Servicing Your Classic Car

Posted on November 4, 2019 by admin

If you happen to be the proud owner of a classic or vintage car then you will no doubt want to keep it in good working order. After all, you may have spent many tens of thousands of pounds or even hundreds of thousands of pounds in buying such a vehicle.

So, how do you go about servicing the vehicle? Well, if you are mechanically minded when it comes to cars, you could consider doing the work yourself. You would probably get a great deal of personal satisfaction by getting under the bonnet of your cherished vehicle and providing it with some tender loving care. Do bear in mind that the engine in a classic car is no doubt going to be somewhat different to that of a modern family car.

Not only will you check under the bonnet but you will also no doubt need to make some other checks including making sure that the tyres are legal and that the brakes do their job effectively. If anything needs replacing then you may wish to be selective in terms of where you source genuine spare parts. There are car part companies who do supply parts suitable for a classic or vintage vehicle so make sure you shop around if you are going to service your own classic car.

If you are not able to carry out the servicing on your classic vehicle yourself then you could consider using a garage that specialises in looking after classic cars. So, how do you go about finding a garage that services classic vehicles? Well, you could contact the classic car club specific to the make of car you have and they may be able to recommend a suitable garage. Alternatively, you could do a search in your Internet browser by typing something like “classic car servicing uk” or to be more specific, if you own a classic jaguar car, you could type say “classic car servicing uk – jaguar” into your browser and this will hopefully give you some options re classic car servicing.

There is a lot to be said for recommendations. So, before choosing which garage to service your classic car, you could always ask them for the names and contact details of two or three of their existing customers to find out if they were pleased with the work undertaken. Spend as much time as you think necessary in making your selection.

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Cost Of Car Insurance Goes Up

Posted on October 17, 2019 by admin

Motorists will be disappointed to read that the cost of insuring their cars has gone up over the last year for many policyholders according to the Confused.com Car Insurance Price Index. Although the index relates to insuring standard vehicles it is quite possible that the cost of insuring a classic car has also risen.

The above index is produced on a quarterly basis and, according to the most recent one published for the third quarter of 2019, the average cost of fully comprehensive cover has risen by £23 in the twelve month period to the third quarter of 2019. That equates to a rise of 3%. The average cost of such cover was £783 per annum.

On a positive note, premiums have fallen slightly when compared with the second quarter of 2019 when the average cost of such cover was £789 per annum.

It is the younger motorist who pays more for their car insurance. The most expensive cover is for those aged 18 with the average cost of fully comprehensive car insurance costing £2,067 per annum. That is more than some young drivers will be paying each month in car loan repayments. The biggest rise in premiums is for drivers who are 23 years of age who have, on average, seen the cost of their cover going up by £45 per annum over the last year to £1,306 per annum.

The index also looked at the average cost of such cover on a regional basis and found that Northern Ireland motorists saw the biggest increase in premiums. In the last year, premiums have risen by 8% to an average of £942 per annum. That is an increase of £69 per annum. The region where motorists pay the most is in Inner London with premiums averaging £1,213 per annum.

The above figures are concerning and it is to be hoped that premiums start to fall going forward. We will continue to update our readers periodically about the cost of car insurance in the coming months.

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Auction Of Some Low Priced Classic Vehicles

Posted on October 2, 2019 by admin

You don’t have to be wealthy to own a classic car as can be seen from the H and H classic car online auction that is to take place today. If you look on their website you will see many vehicles with an estimated price of below £10,000. Of course, some vehicles will no doubt need some work doing on them but that is one of the things that appeals to a number of classic car enthusiasts who enjoy the challenge of a restoration project.

For instance, how about a 1962 Standard Ensign De Luxe that has an estimated price of £1,000 to £1,500. Apparently it requires recommissioning. It has been in the same ownership since 2012.

Why not cast your eyes over a 1972 MG B Roadster in blue. Imagine taking this delightful looking open topped sports car out for a run on a lovely sunny afternoon through the country lanes. This has an estimated sale price of £4,000 to £5,000. It is said to have 73,000 miles on the clock and has been subject to some restoration work in 2001. It also has an MOT until June 2020.

If you are looking for something a little bigger then perhaps a 1970 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow with an estimated sale price of £7,000 to £9,000. It has 79,222 miles on the clock and has an MOT until June 2020. It has had two previous owners.

Have you thought about a 1978 Reliant Scimitar GTE SE6A with an estimated sale price of £2,500 to £3,500. This vehicle has been in the same ownership for 31 years.

