Índex per Spring 2025 a Practical Classics

A YouGov survey shows 71 per cent of UK car owners agree that bloated modern SUVs make parking more difficult and 59 per cent agree that SUVs are not necessary in towns and cities, this is despite research showing that three quarters of SUVs sold in the UK are registered to people living in towns and cities. Biggest Bremen Since 2003, the Bremen Classic Motor Show has become established as the Germany’s season opener. This year the Motor Show attracted 46,713 visitors to the exhibition halls – a visitor record. The next Motor Show will take place from Friday January 30 to Sunday February 1, 2026. Manor Park goes online Following on from Manor Park Classics' purchase of Barons Classic Car Auctioneers, the Runcorn-based auction house has launched Manor Park…

The Triumph 2000/2500/2.5Pi Register will be raising funds for the Forest Pulse Charity, which supports children and young people with disabilities living in The Forest of Dean, as part of its week-long National event, which takes place in the area from June 23-30. Classic fans hand over £2k A donation of £2000 has been made by Minehead Motor Club (MMC) to the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. The money came from the club’s participation in the Lyn Valley Classic car show last June. Deadline looms for Stirling rally Enthusiasts in Scotland are being encouraged to show off their vehicles at this year’s Stirling and District Classic Car Club Show, which takes place on May 11 at Bridge of Allan. The entry deadline for the event, which last year raised £17,200…

Few classic car magazines have their own show, but Practical Classics is one of that select bunch, and we reckon that ours is not only bigger than all the others, but it’s also better. Tens of thousands of you agree, because that’s how many enthusiasts flood through the doors of the NEC each year… and will do so again when the Restoration Show returns to Birmingham’s NEC on March 21-23. The weekend focuses on giving you the skills and confidence to work on your own classic, whether that’s restoring or maintaining it. You’ll be able to learn how to lead load, panel beat and polish paint. Many of the 160 or so clubs attending will also be working on cars, so if you need help with something on your own classic, there…

Citroën AX GT. A little Jack Russell of a car! Tony Stacey The Escort MkIV RS Turbo model in Rosso Red was the best-looking Escort. Paul Tennant Alfasud 1.5 Ti Green Cloverleaf/QV. Andrew Hall My first and scariest was the Fiat 127 1300GT. Robert Corrigan Fiat Tipo Abarth 16v or or Strada Abarth! Dan Clelland My first car was a 10-year-old XR3. It took me from Scotland to Germany many times and never broke down. Roddy Robertson Mine would be a Mazda 1.8 GT. Jim Mac Polo G40 was epic. David Young Had an ‘86 Golf GTi, an ‘89 Astra GTE 16v and a ‘90 XR3i. The Astra was the best of the lot by a long way. Those CVH engines were bloody awful. Rob Fee Loved my Lancia Delta…

A pre-loved Rover Coupé Turbo for £1000 that had been fettled a little and managed under six seconds. Daniele Toscano Back in the mid-Noughties, it was the FIAT Coupé and MR2 turbo. You could pick both cars up stupidly cheap. Chris Michael Spooner Cheap Boxster S is fast. I wouldn't put money on a cheap one lasting long though! Rob Chaloner My C36 AMG, generally touted at 5.8 seconds. Mercedes quote unrestricted top speed at 169mph! Richard Elford My old Sunbeam Stiletto would have given everyone a run for their money. Not quite as standard as it looked! Graham Gillings My vote would be for an Impreza. They’re still very good value and little can touch them on a B-road. Paul Mears…

In 2019, I heard about a Ford Orion that was about to be scrapped, because the owner had passed away and the family, left with the difficult task of sorting out his things, didn’t know what to do with it. Suddenly, I was the new owner of a 1988 Orion 1.6 Ghia with just 46,000 miles – and lots of rust. I’d need to learn some new skills to bring it back! Initially I got tips from my brother-in-law, Terry. He took me through the process of welding one of the sills and, after trying it myself, he came over to visit one day and suggested that I probably didn’t need his help anymore! I pick up these things quite quickly. Around that time, I’d seen TV’s Paul Cowland talking…

