Classic Car Mart October 2021

Welcome… STAYING PUT If all had gone according to plan, I would have typed this column just hours before jumping on a flight to Spain but like so many families this year, the hurdles involved in not only leaving the country but returning home again have seen the idea scrapped in favour of a break closer to home. Surprisingly, the anticipated long faces were replaced by a newly-licensed and newly carowning 17-year old son who is now enthused at the prospect of taking his own wheels on a UK trip instead. And the unexpected time on our hands provided an ideal opportunity to get busy in the garage and give said BMW a proper service before it sets sail to do battle with the British holiday traffic, which looks to…

PLUGS&LEADS FIVA WARNS OF GLOBAL SKILLS SHORTAGE FIVA, the international federation dedicated to historic vehicles, is warning of a global skills shortage that could see some of the most iconic vehicles in history lost unless new blood is introduced to the restoration industry, with specialist training urgently needed to avoid vital skills dying out. That was the main conclusion reached at a FIVA-supported international symposium in Bucharest on July 24. Hosted by Retromobil Club Romania, ‘Restoration – Art or Science?’ saw a succession of world-renowned authorities address guests from 10 countries, with the event also streamed online to thousands worldwide. Speakers included Stéphane Guarato and Arthur Morault, who explained how a lack of skilled labour means some car enthusiasts are waiting three years for work to begin on their classics.…

FBHVC TAKES ON DVLA ROLE The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) has announced it has taken on a key stakeholder position within the DVLA in order to assist with the backlog in documentation for historic vehicles being processed by the agency. The DVLA has been dealing with a hugely increased workload in the wake of personnel shortages brought about by the pandemic. There have been almost 650 Covid-19 cases and one fatality, leading to strike action over the number of staff working in DLVA offices. The agency’s digital services are unaffected and have been ramped up, but paper applications have mounted up and in some cases can’t be made online, such as the V55/5 form that allows used imported vehicles to be registered. Last week, the Commons Select…

RECORD LOVE FOR THE UNEXCEPTIONAL Arecord attendance of over 3000 visitors gathered in celebration of long-forgotten family favourites and base models as Hagerty hosted its flagship Festival of the Unexceptional on July 31. The event was taking place for the seventh time, but had another new venue for 2021 – Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire. Classic parking lined both sides of the driveway, with over 40 carefully-selected unexceptional cars enclosed in the quadrant for the unique Concours d’Ordinaire. First place was awarded to John Coupland and his Proton 1.5GL Black Knight, while second place was won by Danny Wilson and his very early Peugeot 106 XN Graduate, which cost just £500. Aged 30 and 27 respectively, John and Danny were indicative of the younger demographic the event increasingly attracts. Special mentions…

LUXURY MULSANNES OFFERED There’s a still a chance to buy a brand-new Bentley with a 6.75-litre L-Series V8 under the bonnet – but only if you’re quick and, presumably, very rich. The British firm ceased production of the £241,000 Mulsanne last year, but now five unused Mulsanne Grand Limousine models have been put on the market. Coachbuilt in partnership with Mulliner, the cars were bespoke creations in 2015 for a customer in the United Arab Emirates, but none of the five have been registered or driven on the road despite having been shipped to the Middle East. The Mulsanne Grand Limousine includes a one metre stretch to the body and a raised roof to provide more headroom in the rear. The five cars all have unique exterior and interior designs,…

Classic Crossword 189 Clues Across 1 Where Ford set up shop in the UK in 1911 (8,4) 7 Any track day venue (7) 8 Sporty Nissan classics dating back over 50 years (1-4) 9 Engine products graded by viscosity (4) 10 Long-time maker of Series Land Rovers in Iran (8) 14 Forerunner to the Ford Transit (6) 15 Stepped on the pedal and slowed things down (6) 18 Diminutive German car unveiled in 1957 (3,5) 21 _ Shark, famous design concept and basis for the Corvette C3 (4) 23 _ quality, one aspect of the DeLorean with issues (5) 24 Hillman Hunter production moved to this country in 1976 (7) 25 Marque established in 1904 in Barcelona (7-5) Clues Down 1 Thompson Manufacturing Company sports car built in the 1980s…