LANCASTER CLASSIC CAR NEWS
THE ESTATE CAR WITH TWO BOOTS – A 1969 VOLKSWAGEN TYPE 3 VARIANT
Car customisation is inevitably a very personal matter. That said, it is intriguing to encounter a 1969 Volkswagen 1600 Type 3 Variant that has not been lowered, given alloy wheels or turned into the grooviest surf wagon in the history of Swindon.
GO SWIFT, GO SAFE – GO SAAB 95
Recently, I had the great pleasure of being reacquainted with one of my favourite cars. In the early 1970s, a Saab 95 stood apart from a Ford Escort Mk. I or Vauxhall Viva HC Estate. Its uncompromising lines were a masterpiece of post-war industrial design.
A 7,500 MILE JOURNEY IN A 1954 FIAT 1100-103
Any 1954 Fiat 1100/103 is a splendid machine – the small saloon that was to post-war Italy what the Morris Minor was to the UK. But the example offered for sale by Dorset Vintage & Classic Auctions on the 20th June is even more exceptional.
MEET THE OWNER – GRAHAM BULL AND HIS VAUXHALL VICTOR 2300SL FE ESTATE
“You just know that this is the car for the man with fawn flared slacks and Yardley Black Label – ‘for the man who sets the pace’ – aftershave”. I wrote this description of Graham Bull’s 2300SL FE Estate in 2017, a memorable day with Practical Classics celebrating the Victor’s 60th birthday.
MEET THE OWNER – JOHN LANGFORD AND HIS FORD GRANADA 2.8I GHIA MK. 2
“It is family-owned from new and has only 26k on the clock. The first owner had it for 27 years, and the second was his godson, who kept it for 15 years”. We have previously featured John’s MG Magnette ‘Farina’ Mk. IV and Austin J40, but he has recently embarked on blue oval ownership with his 1982 Ford Granada Ghia 2.8i Mk.2.
MEET THE OWNER – RUSSELL MACFARLANE AND HIS MORRIS MARINA SUPER
I believe ‘Aqua’ was only available on the Marina for the first year of production. Only six Aqua Marinas are known to exist, split between the 1.3 and the 1.8 and Saloon and Coupe. So, who knows - my 1.8 Super Deluxe Saloon could be the sole survivor in Aqua!
EARL MOUNTBATTEN OF BURMA’S ROVER 3500S
Many readers of a certain age will recall the police P6, whether it was chasing miscreants in a 1970s television crime drama or looming ominously in your rear-view mirror. This 3500S offered for sale by Classic Car Auctions not only brought law and order to the roads around Winchester, but also served as the Earl of Mountbatten’s staff car.
DO YOU REMEMBER – THE MORRIS MARINA ESTATE?
Evoke Classics Ltd. recently sold this car guaranteed to turn heads at shows for £6,500 – which was once as familiar as How We Used to Live on Schools ITV.
THE RAREST VAUXHALL VIVA HA IN THE WORLD? – THE BRABHAM GT
I wrote a blog about a Brabham-converted Vauxhall Viva HA in Australia a few years ago. At that time, there were believed to be only two in the world, with the other residing in the UK. So, imagine my surprise and delight when I saw this Italian-based Viva Brabham offered for sale.
MEET THE OWNER – SIMON BROWSE AND HIS TRIUMPH HERALD 12/50
I’ve always sided with the underdog. Ford and Austin got most of the glory and notoriety for their compact Saloons at the time. Triumph, not as much – it is much the same story with the MGB versus the Spitfire.
Meet The Owner – Jon Kinahan and his Citroën Dyane 6
Scotty Tremayne’s friend, Jon Kinahan, owns one of Citroën’s finest cars. In his words: He is a big lover of the 2CV and has a 2CV Charleston. He was approached roughly eight years ago by a chap who breaks 2CVs about an MOT failure Dyane.
2024 HERO-ERA London to Lisbon Rally – Platts and Ripley take maiden victory on all-Austin podium!
The 2024 HERO-ERA London to Lisbon Rally reached the finish on Saturday 4th May, in the historic city of Lisbon, 2800 km and 10 days after it began at Brookland’s, London. The winners of the event were Graham Platts and Neil Ripley, driving a 1956 Austin Healey 100M, the oldest car on the event.