Do you remember the Austin Allegro? In its time, there were many on the roads. Well a 1978 Austin Allegro 1500 Special is being offered for sale with an estimated price of £3,000 to £5,000.It is said to only have 16,500 miles on the clock. It has only had one private owner.

Why not peruse a 1936 Austin 12/4 Light Ascot Saloon that has an estimated sale price of £4,500 to £5,500. It has been in the same ownership for 7 years and is said to have been used on a regular basis by the individual.

A 1970 Austin-Healey Sprite MKIV has an estimated sale price of £4,000 to £5,000 and is said to have been restored in 2009. It has been in the same ownership since 2010. This soft-topped two seater white sports car really does look the part.

If you require classic car insurance then why not get in touch with us and we will be pleased to assist in arranging a competitive quotation without any obligation.

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Valuable Classic Cars Sold At Bonhams Auction

Posted on September 17, 2019 by admin

Bonhams Goodwood Revival auction of classic cars took place at Chichester, Goodwood on the 14th September 2019. There were a number of expensive vehicles sold some of which we mention below: –

Imagine taking this wonderful looking open topped 1939 Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B Short-Chassis Spider sports car out for a drive on a lovely, warm Sunday afternoon in the UK countryside. Well, this particular vehicle was sold for £408,250 including the premium. It has red leather seats and a burgundy coloured bodywork.

You would have needed a much bigger bank balance to have been able to have purchased a 1935 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante as it was sold for £1,499,000 including the premium. A mere three of these cars were built in Atalante coachwork and this may be the only one still remaining making it extremely rare which is no doubt one of the reasons it sold for almost £1.5 million.

If you are a fan of Aston Martins then you may be interested to read that a 1969 Aston Martin DB6 Mark 2 Volante Convertible sold for £743,000 including the premium. You will be interested to know that this is an extremely rare vehicle with only 36 being built. Way back in 1974 it was sold for just £4,500 so it has certainly appreciated in value.

Ferrari lovers would have found a 1970 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 “Daytona” Berlinetta of interest especially as it was sold for £437,500 including the premium. Only 158 of these right hand drive cars were built. You may be surprised to read that the first owner of this lovely sports car was the British School of Motoring.

A 1924 Bentley 3-Litre Tourer was sold for £195,000 including the premium. Its coachwork is in a lovely green and the classic car appears to be in good condition and has been driven up in Scotland.

It will not come as a surprise to read that there were many other classic cars sold at the above auction with a full list being available on Bonhams website.

If you are considering buying a vintage vehicle then you will no doubt wish to make sure that you have competitive, quality classic car insurance in place. In that respect, why not get in touch with us and we will help arrange a quotation without any obligation to proceed. We look forward to hearing from you.

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Classic Car Auction At Sandown Park Racecourse

Posted on September 3, 2019 by admin

A variety of classic cars that may be of interest to those of you who own or are considering buying such a vehicle are going to be auctioned by Barons at the Jaguar Heritage, Classic and Sports Cars event on the 20th September 2019 at Sandown Park Racecourse. Below we highlight some of the vehicles with a full current list being available on the auctioneer’s website that you may wish to peruse.

You may like to cast your eyes over a 1958 Austin Healey 100/6 2+2 from South Africa that is being offered for sale with a guide price of £28,000 to £35,000. Its bodywork is in British Racing Green and it is fitted with a 3-litre engine. The car is said to be in good condition.

There are many fans of the Mini. A 1966 Austin Mini Cooper S Re-creation is available to buy with a guide price of £11,000 to £13,500. It has 72,000 miles on the clock so has been well used over the years. It is said to be in fantastic condition having had many thousands of pounds spent on it. It has a 1390cc engine and a 5-speed gearbox.

If you like the idea of taking a leisurely drive on a warm, sunny Sunday afternoon in an open soft-topped saloon vehicle that can comfortably seat 4 people then you may wish to take a look at a 1933 Alvis Firefly that has a guide price of £40,000 to £50,000. It only has just over 9,000 miles on the clock so has probably not been taken on the roads very much. Its bodywork is in blue and it has red leather seats.

A 1972 Jaguar E-Type Series 3 Roadster in red is being offered for sale with a guide price of £55,000 to £70,000. It has 79,000 miles on the clock. Apparently, it is said that this classic sports car is being utilised every day.

If you are attracted to something a little different then why not peruse a 1996 LTI FX4 Fairway London Taxi that is available to purchase with a guide price of £2,500 to £3,500. It will come as no surprise to read that it has some 330,000 miles on the clock and is of course in black. It has a 2.7-litre diesel engine.

