Classic Collection Archives

Austin Allegro

Part of the Classic Collection

Year: 1980

Age: 41 years

Place of first registration: Coventry

Facts: Only 38,000 miles in 41 years. The colour is Applejack Green!

We Love: The colour which helps to disguise the dumpy shape

Not so good: Its still an Allegro and the Escort Mk 3 and Astra made it look hopelessly old. Sales compared to the previous Austin 1100 were dismal. Drive it and see what you think!

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Austin Metro

Part of the Classic Collection

Year: 1989

Age: 32 years

Place of first registration: Warwick

Facts: A very low mileage, low owner car in amazing condition.

We Love: The optimism encapsulated in the launch of the Metro and its genuinely spacious interior.

Not so good: By the time this car was registered the Metro badly needed a facelift and development. This city model was incredibly basic, with no parcel shelf or rear wash/wipe. Sadly, by this stage even the Austin badge had gone and the car was marketed purely as a Metro.

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Chrysler Avenger

Part of the Classic Collection

Year: 1979

Age: 42 years

Place of first registration: Wiltshire

Facts: A very rare original Avenger from the late 70s. Very hard to find one of these in this condition.

We Love: The eccentric but functional interior switchgear.

Not so good: We prefer the hockey stick rear lights of the original car and the front restyle is also a bit clumsy.

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Ford Capri 1.6 Laser

Part of the Classic Collection

Year: 1986

Age: 35 years

Place of first registration: Bristol

Facts: A nicely preserved original late Capri, still looks the business.

We Love: The timeless shape, long bonnet and fast back.

Not so good: On a wet roundabout with clumsy use of the throttle.

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Ford Escort MK3/4

Part of the Classic Collection

Year: 1988

Age: 33 years

Place of first registration: Lincoln

Facts: Although its paint is slightly faded this bog standard Escort had only done 11,000 miles in over 30 years.

We Love: The interior is like a new car, with no wear on the pedals and the thin steering wheel of the time.

Not so good: This is the most basic 1.3 model, the CVH engine was not as good as Ford believed but that didn’t stop this being by far the bestselling car in the UK during the 80s.

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Ford Fiesta MK3

Part of the Classic Collection

Year: 1991

Age: 30 years

Place of first registration: Devon

Facts: Until we bought it, this car had never left Devon and covered only 14,400 miles.

We Love: The fact that Ford cleverly and constantly refreshed the Fiesta, which still survives in their range today. The MK3 offered an attractive new shape, five doors and a five speed gearbox.

Not so good: … for the Metro, which was fast being left behind.

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Ford Sierra Sapphire

Part of the Classic Collection

Year: 1989

Age: 32 years

Place of first registration: London

Facts: Almost certainly originally belonged to a Sales rep, this is a high spec. 2 litre Sierra with a boot.

We Love: The fact that Ford again kept this car updated, cementing its position as a fleet favourite.

Not so good: The colour is a bit challenging and we cannot help but wonder if it would not have been better with front wheel drive.

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Hillman Imp Super

Part of the Classic Collection

Year: 1971

Age: 50 years

Place of first registration: West Sussex

Facts: Not many Imps have survived and the super in this colour is particularly unusual.

We Love: The instruments, warning lights and the choke control on the floor as well as the opening rear window.

Not so good: The engine, which is canted over at 45 degrees tended to leak oil and overheat. Sadly, the Imp never seriously rivalled the Mini.

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MG TF Spark 1.8

Part of the Classic Collection

Year: 2004

Age: 18 years

Place of first registration: London

Facts: Less than a year after this car was registered, the mighty Longbridge factory would fall silent ending almost 100 years of production. One of the last MG sports cars built under British ownership.

We Love: The lively 1.8 engine giving really peppy performance. It looks pretty too.

Not so good: The mid-engine layout gives good handling but makes maintenance difficult and quite expensive.

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Mini 25 Special Edition

Part of the Classic Collection

Year: 1984

Age: 37 years

Place of first registration: Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire

Facts: Not many cars have had a production run of 25 years, but in 1989 the Mini hit this milestone and to celebrate 5000 25th Edition cars were made. These featured special celebratory logos and more comfortable and lavish interior, as well as metallic silver paint work. The cars were powered by a 1 litre engine perhaps reflecting that most Minis were not performance versions.

