The Great Classic Trade-up challenge – Goodbye to the Honda Acty and hello to a BMW E36 323 convertible!

The Honda Acty Romahome proved something of a surprise hit.

Late on the Sunday afternoon of the Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show, an enthusiast from Lincolnshire dropped by the Lancaster Insurance stand and offered us £5,000 for it and the chance to sell it on quickly at a fair price was too good to turn down.

The Acty was duly delivered a week later. Phil Weeden from Classics World drove it all the way from Kent to the Lincolnshire Wolds one sunny Monday, something of a gamble given how little this vehicle had been used over the past few months. Phil comments: “Indeed, the initial few miles were peppered with misfiring from the compact two-pot. We took the conscious decision to navigate a non-motorway route, a journey that would take us over six hours in the end, including a stop for fuel. But by the end of the trip, the Honda was performing beautifully. The engine was beavering away with enthusiasm, we’d mastered the gear change and everything appeared to be working as it should.”

The keys were then handed to the new owner, who was excited to be able to take it on beach tours around the UK and attend bike racing at nearby circuit, Cadwell Park. Having recently restored a Porsche 944, the new owner was excited to be taking on a fresh project.