A 1958 MG A Roadster 1500 is available to buy with a guide price of £18,000 to £24,000. It is said to have a low mileage of just over 38,000. This is a great looking two-seater red sports car. It is said to have been in the same ownership for 25 years.

If you like the outdoor life when it comes to holidaying then take a look at a white 1975 Volkswagen T2 Devon Pop Up Camper Van that comes with a guide price of £12,000 to £15,000. It has obviously been well used in the past as it has over 110,000 miles on the clock but has rarely been on the roads in the last 5 years. As you can see from the photographs, it looks a delight and will hopefully provide any new owner with many memorable holidays.

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Auction Of 200 Cars and Trucks

Posted on August 19, 2019 by admin

Those of you with an interest in classic American cars may have heard about the incredible collection of cars and trucks that were to be auctioned on the 9th and 10th August 2019 by VanDerBrink Auctions over in the USA. These vehicles were owned by a farmer by the name of James Graham from Minnesota who sadly passed away in his eighties.

From a very young age he started to collect cars, tractors and trucks and at one point had amassed a collection of around 500 vehicles but eventually reduced the size of the collection to about 250. His first vehicle was a 1934 Ford Coupe.

A lot of the vehicles were stored in barns. The condition of the classic vehicles varies considerably. Many were covered in dust but prior to the auction were cleaned up to make them more presentable.

The cars were built from the 1920s to 1960s. It certainly appears to be a very interesting collection of classic vehicles that will no doubt have caught the eye of classic car enthusiasts who enjoy buying a fully restored vehicle to others who enjoy the challenge of restoring a classic car.

Anyone that has bought one of these delightful vehicles will no doubt wish to make sure that it is suitably insured. In that respect, why not get in contact with us and we will be pleased to help arrange a suitable, competitive classic car insurance quote or if you are looking to buy say a van then we may also be able to arrange classic van insurance on your American import.

We provide access to a vetted, knowledgeable panel of classic motor insurance specialists who take great pride and satisfaction in providing an excellent level of service as well as a competitive quotation for you to peruse without any obligation to proceed. We very much look forward to being of assistance to you.

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RM Sotheby’s Monterey Sale Shortly To Take Place

Posted on August 7, 2019 by admin

The above auction is to take place in California, USA from the 15th to 17th August 2019 when some highly sought after classic cars are expected to come under the hammer. A full list of the vehicles being offered for sale can be found on RM Sotheby’s website but below we highlight just some of them: –

How about a 1963 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible that has an estimated sale price of $1,350,000 to $1,500,000. The DB5 model came to prominence due to being featured in a James Bond film. This particular model is extremely rare as only 123 convertibles were built with only 85 of them being right hand drive. The Aston Martin DB5 was originally priced at £4,490 so has increased significantly in value over the years.

If you have a big enough bank balance and are a fan of Ferraris then you may wish to take a look at a 1961 Ferrari 400 Superamerica SWB Coupe Aerodinamico by Pininfarina. This has an estimated sale price of $2,900,000 to $3,500,000. Only seventeen of these beautiful cars were built with this one being the fifth off the production line.

Those of you with even more disposable funds available may wish to cast your eyes over a 1965 Ford GT40 Roadster Protype. It has an estimated sale price of $7,000,000 to $9,000,000. This is an extremely rare classic car as it was the first of only five of the Ford GT40 Roadsters to be built and is the eighth of a mere twelve Ford GTO Prototypes manufactured. This car has been driven by a number of well-known racing drivers including Jim Clark.

If you have a little less money available to spend then you may wish to consider looking at a 1974 Alfa Romeo 2000 GT Veloce by Bertone. This has an estimated sale price of $90,000 to $120,000. This lovely classic car has been restored. It has only had three owners.

You can buy a 1964 Maserati 5000 GT Coupe by Michelotti for between $700,000 to $850,000. It is said to be the quickest Maserati 5000 GT manufactured.

Don’t forget, if you are looking to buy a classic car then you will wish to make sure that it is insured so why not get in touch with us and we will be pleased to help you obtain a competitive quotation without any obligation.

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Car Insurance Premiums Rise

Posted on July 23, 2019 by admin

Unfortunately, there has been an increase in the average cost of car insurance here in the UK. This will no doubt be disappointing news to motorists including those that drive classic cars who usually have to insure not only their family saloon car but also their vintage vehicle.

According to the Confused.com car insurance price index the average cost of fully comprehensive car insurance in the second quarter of 2019 was £789 per annum. In the first quarter of 2019 the figure was an average of £762 per annum. That is a rise of £27 per annum – quite an increase. This is a shame when you consider that average premiums fell in Q1 of 2019 when compared with Q4 of 2018. Motorists would no doubt have hoped that premiums would have continued on a downward trend but this has not been the case.

