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Ask our experts August 2025

**TEAM ADVENTURE**  
Danny Hopkins rescues a vision of the future that is firmly in the past  
**WORDS** DANNY HOPKINS **PHOTOGRAPHY** DANNYHOPKINS, JO HULL

  
I’m a sucker for a car in need. I have dragged a rich variety of waifs and strays back to the PC workshop, all in the name of revival. A car in need is catnip and, luckily, this magazine allows such folly, indeed, it encourages it. When challenged over my habit the excuse, ‘content creation’, shields me from any further interrogation. Or at least that’s what I tell myself.  
So, when Stephen Barlow emailed me with the offer of a Renault Avantime, I was preprogrammed to respond in the affirmative. Only one problem with that, I already had a Renault Avantime – same spec, same colour, everything. Now here’s where the God of Cars played his card.

  
I received the email on Monday, said yes on the Monday evening and then spent a sleepless night wondering how I could justify to my family and friends owning two Renault Avantime manual 2.0l Dynamiques in Iliad Blue at the same time.  
Then on Tuesday morning, having mentioned my conundrum to a friend, I was contacted by Jon Murden, bossman at the National Motor Museum asking if my Avantime was available and would I be interested in seeing it on display at Beaulieu. The deal was done in seconds – the God of Cars had blessed me with good fortune. Now you can experience my old Avi at the museum’s ‘We had one of those’ exhibit. Yes, I know very few people (just over 300 in the UK) had one of ‘those’ but as you approach the exhibit it looks like a generic people carrier. Once at the Avi though it all goes weird… but you get to play with its massive double hinged doors – worth the entrance fee alone if you ask me.  
So. I was now a believer in automotive divinity, and my ‘yes’ could be acted upon without needing to resort to feeble excuses for a bizarre addiction. My new Avantime was situated in France, deep France, past Limoges on the edge of the Dordogne. Once again, thoughts turned to exactly how I could justify to the team the days off I would need to collect it. Trying to make it sound like work, not holiday, was pointless, especially because Stephen, and his wife Stephanie, owned a beautiful gîte, in which they were threatening to put me up for a few days while we sorted some of the new Avi’s possible issues.

  
**Holiday mission**  
So, I gave up trying to justify it as work and headed off on what, for me, was the perfect holiday – to my favourite part of my favourite country, doing my favourite thing with one of my favourite cars. I love a European rail journey, so the entire escapade would involve both my favourite and second favourite modes of transport.  
Eurostar first, departing St Pancras Station, (favourite building) on the first train to Paris. Crossing the French capitol to Gare D’Austerlitz for the Limoges train was easy. Then the spacious ‘wagons’ of the French national carrier took me south – on time and on the money, it cost about half the price of an equivalent journey in Britain.

  
‘Stephen kept the Avantime simply because he liked looking at it!’  
A final change at Limoges put me on the local to La Coquille and my first meeting with Stephen and Steph. We got stuck into car talk straight away focusing wholly on the Avantime. Officially here in France, the car’s status was ‘removed from circulation’ their version of SORN. It was still on their system, and once re-registered, Stephen would inform the French authorities of the export therefore enabling it to be registered with the DVLA. The DVLA hadn’t reassigned the original number plate, which was lucky because Steve and Steph still had the UK plates in the loft.  
At this point it is worth mentioning that this Avantime was originally a UK car. Stephen had bought it back in the UK at Anglia Car Auctions, and exported it to France. He stopped using it about three years back as circumstances dictated that he needed a 100 per cent reliable motor. ‘The Avantime had a habit of dropping into limp mode because of a drive by wire fault,’ he told me – Avantime owners will be nodding at this point. The throttle pedal and throttle body were both replaced, but the fault persisted. Steve subsequently learned that the throttle adaptions needed to be reset on the Renault Clip diagnostic system, which he didn’t have.

Mechanic Steve and his big diagnostic probe.

  
Steve looked at me as he spoke with the eyes of someone who has been down a very deep technical rabbit hole. I asked why he had held onto it for so long? ‘Simply because I just like looking at it,’ he responded. ‘Fair,’ I thought. Back at the gîte and into the barn I came face to face with the car and a man with a hi tech bit of Renault diagnostic kit. Before being re-registered with a Carte Grise (UK V5 equivalent) it would first require a Contrôle Technique (MOT) and proof of insurance. The registration process could then be completed online and would not be a hold up. But to get the MOT the Avi would need to be in perfect condition. ‘I have an iCarsoft diagnostic machine for Renault that can read the state of play with most systems, but can’t reset the drive by wire,’ said Steve, ‘the drive by wire is showing a difference between the pedal tracks and resting position. However, my kit is not capable of re-setting the throttle adaptions. Meet Steve.’  
A man with technical kit shook my hand. This was ‘other Steve’, mobile mechanic, Steve Brooks, an English ex-pat who had the full diagnostics on his Snap-on equipment. As expected, the throttle positions were at fault. Mechanic Steve cleared all codes and reset the throttle. We had the car running for around 30 minutes and then drove it up and down a private lane. Mechanic Steve checked the live data, which looked fine and for new fault codes, all was clear. Job done.

  
**And relax**  
Time for a glass of wine and a mooch around the fabulous gîte that Stephen and Stephanie run. Plenty of space, in the middle of some amazing driving country, and geared to welcome British classic car fans. As classic petrolheads and Francophiles, this was their perfect business. It’s also why they both read PC. And it’s also why their barns house some juicy classics: 911, XJ6, Smart Roadster, Lotus Esprit and MR2. I felt right at home.  
Next day was MOT day. In the UK, we are permitted to drive to an MOT appointment even if our MOT has expired, but this is not the case in France. The good news was that the local Contrôle Technique centre was at the end of the road. Stephen and I conducted pre-test checks and then it was CT time. As the tester tested, I looked through the paperwork. There was a lot of service history (a sign of previous frustrations). This Avi had had many replacement parts including gearbox, clutch, brakes, driveshafts, the list was long. Hopefully this lot would pay off as the man with the clipboard did his thing. Stephen then explained to me some of the gentle frustrations of owning unusual motors in the delightful Dordogne. The Avantime had been to the local Renault dealer. ‘Despite telling them what needed doing, their response was to not to diagnose anything and charge me €100 for four spark plugs. They recently closed down on account of being hopeless!’ There were two other Renault dealers within 20 minutes. ‘One of them didn’t want to get involved with a RHD Avantime, while the other hasn’t responded to my calls.’