Writing this column, on the eve of my 37th birthday, I spent a little time reflecting on the changes we’ve seen within the classic car community since I first bought a Morris Minor nearly two decades ago. We’ve gained bigger communities of other petrolheads globally with the help of social media, seen traction when it comes to EVs and the change in how our car shows look; how many of us ever pictured seeing Nineties cars nestled amongst the chrome-clad classics? Sadly, what hasn’t changed, or nearly as much as I’d like, is how we see the young people in our classic car community. ‘Lazy’, ‘not interested’ and ‘too busy on their smart phones’ were some of the comments on a recent video I published on YouTube about the future…

Practical Classics magazine, from the very beginning in 1980, has always been about the joy of fixing cars – restoration projects and adventure, and of the human interest stories that surround these otherwise inanimate collections of rubber, plastic and metal. Turn back the clock forty-five years, and the cover of the first issue of Practical Classics magazine played host to a rather special project car. It’s the most famous Austin A40 in the world, XOE 778, or ‘Zoey’ as she was known. Zoey was Pat Moss’s steed for the 1958 Monte Carlo rally before becoming the first ever restoration within the pages of Practical Classics magazine and, as a consequence, holds a special place in the hearts of many early readers who followed the little car’s remarkable story. IN THE…

‘More auction shakeups seem likely’ Changes are afoot in the world of classic auctions, an inevitability in what is a fast-changing market. In recent years we’ve seen the arrival of new players along with the lockdown driven online sales and it has all started to get rather competitive. Luckily, the growing number of classics being offered for sale has kept most outlets busy. Manor Park Classics in Runcorn is one of the newbies and has grown quickly since launching four years ago. So much so that it has just bought more old-school Southampton-based Barons Auctions, though the existing team there will remain in place. ‘We aim to turbocharge the business,’ says MPC’s chairman Stephen Ashworth. And add a few more cylinders too, it seems, as they aim to open four…

James Walshe How often do you prepare for a road trip on the other side of the English Channel by studying the local rules of the road? It can’t be that different over there, surely? Having read many a travel guide, I’ve driven many thousands of miles around Europe – this rational, unified and welcoming cluster of countries that, despite a joyful assortment of customs and languages, share the same values and sensibilities. Well… I’m currently standing beside my wounded Citroën on a roundabout being told by an angry Spaniard that road users on the outside lane of a dual carriageway roundabout, (no matter how erratic their driving, it seems), have right of way. My dashcam shows I was turning and indicating left for the third exit and so took…

1985 Citroën 2CV Engine 602cc/2-cyl/OHV Gearbox 4-speed manual Power 29bhp@5750rpm Torque 31lb ft@3500rpm Top speed 71mph 0-60mph 32.7sec Fuel economy 49mpg Work done Oil and filters, plugs and a polish. Ready for a big trip to Paris soon! Also in James’s garage 1989 SAAB 900 TURBO 16S Still in need of a new ignition barrel. 1999 CITROËN BERLINGO 1.4 New electric roof fitted and tested – it works! 2003 CITROËN BERLINGO HDI Time for a trip to Portugal. See p118 for more. 2004 SMART ROADSTER COUPÉ Very much ready for some spring sunshine. Jeep and Land Rover spent the Forties paving the way for four-wheel drive vehicles, so you’d think the French might have made notes. Perhaps they did, but in the late Fifties, Citroën decided the best way of…

1972 Jaguar XJ6 Series 1 Engine 4235cc/6-cyl/DOHC Power 186bhp@5500rpm Torque 231lb ft@3000rpm Gearbox 4-speed manual + o/d 0-60mph 10sec (est) Top speed 120mph (est) Economy 15mpg (or less) Work done Set up fuel feed via temporary bottle (see intensive care-style IV drip); fitted new electronic ignition chopper blade to distributor; attempted to cure leak in steering rack the lazy way. Also in Martyn’s garage 1999 KAWASAKI ER-5 Project bike restomod in a café racer style. 2001 KAWASAKI ER-5 Project bike restomod in a scrambler style. 2015 FORD TRANSIT WELLHOUSE CAMPERVAN Live-in film production and holiday van. 2018 DUCATI SCRAMBLER 1100 Noisy, yellow fun machine. A quarter of a century ago, LAB 320K was possibly the most famous XJ6 in the country. In 1997 Practical Classics magazine started a long series of…