The region that saw the biggest average increase in the cost of comprehensive car insurance in the last 12 months was Inner London. Motorists living there saw premiums go up by £54 per annum with this equating to a rise of 5%. Premiums now average £1,214 per annum with this being the most expensive in the UK.

Whilst there are not going to be many classic car drivers who are 17 years of age it is interesting that someone of that age is paying an average of £2,047 per annum for fully comprehensive car insurance. This is very different to a 34 year old who is paying an average of £665 per annum. A 66 year old pays an average of £434 per annum.

Let us hope that when the figures are produced for the third quarter of 2019 that we see a reduction in the cost of such cover.

It is important that you shop around for a competitive deal either when your classic car insurance is coming up for renewal or if you are looking for cover for the first time to insure your first classic vehicle. One way to do this is to use a price comparison website

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Silverstone Auctions On The Horizon – Don’t Miss It

Posted on July 9, 2019 by admin

If you have a keen interest in classic cars and are thinking of either buying one for the first time or looking to add to your collection then you may wish to get along to the above auction that is to take place on the 27th and 28th of July 2019 at the Silverstone Classic event. You will need an auction catalogue and an event ticket to gain entry as it is a closed event. There is a wide selection of vehicles available, a number of which we mention below.

There is a 1963 Austin Mini Cooper S “Whizzo Williams” being offered for sale with an estimated price of £60,000 to £80,000. It was the first Mini Cooper S to win an international race and was owned by the late, legendary Barrie Williams.

Another vehicle that is being auctioned on behalf of the estate of Barrie Williams is a 1972 Lancia Fulvia HF 1600. This has an estimated sale price of £30,000 to £35,000 and has recently been restored. It has 29,356 miles showing on the clock.

If you have a bigger bank balance then you may wish to take a look at a 1958 AC ACECA-Bristol. This has an estimated sale price of £110,000 to £130,000. It was the first ACECA to be manufactured with a Bristol D2 engine installed. It was not driven for over 47 years until Christmas Day 2014. It has won a number of events. It is said to be in wonderful condition.

If you have an even bigger pocket then why not cast your eyes over a 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing that has an estimated price of £850,000 to £1,000,000. Only 1,400 of these cars were built. Its bodywork is painted in fire engine red. It was first owned by Peter Warr who was Lotus Team manager.

A 1973 Ford Escort 1600 Mexico is being offered for sale with an estimated price of £40,000 to £46,000. It is finished in Monza Blue. The engine was rebuilt in 2015 and it is said to have been beautifully restored.

Don’t forget you will no doubt need to insure your new purchase so why not give us a call and we will be glad to assist with a competitive classic car insurance quotation.

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Daimler Used By Queen Mother Being Auctioned

Posted on June 26, 2019 by admin

If you are a classic car enthusiast and are a “fan” of the Royal Family then you may be interested in a vintage vehicle that is shortly to be offered for sale at an H and H classic car auction on the 3rd July 2019. A 1947 Daimler DE27 Hooper Limousine that was originally built for Sir Bernard Docker who was the Group Chairman of Daimler is being auctioned with an estimated price of £8,000 to £10,000.

An interesting thing about this vehicle that is in need of restoration is that when the Queen Mother was in Edinburgh in 1950 it was utilized by her. Whether this will have an impact on how much the car could be sold for remains to be seen but we would not be surprised if it has some effect.

There are a number of other interesting classic vehicles being offered for sale at the auction including a 1933 Vauxhall DX 14/6 Stratford Tourer that has an estimated sale price of £15,500 to £17,500. Only four of these cars are believed to be in existence. This one is said to have taken part in the Dick Barton Special Agent TV series.

An even older car being auctioned is a 1928 Graham Paige 614 Sedan with an estimated sale price of £2,000 to £4,000. It is in need of some restoration and is said to have been found in a barn.

There is a lovely looking 1950 Sunbeam-Talbot 90 Special available for interested purchasers with an estimated sale price of £10,000 to £12,000. This is an open-topped 2 seater sports car that, potentially, would be great to take out for a drive on a sunny summer’s afternoon.

A 1978 MG B GT sports car is available with an estimated sale price of £3,000 to £4,000. Apparently, it was fully serviced in 2018. The interior is said to be the original.

If you are considering buying a classic car or already own one then why not get in contact with us to obtain a competitively priced classic car insurance quotation without any obligation. We look forward to hearing from you.   

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