  
‘A shakedown run through beautiful countryside on fantastic roads’  
The Carte Gris was issued without advisories and, back at the barn Stephen handed me the original RHD headlamps and a box of parts. Stephanie put in a shift at this point re-registering the Avi online and, within a couple of (very relaxing) days, the car was officially road legal again. Time to explore the locality then, the Avantime’s shakedown runs taking photographer Jo and myself to a variety of tourist destinations through beautiful countryside on fantastic roads.  
First a local run to Busiere to see if there were any issues with the 80,000 mile car. None found. Then we headed off to the beautiful riverside town of Brantôme, on empty, ribbon-like roads devoid of potholes. I can’t emphasise enough the difference between the UK and France when it comes to road conditions. It’s all down to maintenance. Main routes are the responsibility of the state, while local roads are fixed by local councils. Lighter traffic, a rigorous maintenance regime, a centralised management of resources and yes, slightly higher taxes, make for better roads. It’s that simple – but what a difference.

  
The day after our proving run a pilgrimage of sorts to Oradour. This was the French village devastated by the SS, whose inhabitants were murdered in cold blood… 642 men women and children in one afternoon, as an act revenge. The village has been preserved in aspic, as it was found by the allies, to remind us of the evils of fascism. It was the perfect place to visit on the day we celebrated the 80th anniversary of the victory of decency over barbarism – VE Day – lest we forget. Sombre, but beautifully and respectfully done, this was the high point of the trip for me. Everyone should visit.  
**Home time**  
The next day we were back on the road, but this time it was the big trip. Time to return to the UK. The domestic MOT had been booked, beam deflectors were ready for sticking onto the French headlights (once we crossed the channel) and the V55 form had been filled out and sent with all the right paperwork. Then we said farewell to our amazing hosts and headed off again, north, past Limoges and onto Romorantin-Lanthenay, headquarters of Matra and home to the factory where this Avantime and three generations of Espace were made.  
Well it used to be the home of the factory. After Renault took the manufacture of the Espace in-house and away from Matra, the Romorantin factory had all its eggs in one basket – the dice were thrown. The launch of the Avantime was meant to be a new dawn, Renault’s flagship to keep the factory busy with a projected output of 20,000 units a year. However, sales were way below expectations and, following the discontinuation of the Avantime, on February 27, 2003, Matra Automobiles announced the closure of its Romorantin vehicle factory.

  
A paltry 8557 Avantimes were built between 2001 to 2003, a figure that makes it one of the worst-selling cars of all time. Patrick Le Quement’s outside the box design, which sought to be a multitude of things, part MPV, part Coupé, part Convertible, part shooting brake, fell between all those stools. It’s a heroic failure and visiting the restored former factory gatehouse site and the marvellous Matra Museum, the original factory, was a fantastic experience, partly because we got such a warm welcome in the car that closed the factory. The museum is truly worth a visit by the way. It tells the rich and diverse story of how Matra was heroically eccentric to the end.  
Off onto the Route Nationale again, this time via Blois to Le Mans for a trip around the circuit. You can still traverse most of the 24 hour Tarmac and, having watched the Steve McQueen movie the previous evening, Jo and I were keen to take this Matra (it is a Matra really despite the badge) around the track where the Matra MS670 beat all comers in 1972. There’s no feeling like taking a trip down the Mulsanne straight, despite being stuck behind a camper van.

  
Circuit done we hit the autoroutes again and, with the Avantime spooled up, headed north-east past Rouen to Abbeville for an overnight before joining Le Shuttle in the morning. The Avantime is a beautiful touring machine. Dynamically it’s not the most intuitive B-road weapon, but when on an open fast road, or motorway it is like flying first class four feet off the ground. Of course you can’t deploy its ‘party trick’ at those speeds – the ability to drop all its glass and open the roof with the pressing of one button – but no matter, the glass space itself gives you a magnificent platform from which to look at the world around you.  
Before overnighting at the Aerodrome du Abbeville, I enjoyed the perfect sunset with a car that has behaved impeccably all the way here. There have been plenty of thumbs-up for this mercurial beast from other drivers. The French seem to value it in the spirit of Vive Le Difference, but tomorrow it would return to the UK and a new life on my drive – the world’s most eccentric MPV. I wondered what the neighbours would make of it.

Boarding Le Shuttle. Driving onto a train always raises a smile.

  
I always get a huge sense of excitement when I’m travelling on Le Shuttle… for the uninitiated it is the train that takes you and your car under the channel in a barely believable 35 minutes. I was even more buzzed than usual with an Avantime under me. Both the tunnel and the Avi were bold, brave design choices and enjoy engineering solutions that answer specific questions… although the Avi’s double hinged doors (the largest and heaviest on any production car) are on a different scale to a 31 year-old, 31-mile long, tunnel under the seabed.  
Still, once aboard I could relax in the knowledge that we had pretty much made it. Rescue almost complete. Dozing-off, in comfort, beneath the fishes, I marvelled at the age we live in, and revelled in the fact that eccentric dreams can still be enjoyed – the tunnel, this car and my mission prove it.  
  
**USEFUL CONTACTS**  
**Matra Museum,** :a[museematra.com]{href='https://museematra.com' }  
**Bonnes Routes, Gîte** :a[bonnesroutes.fr]{href='https://bonnesroutes.fr' }  
**Le Shuttle,** :a[leshuttle.com]{href='https://leshuttle.com' }

Not before time

GROUP TEST  
We find out if MG captured the spirit of its illustrious sports car past by driving three very different examples of the breed  
**WORDS** JAMES WALSHE **PICTURES** MATT HOWELL

  
It’s as if the Practical Classics workshop is hosting a royal visit. There’s a genuine hullabaloo as workers and friends emerge from neighbouring units and shuffle across to greet our guest of honour – the striking new MG Cyberster. All seem to know exactly what it is. This is no Lamborghini or McLaren supercar, but the MG certainly has the presence of one. There’s an ensuing hubbub of enthusiastic chatter, especially startling as just feet away, ticking itself cool, is a thumping V8-powered MG SV-R and next to that, dwarfed by both, one of the nicest examples of MGB we’ve seen for a while. So why on earth, I hear you cry, is the 2025 Cyberster in the pages of Practical Classics? What possible place has a modern EV in Britain’s favourite classic car magazine? All will become clear…

Perfectly proportioned MGB still looks the ’biz.  
  
1966 MGB  
**Engine** 1798cc/4-cyl/OHV  
**Power** 95bhp@5400rpm  
**Torque** 110bhp@3000rpm  
**Gearbox** 4-speed manual + o/d  
**0-60mph** 12.1sec  
**Top speed** 103mph  
**Economy** 25.5mpg  
**Weight** 920kg  
  
**MGB: I BOUGHT ONE!**

  
Richard Harrison bought his 1966 MGB 20 years ago. ‘I was retiring, and I wanted a proper sports car – preferably an already fully restored one that I could use right away. I’m now 80 years-old and I can happily report I can still get in and out of the car just fine!’ Richard says it has lived up to its reputation as a classic you can enjoy. ‘I’ve never had issues finding parts or in fixing it. After two decades of ownership, I can’t complain at all. We don’t do too many miles these days, but we regularly used to go to the coast and do rallies. The MGB is a brilliant tourer’.