Matt Tomkins WORKSHOP EDITOR Our workshop puppet master, Matt has a penchant for restoring British classics in particular. This month Has been titivating the bodywork of his supercharged Minor ready for the PC Resto show. Rich March PRO BUFFER New recruit Rich runs UK Detailing Academy. Our expert at making things shiny. This month Shows you how to restore your glass, removing dirt and scratches and applying sealant to improve visability. Ed Hughes WORKSHOP GENIUS A former teacher, Ed singlehandedly keeps a fleet of obscure classics on the road. He’s never owned a modern car and intends keep it that way. This month Welded a sill-end on the winter Lada, and did a postmortem on an old Volga engine. It might yet be OK… Nigel Clark DIY RESTORER Nigel’s driveway…

The May issue of Practical Classics marks 45 years since the magazine first landed on the UK newsstands. Since then, PC has gone from strength to strength, doing what it set out to do almost half a century ago: to celebrate your endeavours. From heroic home restorations to astonishing classic car adventures and buying guides, the best technical advice and, of course, the editorial team’s very own tales of woe and wonder from the magazine workshop. There is nothing else out there quite like it. Since 1980, PC has been at the heart of the classic community – the huge attendance each year at the Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show at the NEC proves it. So, with that in mind, come join us between March 21-23, in Hall 5, where we…

A team of friends who met online thanks to their love of quirky, unloved cars are undertaking a trip to EMWalhalla, an event billed by many as the European equivalent of the Festival of the Unexceptional, but on a different scale. A team of 10 British bangers and their crews will be convoying to Louwman’s Toyota World in Raamsvonksdeer, Netherlands, to raise money for Refuge, the charity that supports women and children escaping from domestic abuse. Alex Wakefield, Team EMWalhalla leader, said: ‘We took a fleet of inappropriate cars on a high-speed blast across Europe last year not knowing what to expect, but the event served up many treats, with an amazing spread of cars. When we started to plan the 2025 trip, we decided that raising some money for…

SAT, MAR 15 LONDON Classics on Lower Marsh, SE17 7AE (waterlooclassics.com). LEEDS Saturday Social at The Motorist, LS25 6JE (themotorist.com). SUN, MAR 16 HANTS VW camper van and bus meet at Port Solent, PO6 4TP (tinyurl.com/yuu8zj52). LINCS Boston Classic Car Club meet at Langrick Station Café, PE22 7AH (bostonclassiccarclub.org.uk). WORCS Autojumble at the Three Counties Showground, Malvern, WR13 6NW (classicshows.org). MON, MAR 17 ESSEX Southend & District monthly meet at The Estuary Club, SS9 2UJ (thesdccc.co.uk). SUFFOLK Classic car meet at the Queen’s Head in Hawkedon, IP29 4NN (hawkedonqueen.co.uk). WED, MAR 19 S YORKS Traditional Car Club of Doncaster meet at The Burghwallis, DN6 9JT (traditionalcarclub.co.uk). FRI-SUN, MAR 21-23 BIRMINGHAM Practical Classics Restoration Show at the NEC, B40 1NT (necrestorationshow.com). SAT, MAR 22 LEEDS Italian Day at The Motorist, LS25…

‘Sadly dad didn’t see this restoration finished’ 1977 Lotus Éclat Sprint Ray and Norma Walker, Barkston, Lincs My father bought our Éclat in the late Ninetis and ran it for a while, then one day he went out with a friend, took it home and parked it, only for his friend to coming running over to tell him his car was on fire! Luckily, he’d left the garage door open, so they ran back with a fire extinguisher. The dashboard had caught fire. The car just sat in the garage after that until my dad was in his Nineties and he told me he’d like to see the Lotus running again, so I decided to take it away and get it fixed. I took the Éclat to a place in…

