Classic Cars May 2021

Like an oil stain on a concrete garage floor, a negative perception can be hard to lose. Ferrari Testarossa – Eighties excess on wheels – went out of fashion as rapidly as big hair and New Romantics. Even designer Leonardo Fioravanti was apologetic about it when we spoke to him for our Pininfarina special in the February issue. Porsche 928, Talbot Sunbeam Lotus and Mini 1275GT have all suffered for what they’re not – 911, Escort RS2000 and Mini Cooper respectively. And Ford Focus RS MkI, panned for rabid torque steer that made it impossible to drive with any great finesse. Call me a revisionist if you must, but the very qualities that have denied these cars the best of receptions are what make them more appealing today. If a taste…

[Buying] Price Guide Our quarterly guide brings you freshly updated prices for 1400-plus classics WHAT’S IT WORTH? Whether you’re buying or selling, our guide illustrates how the market is treating that model. We consult specialists, clubs and dealers, scour auction results and pool knowledge with classic car insurance specialist Hagerty to ensure our guide is as accurate as possible. But an individual car’s value can only be assessed in person. Cars with exceptional mileage, history, unrestored originality or fresh restorations can be worth disproportionately more. On ‘bluechip’ models our price spreads reflect the importance of provenance and history over condition. USING THE GUIDE in partnership with HAGERTY CLASSIC CAR INSURANCE NEED TO SEE PRICES EVERY MONTH? Our price guide is in every issue of our digital edition. Subscribe on p92…

First impressions aren’t everything – just look at this, one of seven Bristol Farinas built. The 401 chassis and running gear are almost entirely factory standard but you wouldn’t know it from the hand-formed bodywork. Styled by Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina, this 1948 machine clothes the Filton mechanicals and chassis in coachbuilt aluminium that encapsulates the best of Italian glamour without losing sight of Bristol Cars’ BMW origins. HJ ‘Aldy’ Aldington can take credit for the meeting of minds. An enthusiastic racer who’d spent the Thirties selling the best of Bavaria alongside his Frazer Nash sports cars, he introduced Bristol Aeroplane Company directors to BMW and swiftly secured a working relationship, buying blueprints for the 326, 327 and 328 models soon after. Though George White took majority control of the Aldington brothers’…

Welcome Following the consensus on which classic cars are good to own makes sense; rejecting it can be much more exciting Like an oil stain on a concrete garage floor, a negative perception can be hard to lose. Ferrari Testarossa – Eighties excess on wheels – went out of fashion as rapidly as big hair and New Romantics. Even designer Leonardo Fioravanti was apologetic about it when we spoke to him for our Pininfarina special in the February issue. Porsche 928, Talbot Sunbeam Lotus and Mini 1275GT have all suffered for what they’re not – 911, Escort RS2000 and Mini Cooper respectively. And Ford Focus RS MkI, panned for rabid torque steer that made it impossible to drive with any great finesse. Call me a revisionist if you must, but…

Lee Keller of Warminster firm Spencer Lane-Jones has worked on several of the Bristol Farinas. A talented driveline specialist, Lee oversaw the 2010s rebuild of 401/216’s engine. ‘The current owner bought his Farina to us because it was down on power and leaking oil. He decided to have the engine rebuilt to our Touring specification, which we’ve developed to increase power, torque and drivability.’ ‘A young lad, Ben Forey, started at the time and he did the majority of the work, with me overseeing him. It takes 200 man hours to strip, build and prepare a Bristol straight-six. They’re very labour intensive engines to work on and not as mass produced as the Chrysler V8s fitted to later models. Luckily there were no problems with the cylinder block or head, which…

[Bristol 401 Farina] EUROPEAN UNION Frazer Nash supremo HJ Aldington wanted Bristol to sell coachbuilt style to a brave new world. Pinin Farina obliged but only seven cars were built. We drive one to assess his success Words EMMA WOODCOCK Photography JONATHAN FLEETWOOD First impressions aren’t everything – just look at this, one of seven Bristol Farinas built. The 401 chassis and running gear are almost entirely factory standard but you wouldn’t know it from the hand-formed bodywork. Styled by Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina, this 1948 machine clothes the Filton mechanicals and chassis in coachbuilt aluminium that encapsulates the best of Italian glamour without losing sight of Bristol Cars’ BMW origins. HJ ‘Aldy’ Aldington can take credit for the meeting of minds. An enthusiastic racer who’d spent the Thirties selling the…