Low windscreen can be an issue for tall folk!

  
You may have noticed over the years that we rather like an MG. In the same way Greatest Hits Radio plays a selection best-loved favourites on a rotating playlist, you’ll regularly spy a product of Morris Garages in these pages – be it rotten project or restored showstopper. The ever-popular MGB, especially, remains the pinnacle of classic motoring for millions and for good reason. Firstly, the ’B still looks sensational. Forget that we’ve all seen a zillion of them; just study that shape. It has one of the most neatly sculpted, well-proportioned bodies of all time. It is no more than it needs to be, with deftly chiselled details – from the neat front grille and headlamps, to the lines that flow down its elegant flanks and into the tail lamps. Visually, there was, and still is, a rightness and perfect balance to it.

  
The MGB launched with superior engineering substance over its predecessors, with unitary structure adding stiffness and safety; customers also appreciating its refinements (such as wind-up windows) over rival sports cars. Some mechanical bits of the MGA were carried over and, while that B-Series engine had its roots in the late Forties (upgraded from 1622cc to 1798cc for the ’B), it’s barely detectable when you get behind the wheel. A twist of the dainty key is met with a pleasing rasp and while the MGB is no frenetic firecracker in a straight line, a well-sorted one like this feels lively enough; especially after the five-bearing crankshaft upgrade from late ’64.  
From the start, the ’B set new standards of performance and comfort – road testers even ambitiously suggesting it felt like it had an extra two cylinders. A little over the top perhaps, but planting my size eleven to the floor reveals a pleasingly smooth delivery of torque. The engine is a little uncivil around peak revs and there’s some gentle joggling on uneven surfaces, but it isn’t intrusive. Back off a little and you discover the MGB’s sweet spot. It’s a car you can enjoy calmly and at modest speeds, especially with such nicely spaced ratios, and road manners that match its performance perfectly. Space is a slight issue when pressing on, so smaller feet would probably help my progress and those of us taller than six feet will be put off a bit by the view ahead, which is significantly obscured by the top of the windscreen. I try hunkering further into the seat, but end up in a hunched, Quasimodo-esque driving position. Not ideal.

  
‘A twist of the dainty key is met with a pleasing rasp from the exhaust’  
Neither was the big facelift of 1975. The grumbles about raised suspension to suit US safety regulations and the iffy effects it had on handling were justified, but many owners have found a way to eliminate the pitfalls. As for the styling, I happen to think British Leyland did a decent job of tweaking it. The revised Midget’s rubber lips looked a tad gormless to my eyes, but Abingdon managed to do a more cohesive job with the MGB’s neat polyurethane bumpers. Regardless, half a million MGBs rolled off the line in 18 years of continuous production. That is, by sports car standards, astonishing. All versions are regarded with affection, with the ’B reaching all four corners of the globe, including the United States where there remains an enthusiastic following and among Australians, who built the MGB between 1963 and 1972.  
  
**ENTER THE BEAST**

  
**Engine** 4996cc/V8/OHC  
**Power** 385bhp@6000rpm  
**Torque** 375lb ft@4750rpm  
**Gearbox** 6-speed manual  
**0-60mph** 4.9sec  
**Top speed** 175mph  
**Economy** 20.8mpg  
**Weight** 1500kg  
  
**MG SV-R: I BOUGHT ONE!**

  
After he first saw this example at the 2004 motor show, Dom Middleton later attempted to buy it in a liquidation auction, but was beaten to it. Then, five years ago, he noticed it for sale so bagged it. He says the years haven’t dulled its appeal. ‘I still love everything about it. When you open the garage door it feels like an occasion. Each time you drive it, it’s an exciting experience. Compared to modern cars, you could say it has a slightly clunky gearchange and a heavy clutch, but you only notice those things at 20mph. You don’t notice when you’re going fast!’  
Any subsequent claims of a car maker capturing the ‘essence of MG’ was in for scrutiny. Mazda beat Rover Group to it with the supreme MX-5 in 1989, but Cowley swiftly – and somewhat surprisingly – hopped into action when it took to fettling an MGB body remanufactured by British Motor Heritage. The RV8 was hardly sophisticated, (it was largely original ’B spec underneath) but this intriguing Connolly-lined rehash of the formula, with the insertion of a rumbling 3.9-litre Rover V8, gave Longbridge enough confidence in 1995 to commence production of its all-new MGF to a delighted public.  
From its origins as a K-Series powered sports car riding on Hydragas, the handsome little ’F sat at the top of the sales charts for the next few years, morphing into the coil-sprung TF from 2002. While those tweaks gave it an athletic feel on the road, MG Rover at that time needed something with more ‘meat’ – a brassy headline grabber. Nobody expected what would happen next. The sheer absurdity of the XPower SV was noted at the time – but MG Rover’s purchase of Italian car maker Qvale and subsequent reinvention of its wonky looking Mangusta did the trick. Suddenly, everyone was talking about MG Rover.

  
‘Turns out the SV-Ris more whippet than bulldog’  
I open the door and sink into the menacing embrace of this barbarous old thug. Yet… I’m thrown by first impressions. With soft touch textures and Alcantara, the cabin feels equal parts classy, well-made and roomy. The dashboard is pleasantly simple, peppered with tasteful instruments, nicely weighted controls and chunky switches. Hugged by a supportive Recaro seat and four-point harness, I’m surprised to feel almost cosseted. That is until I fire up the Mustang-based V8 and my ears are assaulted by a scandalous cacophony. My colleagues watch from a distance, laughing and fully aware that this really isn’t my cup of tea.

Stevens influenced by The Fast and the Furious.

Excellent quality cabin surprisingly comfy.

  
Gingerly nosing out of the yard and onto the main road, I’m conscious of the responsibility and sense unruliness ahead. I arrived today in a 29bhp 2CV, for goodness’ sake. While the standard 4.6-litre £65,000 SV got 320bhp, this £83,000 5-litre SV-R has a walloping 385 horses to play with. The rollercoaster of anxiety continues as I leave the village, as it soon becomes apparent this is no graceless, unwieldy brute after all. I chuck the SV into a set of bends, and I receive nothing but unanticipated levels of conversion from the steering wheel. I expected stodge, but directional changes are instant – it feels sharp and communicative. What is going on? Well, it turns out the MG SV-R is more whippet than bulldog. Braver now with the throttle, (although I dare not touch Ford’s switchable traction control), I hustle the SV-R across a rapidly blurring landscape, noting also its supple ride. Somebody extremely clever has been at work here; that Peter Stevens fellow. His achievements with any of MG Rover’s performance models – from ZR to ZT 260 – remain vastly underrated. Let’s face it, anyone can build a fast car… one that’s all mouth. But Stevens has a way of engineering his with the trousers to match.  
  