It’s no secret that the ‘hot seat’ of any Mini is one of the greatest places to be for any petrolhead, and something that everyone with oil in their veins should experience. Having folded myself behind the wheel of Sam’s car, I’m immediately struck by the lightness and tightness of this car. Everything from that rebuilt gearbox – I’m so pleased Sam persevered with it – which snicks precisely between ratios to the perky engine up-front which responds eagerly to even the lightest jab of the right foot, testament to Sam’s fastidious attitude and experience with A-series engines. The suspension feels taught and the interior is quiet and free from knocks and rattles, with perfection achieved from headlining to carpet set. While the ‘go’ is impressive, the diminutive brakes tucked…

STAR FIND BIG PRIZE! Can you do better! Send your high-res images to practical.classics@bauermedia.co.uk In association with Surface Processing Ltd surfaceprocessing.co.uk, 01384 242010…

Happy birthday, Practical Classics! So, there we are – 45 years young and still as vibrant and relevant as ever. Of course, these anniversaries remind you of the passage of time, but that’s no bad thing because with that comes perspective. Back in the mid-Noughties when I did my stint as deputy editor on the mag, I remember the passion, the enthusiasm and the sheer love of cars that flowed through the entire team’s veins – it helped me realise that I wasn’t alone in feeling the way I do about our hobby. As one of the gatekeepers of the modern classics movement, PC’s relationship with the scene has always been an interesting one. Many of you I’ve come to know share the view that despite covering so many ‘evergreen’…

1999 BMW 523i SE Engine 2494cc/6-cyl/DOHC Power 168bhp@5500rpm Torque 181lb ft@3950rpm Gearbox 5-speed auto 0-60mph 8.2sec Top speed 140mph Fuel economy 30mpg Work done Car collected and brought to the PC workshop; initial assessment undertaken; headlamp lenses prettified. Also in Matt’s garage 1972 TRIUMPH 2000 Still squirrelled away and awaiting its day in the sun. 1972 TRIUMPH TR6 Hopefully out and about as soon as weather improves. 2004 BMW 330d MOT success this month! Here at Practical Classics, we often get emails from readers offering us potential project cars – automotive waifs and strays that, for a variety of reasons, are facing an uncertain future. It might be the case that the vehicle in question now needs more restorative works than the current owner is willing or able to take…

1954 Standard Ten Engine 948cc/4-cyl/OHV Power 33bhp@4500rpm Torque 46lb ft@2500rpm Gearbox 4-speed manual 0-60mph 38.3sec Top speed 69mph Economy 34.4mpg Work done New floors made; brakes overhauled; new exhaust and springs; cylinder head skimmed. Also in Steph’s garage 1968 MORRIS MINOR TWO-DOOR In storage until the gritters and snow disappear. 1971 MORRIS MARINA 1.3 Awaiting some TLC when it warms up – poor thing! 1994 PROTON SAGA 1.5 MPI My daily driver. Now with fixed remote boot release! After acquiring a Fifties Standard Ten for less than a grand and ironically naming it Speedy, (PC, March 2025) we would have a real challenge to get my new car into roadworthy shape. Having set my sights on getting the car to the Classic Motor Show at the NEC in November, colleagues…

Spy OC7ANE £99 ISBN 978-1-913089-85-6 Revealing the secrets of the vehicles in the James Bond films, this lavishly illustrated hardback by acclaimed Bond historians Matthew Field and Ajay Chowdhury offers in depth behind-the-scenes insights into the spectacular array of transport that propelled Bond between 1962 and 1971. porterpress.co.uk Ultimate Ford GT40 £325 ISBN 978-1-913089-71-9 The first volume of Ultimate Ford GT40, compiled following decades of research, presents Ronnie Spain’s individual chassis histories of the GT40s in a lavish, large-format volume extending to 576 pages, with more than 1300 photographs, many of them never before published. porterpress.co.uk NASCAR Mavericks £30 ISBN: 978-0-760388-78-5 Telling the tales of the trailblazers and hell raisers of this fast and furious form of motorsport, alongside evocative imagery, the story starts in the Forties and continues to…

