Latest news
Welcome to Lancaster Insurance News
Keep up to date with the latest news and events from the world of classic cars.
THE MAN WHO DROVE KATY – ON LOCATION WITH ICE COLD IN ALEX
- 23rd May, 2023
You are a young National Serviceman named James Wilfred Lowther, posted to Libya on detachment and assigned to the Royal Army Medical Corps. Then one day, a film company approaches the camp, asking for volunteers. The result – cinematic immortality.
YOUR CHANCE TO OWN THE PETER SELLERS ASTON MARTIN DB4 GT
- 23rd May, 2023
If you have a few million pounds to spare and the desire to own an automotive film star, Bonhams at the Goodwood Festival of Speed may have the ideal car for you on the 14th of July. Not only did this 1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT famously appear in The Wrong Arm of the Law, but it was also the off-screen property of its leading man, Peter Sellers.
Why I Like The Standard Vanguard Luxury Six
- 18th May, 2023
Some cars have the misfortune of being overlooked due to motorists’ perception of their being “old fashioned”. A case in point is the Vanguard Luxury Six, yet it represents the bridge between the first major post-war Standards and the Triumph 2000.
MEET THE OWNER – RAJAN PAYMASTER AND THE WORLD’S OLDEST VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI
- 12th May, 2023
Rajan’s Golf is not just a superlative example of the Golf GTI Mk. 1, it is the oldest surviving in the world. Every detail is virtually perfect, from the red-edged radiator grille and the tartan upholstery to that ‘golf ball’ gear knob. This is the car that re-defined the term ‘sports hatchback’, despite Volkswagen’s early concerns.
MEET THE OWNER - DAVID SCAIFE AND HIS YUGO 513
- 12th May, 2023
Nearly 40 years ago, motorists with limited funds were urged to “Fill in the Ticket to Ride” in their local newspaper and take it to their nearest Yugo dealer. There, they would find the 311, the second cheapest new car in the UK after the Fiat 126 and the line-up’s 513.
THE 1953 ROYAL TOUR HUMBER SUPER SNIPE MK.IV DROPHEAD
- 12th May, 2023
Lancaster’s Car Club manager Stephanie Hoy recently visited the Isle of Man Motor Museum, where she encountered one of the most exclusive vehicles to wear the Humber badge – the 1953 Super Snipe Mk. IV drophead built for the Royal Tour of the Commonwealth.
THE DAVID WALKER COLLECTION
- 12th May, 2023
Collecting can be an insidious hobby. You start with modest ambitions, only to realise 12 months later that your entire house is filled with back-issues of The Motor, Bee-Keeper Weekly or Pylon Enthusiast Monthly.
TWENTY FACTS ABOUT LIFE IN 1948
- 12th May, 2023
To celebrate the coronation of Charles III on the 6th of May, and Coronation Day on the 8th of May, here are twenty facts about life in the UK in the year of his birth:
CELEBRATING THE SUNBEAM STILETTO
- 12th May, 2023
Continuing our celebration of 60 years of the Hillman Imp is one of the most desirable members of the line-up. In 1967 the new Stiletto had no domestic rival as a 2+2 rear-engine coupe. Furthermore, it boasted an “ace-bred Sunbeam engine, ZOOM fastback styling, vinyl covered roof, twin carburettors, rally instrumentation and servo-assisted brakes”.
Land Rover’s Freelander is a forgotten modern classic in waiting
- 12th May, 2023
Think of the green oval logo and images come thick and fast; wax jackets and mud-covered Land Rovers remain entrenched in the hearts and minds of enthusiasts. When Land Rover appealed to urban families with the Freelander 1 however, it struck gold.
MEET THE OWNER – BEN CURTIS AND HIS ROVER 3500 ESTOURA
- 12th May, 2023
Ten years ago, I invited readers of Classic & Sports Car to “imagine a landowner of the Alan Clark school of tact and diplomacy driving an Estoura at speed around his properties, a 1961 Château Latour being waved out of the open driver’s window and curses being aimed at those who had bought their own furniture.”
MEET THE OWNER – JEFF DAY’S 60 YEAR OLD HILLMAN IMP
- 12th May, 2023
On 3 May 1963, the Rootes Group unveiled the Hillman Imp. Two months later, Jeff Day’s example left the factory – “This was one of their first Imps, sold on 2 July 1963, and it still wears its original number plates”. Today it is one of the oldest surviving examples of a fascinating vehicle.
Meet The Owner – Mark Ashbridge and his Mazda 1800
- 12th May, 2023
To say Mark Ashbridge is an enthusiast of Japanese cars would be an understatement. However, owning a 1968 B10-Series Sunny 1000, one of the original Datsun press cars in the UK, was not enough, so he acquired a 1971 Mazda 1800. 52 years ago, this was the sort of transport for motorists with BMW 2000 aspirations and a Ford Cortina GXL income.
Stars and Their Cars – Leslie Phillips and The Fast Lady
- 12th May, 2023
This is a slightly unusual “Stars and Their Cars” feature, as 61 years ago, Leslie Phillips did not buy the 1927 Bentley 3-litre Speed Model Open Tourer by Vanden Plas that he co-starred with in The Fast Lady. The actor may have been a keen motorist, even taking his advanced driving test during shooting.