**CHINESE WHISPERER**

  
**Engine** Single electric motor  
**Battery** 77kWh  
**Power** 335bhp  
**Torque** 350lb ft  
**0-60mph** 5sec  
**Top speed** 121mph  
**Range** 316 miles  
**Weight** 1885kg  
  
**MG CYBERSTER: WE BOUGHT ONE!**

  
Reactions to BMC/ BL fans Ian and Dawn Kennedy’s recent purchase has been mixed, so far. Says Ian: ‘Predictably, you get people telling you it’s not a real MG or a sports car – that it’s an overweight, bloated EV. But it’s like my Riley Elf or Morris 1100.’ He notices our double-take reaction. ‘No, really. It’s so much more than you expect it to be. It has a similar sharpness to those cars. It’s so eager and direct.’ It’s for that reason the couple fell for the Cyberster. ‘Cars are meant to be fun – to us, the Cyberster feels exactly like an MG should’.  
Two decades after MG Rover died, along with its thunderingly talented SV, is this where everything falls apart? Have MG’s new Chinese masters cheapened the legacy of MG in slapping an octagonal badge on some chintzy, bloated EV? I’m sure that some out there are truly willing this to be the case but… it simply isn’t. While Brits dominated the market in the Sixties, Japanese cars took the Seventies by storm and the Germans conquered the Eighties and beyond, it is now China’s turn. The reality is that the Chinese are so far ahead when it comes to advancements in battery tech and electronics in 2025, car makers from Stuttgart to California are now seemingly struggling to keep up.  
If the Cyberster is anything to go by, there have been giant strides in the quality of Chinese cars, too. It’s hard not to be impressed by the sensuous curves, (styled by MG’s London office), deep, flawless paintwork and the tightest of shut lines. The scissor doors rise silently (no awkward whirr of motors here) and, once cocooned in the cabin, it’s all soft touch plastics and stitched leather. I can’t find a single bit of scratchy plastic anywhere.

An EV that feels like a driver’s car? Yep!

  
Believe me, I was trying. Push the start button and everything wakes up in front of you but while in most new cars, you’re subjected to a crude and distractingly large screen carelessly nailed to the middle of the dash, not so here. The Cyberster’s crisp looking displays are wrapped neatly around the driver in a nacelle. Given a ten-minute fiddle and prod, it all becomes pleasing intuitive – although I will always personally favour buttons to vague haptics. There are a few push-pull switches in the centre console though, which adds a bit of old world charm.  
No gear stick, of course. There’s a selector for the drive modes – Comfort, Custom, Sport, Track – which tweaks the level of steering assistance, accelerator mapping and torque distribution between front and rear axles. Bet it’s disappointing to drive, though? Like any other woolly, disconnected EV, right? Erm… MG UK has been very keen to point out that this is a car worthy of 100 years’ worth of MG history – what it calls ‘a halo car’. This is make or break for the firm’s reputation in Britain – the Cyberster had to be right. It needed to feel like a proper sports car and boy… it really does.

  
What the Cyberster lacks in alluringly farty exhaust sounds, it makes up with supreme road manners. Feeling 500kg lighter than it is, and with a 50:50 front-to-rear weight distribution, the Cyberster darts into bends and zips out of them with fine composure – no sign of any chassis flex, squeaks or rattles on even the poorest surfaces. Steering is quick and brakes have instant bite. It’s an electric car that, dare I say it… feels alive.  
Both models on sale in the UK use a 77kW battery (74.4kW usable) with a 7kW onboard charger. Maximum charging capability is 144kW – nothing that special by today’s standards but good enough for a 10 to 80 per cent charge in 38 minutes on a fast charger, or 10.5 hours on a domestic 7kW wallbox. Sorry, I almost bored myself to sleep. More excitingly, the Cyberster is predictably fast. This entry level Trophy is powered by a 335bhp/350lb ft motor driving the rear wheels and will do sixty in five seconds. Opt for the all-wheel-drive GT and you’ll get an extra 161bhp and 295lb ft of torque from a second motor driving the front axle, which equates to 496bhp and 535lb ft of torque – and a 0-62mph sprint in 3.2sec (matching a McLaren F1). Range? About 300 miles, they say… but not driving like that, madam. Seriously, this is a classic car magazine, and we’re not obliged to sing its praises, but the Cyberster deserves every scrap of recognition it gets. I never imagined I’d find myself being so impressed by an EV but… I’m glad that when it happened, it was an MG.

  
**WHICH ONE IS COMING HOME WITH ME?**  
Oh dear. How harshly will you judge me by declaring such praise for an electric car? For the purposes of our general 20-year ‘classic cut-off’, the Cyberster is decisively excluded, but know this: Those who keep theirs for 20 years or more will be preserving an important slice of the company’s history. It’s in possession of all the qualities you expect from an MG – the Cyberster recaptures the spirit of the cars we’ve known, respected or loved our whole lives. But hey, it’s disqualified. For now…  
The lineage between these three MGs is, to say the least, irregular. Tenuous even, to some critics. But as with any car maker that’s been through so many incarnations, it doesn’t mean you can’t draw the link between them. All three were developed, born from, and into, very different worlds but their all-round talents echo each other’s. Throughout its lifespan, the iconic MGB managed to brilliantly harmonise fun with comfort, as did the MG XPower SV-R – unexpectedly. With the death of MG Rover in 2005 came the end of the astonishing SV – arguably the firm’s greatest achievement of all. What nobody talks enough about is its supremely advanced body engineering – far beyond that of mid-level supercars at the time. Its carbon fibre construction is the stuff of the exotic hypercar. An SV-R might look utterly ludicrous these days, but I think it’ll go down rather well in the driveway next to my 2CV. Without doubt, the extraordinarily talented MG XPower SV-R deserves its place there, and in British automotive history.

Rapid relations

In the new issue of Practical Classics, we get behind the wheel of a stunning MGB and stonking SV-R to see if the new Cyberster captures the magic of MG. Can a two-tonne EV be a proper sports tourer? Our James drives all three very different interpretations of the MG marque.