Torquay, Devon, July 1976 Any Seventies hotel scene in Torquay automatically conjures up images of an arrogant and irate Basil Fawlty. The local hotel that inspired John Cleese was the Gleneagles; we’re sure that the three-star Devonshire here in Parkhill Road was much better-managed. Its guests have checked in with a range of mainstream British motors. Our eye can’t help but be drawn to the brand new 1442cc Chrysler Alpine S, looking much more modern than what’s around it. NRT 272P was only a month old here and would survive until May 1987. Next there’s a careworn Morris Minor 1000 Traveller with dented front wing and indecipherable numberplate. However, the white front sidelamps tell us it’s a pre-1962 model. Damn good thrashing The Minor’s neighbour is a 1971 Morris 1300…

Force of the law Having collected a speeding ticket recently, I was unfortunately reminded of the last few times. I was pulled over in 2008 while driving my 1926 Austin 12 In Hertfordshire (the very car that won your Restorer of The Year contest in 2009) and was asked how I measure my speed. As it was registered before 1931, the car does not require a working accurate speedometer and so I explained how speed can be determined by counting street lamps as you pass them. I still have the car and thankfully haven’t been caught driving too fast! However, from 1991 until 2014 I ran a 1969 Jaguar S-type 3.8 as my daily driver and, in 2018, was pulled over after a ‘spirited’ drive on the M40 Quite rightfully,…

Back at the 1984 National Schools Karting association finals at Fulbeck, there was an impromptu minibus race between several schoolteachers from schools that, for legal reasons, I probably ought not to name. Martin Laurel Giving it some beans round Goodwood. Pete Fitzgerald I drove my dad’s Lada 1200 estate at Silverstone. Nearly went off at Stowe. Paul Cinquecento I once took a Transit MkV LWB high roof camper around a go-kart track. Everything came flying out of the cupboards. Tom Larkin My brother and I went around Knockhill in 1981 in my 1977 Skoda Estelle 105. Martin Clark Lapped the Nürburgring in my camper many years ago. Sub 20-minute lap with van full of camping gear for a two-week tour of Europe! Steve Prior My dad drove his 1956 Humber…

Everyone loves a Fiat 500, be it an air-cooled vertical twin from the Sixties, its upscaled remake launched in 2008 that has kept Fiat afloat ever since, or even the one nicknamed Topolino, the original 500 launched before WWII. But do you remember the other 500, the one officially called 'Cinquecento' on its badge rather than '500'? It was small, square and launched in 1991, a couple of years before it came to the UK. Like its 2008 descendant this titchy car was made at Tychy in Poland, in the former FSM factory. However, I knew of its existence as far back as 1988 when I paid the IDEA Institute, just outside Turin, an impromptu visit while researching preview stories for Motor magazine’s report on that year’s Turin Motor Show.…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US It’s actually the May issue of PC that will be the official 45th birthday publication, but we thought we would celebrate early to get the party started, plus it also means we can share the good news with everyone at the Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show. Four-and-a-half decades of PC will mean a lot to the many readers who have every issue from number one, but it also means a lot to the four of us who still cook up every issue from the office. Why? As we have all been doing it for more than ten years. It’s more than a job, it’s a calling and if you don’t believe us, here’s a little secret…. we were all subscribers before we worked here. Over…

WED-FRI MAR Mathewsons, Thornton-le-Dale. (01751 474455, mathewsons.co.uk). SAT-SUN MAR Iconic Auctioneers’ PC Resto Show sale, NEC. (01926 691141, iconicauctioneers.com). THU MAR 27 Charterhouse, Haynes, Sparkford. (01935 812277, charterhouse-cars.com). WED APR 2 Brightwells’ Classic & Vintage, Easters Court, Leominster. (01568 611122, brightwells.com). FRI-SAT APR Manor Park Classics’ sale, Runcorn. (0161 697 5223, manorparkclassics.com). SAT-SUN APR Anglia Car Auctions, King’s Lynn. (01553 777444, angliacarauctions.co.uk).…

‘Are parts getting worse?’ You must have noticed that the quality of new parts varies wildly these days. There are the budget bits that often look as though they’ve been assembled by a primary school class, and even more expensive spares that still look like junk. I’ve bought parts for three-figure sums that still show signs of lazy construction, burrs on plastic or metal parts and a light, flimsy feel. Merely moaning that things aren’t built like they used to be is, of course, a middle-aged rite of passage, but there seems to be some credence to the sentiment in this case. A friend recently nearly had a catastrophic cooling system failure, caused by a silicon bag left in a component that nearly cooked his engine. The whole system, radiator,…

