Latest news
Welcome to Lancaster Insurance News
Keep up to date with the latest news and events from the world of classic cars.
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SIXTY YEARS OF THE SIMCA 1000
- Andrew Roberts |
- 22nd October, 2021
On the 27th July 1961, Simca commenced building a car that was to dominate French roads until the late 1970s.
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Meet the Owner: Geoff Taylor and his 1978 Austin Allegro 1500 Special LE
- Andrew Roberts |
- 22nd October, 2021
Limited edition cars tend to fall into one of three categories. There are those made to commemorate the demise of a long-running or even iconic model. There are those built to clear the showrooms before the launch of a significant new model or at least an elaborate facelift.
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Classic owners' Q&A
- 21st October, 2021
As a current or prospective classic car owner, you're likely to have a wealth of questions swirling around in your head. That’s why we’ve compiled some of the most-asked Q&As to help you on your ownership journey.
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Classic car paint colours
- 21st October, 2021
Whether it's a fierce red evoking white-knuckle motorsport success, or a suave 1960s silver that instantly conjures up evildoers defeated and Martinis shaken, not stirred, some of those classic motors just need to be seen in a certain colour.
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MEET THE OWNER: JOHN WATERHOUSE AND HIS RENAULT R8
- Andrew Roberts |
- 21st October, 2021
In 1973, John Waterhouse, the National Coordinator of the Renault 4CV Register of Australia, acquired a Trinidad Rouge 956 cc, one owner R8 with his wife, Alex.
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MEET THE OWNER: STEVE BAXTER AND HIS AUSTIN A55 CAMBRIDGE MK. II
- Andrew Roberts |
- 20th October, 2021
Any Austin A55 Cambridge Mk. II is a splendid machine, but Steve’s example is particularly notable as his granddad purchased it new in 1961...
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MISUNDERSTOOD? THE CHRYSLER ALPINE
- Andrew Roberts |
- 20th October, 2021
What was the Car of The Year for 1976? The BMW 3 Series? The Renault 30TS? No, it was the Chrysler Alpine, a most underrated vehicle and only the second British-built five-door FWD hatchback after the Austin Maxi.
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Six of our favourite classics from American Graffiti
- 20th October, 2021
Some films define a generation. Other films perfectly evoke a bygone age. A third, rare class of films manages a balancing act between the two – both crystallising a past era and reflecting on its own age, and perhaps even drawing parallels between the two.
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A quick guide to online car auctions
- 20th October, 2021
Among the many new ways of doing things that the pandemic has ushered in, a particularly interesting development to us here at Lancaster Insurance has been the growth in online car auctions, for the trading of classic and historic vehicles.
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The UK’s best eco-friendly campsites
- 19th October, 2021
Over the past few years, eco-friendly camping has surged in popularity here in the UK. A survey by motorhome and campervan rental business Camptoo revealed a staggering 436% increase in web searches for ‘eco camping’ since 2017.
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Can you tow with a classic car?
- 19th October, 2021
Think back, for a minute, to your childhood days spent vehicle-watching through the windows of your parents’ car. Do you remember which cars you would commonly see hauling caravans or heavy trailers around the British countryside?
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FORTY YEARS OF THE VOLKSWAGEN POLO SERIES II
- Andrew Roberts |
- 19th October, 2021
October of 1981; cold, damp, and Dave Stewart with Barbara Gaskin with It’s My Party topping the charts. At least the motoring press offers relief from such gloom, with news of the latest Volkswagen Polo, a car unlikely to be mistaken for any rival.
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THE LAST OF THE WOLSELEYS: A TRIBUTE
- Andrew Roberts |
- 19th October, 2021
Forty-six years ago, Clive Richardson of Motor Sport compared the recently launched Citroën CX with a new British rival. He concluded:“If the Citroën was worthy of the ‘Car of the Year’ award, the credit must go to the CX 2200; the 2000 has too many pitfalls.
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THE PRISONER MOKE TO BE AUCTIONED AT THE NEC
- Andrew Roberts |
- 18th October, 2021
One of the many attractions of the Silverstone Auction at this year’s Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show is a vehicle that genuinely merits the term ‘television icon’. HLT 709 C is an Austin Mini Moke, built on 15th May 1965 and registered a month later in London.