Meanwhile, there’s the tale of one man’s quest to revive a basket case Ford Cortina Mk3, the restoration of a Riley 9hp and prototype fourth gen Escort, while we introduce the Africar – an experimental vehicle that should have mobilised Africa in the 1980s… but didn’t.

Danny heads to France to rescue himself another Renault Avantime, there are two big buying guides dedicated to the Leyland Princess and MG ZS, while our writers show you what they’ve been up to at the Practical Classics workshop – from fixing a Jaguar XJ to tips on how to revive a sagging seat base and advice on chrome cleaning. Plus: Citroën CX vs Saab 900, a modern classic Fiat 500 and… well, so much more!  
Pick up a copy of PC from your local newsagent or :a[**choose your subscription here**]{href='https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/practical-classics-magazine?utm_source=practicalclassics.co.uk&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=bau_practicalclassics&amp;utm_content=promo_subscribe_today' target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener'} and never miss another issue of Practical Classics.

  
**Matt Tomkins**  
**WORKSHOP EDITOR**  
Our workshop puppet master, Matt has a real penchant for restoring British classics in particular.  
**This month** Putting the finishing touches to his MGF project ready to hit the road to Gaydon on July 6.  
  
**Rich March**  
**PRO BUFFER**  
New recruit Rich runs UK Detailing Academy. Our expert at making things shiny.  
**This month** Shows you how to properly clean chrome and polish the other metalic parts which may be fitted to your classic.  
  
**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** MOT'd the Lada Samara (no advisories) and is now enjoying the thrill of 'modern' motoring!  
  
**Nigel Clark**  
**DIY RESTORER**  
Nigel’s driveway achievements rival those of pro mechanics. He’s our resident Triumph and BMW expert.  
**This month** Has been out and about in his classics, enjoying the show season with the wind in his hair.

  
**SEATS**  
**My driving seat’s awful!**  
**Q Help – the driver's seat of my Seat Arosa is absolutely crippling me!**  
**Martin Halford, Leominster**

  
TOWEL TRICK  
Drive with folded towels on top of the seat to work out where/how much support's needed.  
FRAME TWEAKS  
Occasionally it may help to place blocks between seat frame and floor to raise/ angle the seat.  
SLIDING FIT  
Reattach covers using silicone spray on the foam. Reuse old barb-holes, if not too tight.  
**Ed says**  
**A** Many driver's seat bases give way: the driver drops to the point where the lumbar support of the seat back is in the wrong place, causing backache. There are three common types of seat base construction: elastic straps or serpentine springs support a thick foam cushion; coiled, interlocked springs support a layer of felt and foam; and a simple, pressed steel base which contains a large piece of moulded foam. The critical area is just in front of the seat back, which bears all the driver's weight. Here you'll find stretched straps or serpentine springs and/or soggy foam. A coil-sprung seat collapses because it throws the load out to a perimeter frame, which has typically broken at a spot weld.  
The easiest fix is to swap the driver's and passenger's seats - unless they're handed. Repair starts by removing the seat, then the fabric-and-PVC seat cover, usually held by barbs or pressed into channels in the frame. This is the trickiest bit.  
Kneel on the base to relieve tension in the cover.  
Elastic straps – replace. You can buy the webbing by the length and attach it yourself. Serpentine springs: replace, if a suitable substitute is available. Otherwise, re-bend with pliers and add a layer of carpet or felt under the rear half of the seat foam to spread load evenly across the springs. Coil springs: weld broken frame; add or renew felt layer between springs and foam. Possibly renew foam (thin chip foam is ideal with possible topping of 3-6mm conventional foam. Steel shell – moulded foam types: glue splits and reinforce by gluing a patch of old T-shirt over the split. If the cushion has lost its resilience, add layers of thick soundproofing-type felt, carpet or underlay under the foam, at the rear half of the seat Test before gluing in place and replacing covers.  
  
**MATT SAYS**  
A bad driver's seat makes a car horrible to use. It's dangerous, as it makes you tired and uncomfortable, and distracts you. A supportive seat provides a surprising amount of feedback about the car's handling behaviour. It’s well worth spending the time sorting the issue.  
  
**BRAKING FAULTS**  
**Commercial brake**  
**Q My Fiat 850 van's right front drum brake shrieks. It also pulses when used hard. The drum shows these markings.**  
**Mark Jacobs, Ongar**

What’s causing these spots?  
**Nigel says**  
**A**They look like hot spots, where the linings are catching – maybe high spots or warping, though it's odd that they should be so regular. This, and the shrieking and pulsing make us wonder if the brake shoes are shimmying around – perhaps held fast in such a way that they can't attain a comfortable, square position against the drum. Rub the drum with abrasive paper to remove the dark spots. Remove the brake shoes. Make sure brake pistons are free and that cylinders are mounted securely. Dress shoes with abrasive paper (not if asbestos linings!). Refit with copper grease on all contact points between shoes and cylinders, mounting posts and backplates. Check return springs are in good order: they don't just return the shoes after use, they modulate the braking effect while they're in use.  
  
**FORD ESCORT**  
**RELUCTANT RETURN TO SERVICE**  
**Q My 1985 Escort has two problems since the start of the year. It regularly drops onto three cylinders, and it goes through periods of jerking on light throttle, then stalling at idle.**  
**Pete Griffiths, Old Colwyn**

Have you looked under your HT leads recently?

  
**Ed says**  
**A** We think the two problems are separate. The three cylinderitis is most likely a result of damp having its way inside one of the plug caps over the winter (or maybe at the distributor cap end). This sets up powdery corrosion, and so the high voltage takes its business elsewhere – usually arcing across some dirt instead. The jerking and stalling tells us the idle fuel jet of the carburettor is blocked. The fact it clears itself tells us it's either a flat flake, which rotates in the jet like a valve, or a large lump which is sucked across the jet, and eventually falls away again, to return later for another go. Try to catch it when it's stalling - stop, remove the jet and you might find the debris still stuck to/stuck in it. Blow it out and away. Symptoms may repeat if more dirt is in the carburettor. You might have to remove it, extract the jets one by one and clean it with an airline. Large black lumps of debris are from disintegrating fuel hoses; reddish flakes and sand are perhaps rust from the tank. Replace fuel hoses; install fuel filter before fuel pump, or preferably just after the tank. The carb may have a filter gauze on its inlet. Clean it.  
  
**AUSTIN METRO**  
**BETTER SAFE?**

Do you know what’s inside your braking system?