James Walshe… My love of the 2CV drew me towards the snail-like S-Cargo (escargot – geddit?) and the utilitarian ‘garden shed-alike’ Pao. Compared to those, the Figaro seemed excessive and extravagant, but no less charming. Having seen a lot in London when I lived there, low-emissions zones have now pushed most of the Figaros out to the countryside and into the hands of dedicated enthusiasts, which warms the heart. There really is nothing else quite like a Nissan Figaro – or a Nissan Figaro owner. Danny Hopkins… It’s a very strange thing to be writing about a car in a classic car magazine that has been pretending to be a classic since new. That’s what the Figaro is now, a nailed on classic from a time we shall not see…

1977 Reliant Scimitar SE6A Engine 2994cc/V6/OHV Power 138bhp@5000rpm Torque 192lb ft@3000rpm Gearbox 4-speed man + o/d 0-60mph 9.4sec Top speed 118mph Fuel economy 21mpg Work done Fitted interior; got it running; replaced gearbox. Also in Danny’s shed 1956 RILEY PATHFINDER Formhalls now has the ’box and engine ready. 1972 TRIUMPH 2000 Winter slumbers almost complete. 1975 FIAT 124 SPIDER Can we get it running at the PC Resto Show? 1980 FIAT 124 SPIDER 2.0 Spares car for the above. 2002 MAZDA MX-5 MONTANA Winter sports fun each and every week. 2004 VAUXHALL FRONTERA 2.2DTI Visit it at the Great British Car Journey. You may have noticed, the background of many of the pictures of the PC workshop over the past couple of years, includes a Nightfire Red Scimitar SE6a on…

1998 MGF Engine 1796cc/4-cyl/DOHC Power 118bhp @5500rpm Torque 122lb ft@3000rpm Gearbox 5-speed manual 0-60mph 8.5sec Top speed 120mph Fuel economy 37mpg Work done Suspension refurbished with re-gassed displacers. Also in Matt’s garage 1937 AUSTIN SEVEN SPECIAL Engine back together. Plans afoot for improved carburation. 1969 MORRIS MINOR TRAVELLER Restorative plans afoot. Watch this space. 1970 MORRIS MINOR SUPERCHARGED SALOON Some titivation required before going on display at the PC Resto Show 1988 LAND ROVER NINETY Overdue a service. It’s on my to-do list. 2002 FORD FOCUS Car of choice for cold, damp nursery runs. Last month I introduced my latest project, and it’s something a little different to my usual chrome-clad fare. Don’t worry, though, I’m still working away in the background on my Austin Seven special ahead of this…

1952 Morris Minor ‘Barney’ Engine 918cc/4-cyl/SV Power 29.5bhp@4400rpm Torque 39lb ft@2400rpm Gearbox 4-speed manual 0-50mph 36.5sec Top speed 62mph Fuel economy 36mpg Work done Ice blasted the car to remove corrosive rust; raised funds and spread awareness. Also in Emily’s garage These cars are my dad’s and have been around for as long as I can remember. It was because of my dad’s enthusiasm that I grew up surrounded by classic cars and that’s truly how my passion began. 1952 DAIMLER DB18 CONSORT This one has been off the road for five years. 1978 MG MIDGET This is my personal favourite of my dad’s cars. It was off the road in the last month due to suspension issues, but it has been fixed. In the world of car restoration, I’ve…

RICH’S JOB CARD REFRESH YOUR WINDSCREEN My task today is to revive the windscreen of this Range Rover, removing accumulated surface hazing and wiper scars. Often overlooked, it is a simple but time-consuming task but takes years off the appearance of a tired screen and makes rainy and night-time driving a joy again. We will look at common issues and how they may be addressed in a sympathetic way that will enhance your driving experience whilst avoiding the hassle and expense of screen replacement. How tough? You’ll need • Glass cleaning cloths • General purpose microfibre cloths • Stainless steel razor blades • Detailing clay bar, cloth or pad • Clay lubrication • Microfibre applicator pads • Medium machine polishing pads • Glass polishing pads • Glass cleaner • Water…