We Love: The Mini

Not so good: It is notable that the 1989 car was not very different to the one built 25 years earlier, this is mainly because the original design was so advanced but it might have been possible to have updated the car further.

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Mini 850 MK1

Part of the Classic Collection

Year: 1966

Age: 55 years

Place of first registration: Erdington, Birmingham

Facts: June Bowen bought this car for £360 when it was exactly 2 years old. She was to keep it and love it and look after it for over 50 years, during which time it served her well and covered over 60,000 miles.

We Love: The incredible cleverness of the original Mini design, the work of a genius called Alec Issigonis.

Not so good: There is nothing not to like about the MK1 Mini.

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Morris Marina Coupe

Part of the Classic Collection

Year: 1979

Age: 41 years

Place of first registration: Coventry

Facts: The fact that it has survived. Less than 300 Marinas left of the 800,000 made!

Not so good: That brown interior and matching vinyl roof.

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Morris Minor Convertible

Part of the Classic Collection

Year: 1957

Age: 64 years

Place of first registration: Southampton

Facts: This car was comprehensively and expensively restored near 30 years ago, it has hardly covered any miles since.

We Love: The lovely matching hood and interior. Our founder remembers this as the first car his father owned and very long journeys to Cornwall on summer holidays.

Not so good: These cars are not quick.

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Reliant Robin

Part of the Classic Collection

Year: 1999

Age: 22 years

Place of first registration: Darlington

Facts: By 1999 Reliant were in deep trouble, this is one of the last 3 wheelers actually designed using a computer and featuring Vauxhall Corsa headlights.

We Love: No one can deny that it is entertaining to drive and because it is so light it is terrifyingly fast.

Not so good: High speed cornering is not recommended and at a new price of £8000 it hardly represented value for money.

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Rover 216 Coupe Automatic

Part of the Classic Collection

Year: 1994

Age: 28 years

Place of first registration: Blackpool

Facts: Facts: The Rover 200 Coupe now seems to be a bit of a curiosity. However the Ford Puma and Vauxhall Tigra proved there was a market for inexpensive coupes and in turbo form the Rover was a seriously fast car

We Love: The fact that Rover built it in the first place and the very exciting one make race series for the turbo cars

Not so good: This is only a 1.6 and its automatic but it still has a decent turn of speed

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Vauxhall Astra MK1

Part of the Classic Collection

Year: 1981

Age: 40 years

Place of first registration: Gloucester

Facts: This very early Astra has a secret story: the Vauxhall production line in the UK was not ready when the Astra was launched. Consequently the early cars were actually made by Opel. This one has a plate under the bonnet stating made by Adam Opel GmbH, in West Germany.

We Love: The modern new shape, the overhead cam engine and the very simple switch gear. Also it’s a great colour with a matching interior.

Not so good: The shape dated quickly in a decade when tastes where changing so the MK2 Astra was launched only 4 years later.

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Vauxhall Cavalier 1.6

Part of the Classic Collection

Year: 1992

Age: 29 years

Place of first registration: Basildon, Essex

Facts: Victor Stokes bought this car which was a demonstrator from J Toomey Motors in Basildon, who are still Vauxhall dealers. Most Cavaliers were sold to Companies and where beloved by the sales representatives of the time. Mr Stokes kept this car for all his life and by the time we acquired it, it had covered 67,000 miles and never failed a MOT test. A 1 owner Cavalier is genuinely a rare thing.

We Love: The fact that the front wheel drive Cavalier gave Vauxhall a moment in the sun as it outsold the Sierra in the early 80s.

Not so good: This is rather a dull colour but again the car is totally original and even now is a perfectly satisfactorily mode of transport.

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Vauxhall Viva

Part of the Classic Collection

Year: 1972

Age: 49 Years

Place of first registration: Durham

Facts: Clearly loved and well looked after by 4 owners in over 4 decades, during which it has covered a mere 36,000 miles.

We Love: The simplicity of the controls and the functionality of the design, like Ford. Vauxhall realised that the British motorist valued simplicity and size over complexity.

Not so good: This is a very basic car as shown by the fact that the passenger does not even get a sun visor.

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