  
**Q I'm about to change the rear brake cylinders of my 1985 Metro. I might also do the flexi hoses. Should I check the front brakes? They don't leak.**  
**John Andress, Ryde**  
**Matt says**  
**A** We think any car over about 15 years-old deserves a full inspection and rebuild. Not as a matter of emergency, but just because parts are often cheap and, well, you really should know what state it's all in. Flexi hoses become obstructed, cylinders and pistons rust and seize and sliding calipers cease to slide. It's all easy to ignore, until you need to stop suddenly on a wet bend. We found this Minestrone-like substance lurking in a brake caliper recently…  
  
READER'S TIP  
Nobody ever shakes a paint aerosol for two minutes – which is why paint's mismatched, thin or thick, and why the internal pickup tube blocks solid after a few uses.  
**Pete Daniels, Alfington**  
FWD cars wear their tyres 85 per cent at the front and only 15 per cent at the rear, which is why it's important to keep swapping them around. But don't put old, hardened tyres on the back.  
**Michael Anders, Aldershot**  
**VOLKSWAGEN POLO**  
**EGR-EGIOUS**  
**Q My 2000 VW Polo 1.0 petrol has a code 'Exhaust Gas Recirculation flow insufficient'. It's had two EGR valves; the throttle body and inlet manifold and all pipes cleaned – and waterways, too. The code always comes back after 30 miles – but strangely went away when the exhaust fell apart.**  
**Andrew Williams, Thirsk**

The MAP sensor’s the canary in the cage here.

  
**Matt says**  
**A** The EGR valve is opened under certain conditions to admit some exhaust gas to the inlet manifold. It – and its pipes and passages – can become carboned-up, but your garage has dealt with this already. Similarly, EGR valve cooling (a rarer problem) has been tackled too by cleaning the waterways. Let's suppose now that the EGR valve is doing its job as it should. When it opens, the ECU expects to see a commensurate change in inlet manifold pressure, indicated by the Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor on the inlet manifold. If it doesn't, it sets an error code. The MAP sensor, incidentally, can be removed and cleaned using a special aerosol sensor cleaner. Its active part is a small bead with two wires held in the tube part of the sensor. Spray away carbon deposits – don't touch the bead, except with a soft-bristle artist's brush.  
The exhaust breakage however gives us a possible lead: it lowered the back pressure in the system. This will have a knock-on effect on the inlet manifold pressure: if the engine can't exhaust all its burned gas, it can't take in gases so efficiently either. The wrong amount of gas will be passed through the open EGR valve. This all confuses the MAP sensor. Back pressure may be a direct cause (perhaps the catalyst is partially blocked?) and the exhaust collapse ameliorated the symptoms already occurring, to the point where the error code wasn't triggered. As the car's of an age, do look also for causes of leaks at the inlet manifold – loose components, damaged gaskets and o-rings, perished vacuum pipes, a damaged servo hose, leaking servo or distorted or perished seal of the vacuum valve union at the servo.  
If a particular action while driving triggers the error code after it's been reset, this might also give a clue to the root of the problem.  
  
**VALETING**  
**A night to remember**  
**Q My car smells of wet dogs and cheap cigarettes. I've tried enzyme odour killer, plus a wet vac using disinfectant.**  
**Richard Young, Jedburgh**  
**Rich says**  
**A An ozone machine is probably the next step – but you need to spend time removing the source, or it will just keep coming back. Smoke is drawn deep into the foam seats and headlining. These need to be massaged to absorb the ozone – while at the same time not breathing it in, which is tricky. We'd advise taking it to a professional outfit.**  
  
**FAILURE OF THE MONTH**  
**Time catches up with Ed**

  
Examining the Samara, I noticed this fuel hose – hardened, cracked and delaminating. I was surprised: I remember changing all the fuel hoses – in 2018, it turns out. Time waits for no man – nor his perishable parts.  
It was marked SAE J R6, not current R9.  
I note R6 is still sold as all purpose fuel hose, though…  
**MINI**  
**Gasping for air**

  
**Q My mechanic removed this air filter from my 2004 MINI. Does it mean the engine's burning oil?**  
**Harriet Parkinson, Ongar**  
**Nigel says**  
**A** No. Oil burning happens entirely within the cylinders. The engine does have a crankcase breather, which takes oily gases out of the engine but they're fed in after the filter, not before it. The most likely cause of this mess is that there's been a long-running external oil leak which has found its way into the air filter. The front oil seal (s) can fling oil far and wide in a fine spray. Rocker covers often leak and if the oil falls on the hot exhaust manifold, it'll be vaporised and ingested by the air filter. Oil's very bad for paper air filters. It blocks them much more solidly than dirt alone, causing rich running.  
  
**CLEANING**  
**LESSER SPOTTED…**  
**Q I’ve bought a boot cover for my BMW X3 and the textured plastic, plus some of the fabric, is covered in speckles of paint. Any tips?**  
**John Barden, Wrexham**  
**Rich says**  
**A** Water-based paint should be removable with a steamer and a soft-ish scrubber to agitate it. Sometimes a degreaser helps it, but it should dissolve fairly well with a few passes – unless it's a latex masonry paint. If it's oil-based, the problem you have is that everything that dissolves it tends to dissolve or damage the oil-based plastic – eventually.  
There are several graffiti removers that are listed as 'plastic safe,' so you could try one of those.  
Otherwise it's a balance of working up the list of solvents you have available until you find one that removes the paint, without damaging the plastic.  
Alcohols are fairly safe but probably least effective; limonene has a chance; then it's the tar and glue removers (best shot); paint thinners; acetone (nail polish remover) and petroleum distillates, which all have an even chance of causing issues with the plastic – but until you try them, you just don't know…  
  
**JAGUAR XJ6**  
**RED HOT JAGUAR**  
**Q My 1987 Jaguar XJ6 misfires and stops after 15 miles, refusing to restart until it has cooled down. When it fails to proceed, the ignition coil is red hot. I changed it for another with the same result. Could it be wrong plugs, or missing ballast resistor?**  
**Jean Wolka, Aubry du Hainaut, France**  
**Ed says**  
**A** Ballast systems intensify the spark during starting – which isn't necessary with an electronic system, so we can rule that out. Spark plugs won't cause this problem: it's either because too much current flows though the coil, or the current is switched on for too long in the ignition cycle.  
Since you've tried two coils with the same result, we can guess they're not faulty or incorrect. We'd suggest the alternator may be overcharging the electrical system (you should read not more than 14.5V across the battery with the engine running fast). Alternatively the electronic ignition is somehow faulty and is turning the coil on for far too long during its cycle. We think this less likely – they usually either work or don't.

