since Major Henry Segrave made motoring history by breaking the 200mph barrier.

In the next stage of the restoration, the axles and non-painted metal work will undergo a laser rust removal process. Sunbeam’s colossal rear V12 aero engine will also be reassembled by the National Motor Museum’s experienced team of mechanics.

The Sunbeam’s two 22.5 litre engines, which each produced 435bhp, have not run since before World War II more than 80 years ago – after corrosion attacked internal workings. With painstaking rebuilding, using specialist knowledge and bespoke parts, National Motor Museum engineers will recapture the sounds, sights and smells of this ground-breaking machine and help to preserve it for future generations.

Designed and built solely to break the 200mph barrier, this immensely powerful machine was once the fastest car in the world. For footage of the Sunbeam’s record-breaking runs, go to Beaulieu’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/MotorMuseum. 

Funds are now needed to turn back the clock and complete the full restoration project. Donations for the Sunbeam 1000hp Restoration Campaign can be made online at https://nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/sunbeam-1000hp-restoration-campaign/. Sponsors and corporate donors who would like to be associated with the campaign are urged to get in touch by emailing michelle.kirwan@beaulieu.co.uk.