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**THE BIG RESTORATION**  
Nostalgia drove **Paul Nicholes** on to recreate the family favourite of his childhood  
W**ORDS** MATT GEORGE **PHOTOGRAPHY** JONATHAN JACOB

  
**THE RESTORER**  
Paul Nicholes is 61 years-old and, before his retirement last Christmas, he worked for the NHS in Barnsley as a Medical Engineering Technician for 41 years. This involved repairing and maintaining all the medical equipment throughout the hospital. Monitors, ventilators, anaesthetic machines, defibrillators and incubators.  
Says Paul: ‘I am no mechanic, but I do have an eye for detail and making sure things are right. I have no formal training on cars, just what I've picked up over the years, and can remember from back in the day when you had to know how to repair your car.’  
Paul Nicholes is no stranger to the pages of Practical Classics, having appeared with the Bond Equipe MkII GT that he restored with his son in 2007. ‘That was an educational project for us both, and we learned a huge amount. When my son moved house, back in 2019, he took the Bond with him, and I was left with an empty garage for the first time in many years.’ So, obviously Paul’s thoughts turned to how to fill that space.  
As is often the case, happy childhood memories played a part in the selection of Paul’s next project car. ‘Back in the long hot summer of 1976, when I was 12, my mum and dad bought an Onyx Green Cortina MkIII 2.0 GXL and a Bessacarr Conisbrough caravan. We had many great holidays, plus weekend trips to the coast and caravan club rallies over the following years. A time when I discovered music, girls and when my interest in cars began.

**AS FOUND** Paul didn’t think it looked too bad, but little did he know…

  
I loved the shape and 'Coke bottle' styling of my dad’s car back in the day – it was the first car that I remember falling in love with.’  
So, decision made, Paul thought there would be plenty of Cortinas to choose from. Err, no. ‘I looked for ages and there were none for sale anywhere, in any condition, and certainly not in the colour combination and spec I wanted. I also realised that old Fords were expensive!’ Anything in decent nick was way out of Paul’s price range. So, he started to look for a project that he could restore and/or turn into a replica, while spreading the cost over time. After looking at a few really bad examples, Paul came across this one being advertised by a member of the MkIII Owner’s Club. ‘It was a project he’d already started, so was partially dismantled and some areas had been patched already. To my untrained eye it looked great, surprisingly solid in many of the usually bad areas, and it was a pretty good price. It was even the right colour… mostly.’ A deal was done, while some extra parts were included that would help Paul bring the car up to GXL spec just as his dad’s old one was.

That tow bar will see some use… once Paul has restored his caravan to suit!

  
‘Many parts had already been removed and thrown in the boot, mostly unlabelled’, explains Paul: ‘I didn't know what I had, what was missing or what was broken, but I’d taken the gamble as I wanted it so much. It had looked fairly solid, but I'm obviously no expert, because when I started to work on it, I quickly found out it clearly wasn't!’ Undeterred, Paul worked on the car most weekends and many evenings, often until very late, for nearly five years. He did all the work himself, alone in his single garage at home, apart from the stuff that he doesn't have equipment for – cylinder head skimming, crankshaft balancing and chroming.  
Paul stripped the whole car, built a roll-over jig and turned it on its side to repair all the rot underneath, taking it back to bare metal by hand and learning more and more as he went along. ‘I learned many new skills as part of the project including welding, body prep, painting and upholstery – mainly thanks to the university of YouTube. I borrowed an old welder from my mate James at work and played about with it until I got the settings and technique right. I had never used a MIG welder before but picked it up surprisingly quickly, I think.’ Paul replaced both the front and rear valances, repaired both front wings, bulkhead and A-pillars, and fabricated smaller sections for almost everywhere else.

Rebuilt engine was detailed to match the body.

Extra mirrors will come in handy when towing, too.

  
‘I had to just buy whatever was available and refurbish it’  
One of the hardest tasks was replacing the nearside rear quarter/wing, where Paul had to cut the old quarter off because it was riddled with rust in an odd ring pattern all the way across it. ‘Fitting the replacement was really difficult’, he explains. ‘Parts of it needed to go under the existing bodywork, while others went on top. Having finally got it in place and having recreated the missing inner wing sections, I hung the rear door. However, it was clear that it didn’t line up at all!’ So, the only thing for it was to undo all the tack welds and try to align it all somehow. In the end, Paul worked out that the sill had been replaced in the past, but in the wrong place. ‘I had to remove that too and refit it straight before the door gaps and swage lines all lined up at the same time! Once I was happy with the alignment, I secured it all in place and lead loaded the joints on the C-pillar, which was fun having never done that before either.’

All-important GXL badge takes pride of place up front.

  
One of the most satisfying jobs for Paul was inadvertently forced upon him. ‘I bought a new front valance off eBay. It was advertised as for a Cortina MkIII, but it turned out to be for a Taunus, which is a surprisingly different shape.’ As he’d had it for more than a year before trying to fit it, Paul couldn’t return it, so had to make it fit somehow. ‘In the end I had to graft the ends of the old front valance onto the new one because it was such a complex shape. It took some doing, but you can’t tell it was ever wrong.’  
Away from the body repairs, every single part has been completely dismantled, cleaned, repaired, renovated, refurbished, repainted or – as a last resort – replaced. ‘Many parts are really hard to find, especially in good condition, while others, surprisingly, I found were on the shelf in my local motor parts shop!’ If good parts did come up for sale, they were usually eye-wateringly expensive.

Rostyle wheel was incredibly popular in the Sixties and Seventies.

  
‘In many cases, if I knew I needed to replace a part, I had to just buy whatever was available and refurbish or repair that part and make the best of it. For example, the underriders are £350 a pair. I bought a rusty full set for fifty quid, welded up the holes and had them chromed.  
They look as good as new now.’  
The suspension has all been stripped, painted or powder-coated and polybushed, while Paul had a new single-piece propshaft made. The rebuilt engine has been fully balanced, ported and fitted with hardened valve seats. ‘I have fitted a fast road camshaft, but it is otherwise a standard 2-litre Pinto. I’ll also be swapping the exhaust to a 4-2-1 stainless system as soon as I can afford to.’ Paul also changed the differential for one with the correct ratio for 2-litre, having discovered that at some point in the past it had been changed to a 1600 one: ‘No wonder I was always wanting the change up in fourth gear!’

‘Coke bottle’ styling still looks sharp today.

  
With the bodywork, suspension and running gear sorted, it was time for a fresh coat of paint. However, this part of the project was far from smooth sailing, as Paul explains with a rueful grin. ‘I had it sprayed twice. The first time it came back, the finish was beyond terrible; I was so disappointed. There was anti-stone chip paint all over my nice clean suspension and half an inch up the bottoms of the doors, and no paint at all in places like the door shuts, the boot and the engine bay.’ Fortunately, this setback gave Paul the opportunity to address some areas that clearly weren’t perfectly flat, as well as changing the colour. ‘It is now a custom mixed shade that I've created, to try and match the vibrant ‘Onyx Green’ that I remember my dad's car being. It’s still far from perfect, but it’s probably far better than I could have achieved.’  
Once he’d got the car back, Paul fitted a NOS black vinyl roof, chrome trims, cloth interior, centre console, badges and quad LED headlights, again to match the GXL spec of his dad’s car. He also fitted a new pale green headlining and carpet with sound deadening beneath, plus a tinted laminated windscreen.

Paul can be proud of the result that he’s achieved.

Fresh carpets really set things off inside.

  
‘I’m carrying on using my newfound restoration skills’  
For Paul, the whole ethos of the build was to do the best possible job, while spending the least possible amount of money. That said, if money needed to be spent, he did so: ‘I was only going to do it once, so I was doing it right!’ Paul paid £2500 for the car, which included some replacement parts, and while he did initially keep track of the cost, he quickly stopped counting! ‘Parts are unbelievably expensive! Even simple things that you used to pick up from the scrap yard for pennies, like switches, now cost £60 or more, if you can find them! I'm guessing I've spent well over £10k on the restoration, however I'm told that the car is now worth about £25k, so that’s OK’, he says with a smile.  
Paul isn’t quite finished yet, however. He fitted a tow bar to the Cortina as, during the restoration, he’d shared a photo of his parents’ Cortina and their caravan on a Bessacarr-related Facebook group, and someone generously offered him an almost identical one free of charge! ‘So, my next project will be to renovate that to match theirs so I can take it to shows and places we used to go to on holiday around the country, too. I’ve also recently been given a 1968 Jensen Interceptor MkI. However, as you can imagine for a free car, it needs a lot of work! They should keep me busy long into my recent retirement and test my newfound restoration skills to the limit!’  
  
**Here’s how Paul did it…**

  
**1\. OCT 2021** **Front and centre**  
One of Paul’s first big jobs was replacing the rotten front valance. As is often the case, once it was removed, a lot more hidden rust was found!

  
**2\. MAR 2023** **Made to measure**  
Having bought a replacement valance panel online, it turned out to be incorrect. Unable to return it, Paul was forced to work with what he had, doing such a good job that you’d never tell the difference now.

  
**3\. OCT 2023 Take two**  
Having been hugely disappointed with the finish of the original respray, Paul sorted out all the areas that the paint shop missed first time around (see fresh primer), before the car went away for a second time.

  
**4\. MAR 2024** **Good as new**  
This project was the first time that Paul had ever dismantled or reassembled an engine. Hopefully he’d done everything right!

  
**5\. APR 2024** **Vinyl countdown**  
Paul suggests that the vinyl roof is not as straight as it should be, but again, he'd never tried doing anything like that before.  
  
**TECH SPEC**  
**ENGINE** 1993cc/4-cyl/OHC  
**POWER** 98bhp@5700rpm  
**TORQUE** 111lb ft@5500rpm  
**GEARBOX** 4-speed manual  
**0-60MPH** 10.6.sec  
**TOP SPEED** 105mph  
**FUEL ECONOMY** 24mpg  
**USEFUL CONTACTS**  
AirbagTeam :a[airtbagteam.com]{href='https://airtbagteam.com' }  
East Kent Trim Supplies Ltd, :a[eastkenttrimsupplies.com]{href='http://eastkenttrimsupplies.com' }  
Prestige Electro-Plating, 01709 577004  
Rotherham Engine Supplies, :a[theenginespecialists.co.uk]{href='https://theenginespecialists.co.uk' } Sheffield Cortina Centre, 07766 634012  
  
**WHAT'S IT LIKE DRIVE**

Matt enjoyed the full Seventies experience.  
The rebuilt 2-litre lump fires easily into life, and I head out onto the road to see what this Cortina is all about. One of the first things I notice is that the pedals are spaced quite closely together – something I discover when hitting the ‘Go’ pedal rather than the ‘Stop’ pedal when approaching a junction! But other than that, Paul has turned out a car that drives very well, with the aforementioned Pinto up front offering plenty of oomph thanks to that fast road camshaft, while the effect of the balancing can be felt in the smoothness of how it runs. The ride is supple and, once I’ve ensured that I’m about to depress the correct pedal, the brakes pull things up sharply when required, straight and true. I wasn’t around in the Seventies, but this car is great to drive and would appear to be an abundantly accurate tribute to the Cortina that Paul’s dad owned and cherished back then – I’m glad to have been able to get a snapshot of that experience myself.  
  
**Restorer of the Year 2026**  
Restorer of the Year celebrates the shed heroes who, every year, produce extraordinary work breathing life back into basket cases and bringing classics that are going nowhere back to the road. Here at **Practical Classics**, we’ll scour the land to bring you the very best then, early in 2026, you get to nominate your favourite restos. From your top ten nominations our panel of experts will select the top five nominees so that you can meet the winner at the **Practical Classics** Classic Car and Restoration show at the NEC next March.

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TEAM ADVENTURE  
Danny and James head South West on a marvellous museum safari  
**WORDS** DANNY HOPKINS & JAMES WALSHE **PHOTOS** MATT HOWELL, DANNY HOPKINS & JAMES WALSHE

  
We are blessed with some fantastic motor museums in the UK, but the recent closure of the Moretonhampstead Motor Museum and a blaze at the Microcar Museum in Lincolnshire show very clearly how fragile they can be. Quite simply, we must use them or lose them. Full coffers create longevity and, well, we owe it to our grandkids to make sure these fantastic places are thriving.  
So, Danny and James headed off to a selection of museums in the South West of England. Choosing two of their favourite classics, the chaps took a couple of days out to explore and assess some truly unique classic car destinations. Perhaps this might inspire you to do your own museum safari – maybe even give impetus to fathers and sons (or daughters) to take a Father’s Day trip to a museum or two. There’s no better way to spend Father’s Day.

Beaulieu’s unique and unmissable collection.

Silbury Hill second tallest manmade mound in Europe.  
**Danny Hopkins Day 1: Beaulieu**   
I start early to avoid the nightmare that is the M25 and then hit the M3 before Saturday morning really gets going. Within just two hours I have breakfasted and am heading into the New Forest. My ‘other’ MX-5, the silver NB I rescued from a driveway seven years ago, is the steed of choice for the next three days and it is doing its usual job of being pretty much perfect for every road scenario. It deals with the motorways in reasonable comfort and now, having eaten a bacon roll on the edge of the National Park, the top is dropped and the spirit of Jinba Ittai, ‘horse and rider’ is fully engaged.  
This doesn’t mean I am driving fast; the new Forest is a 40mph zone because its animals roam free, including the wild horses. But even at a cautious 40 this horse and rider are united, in perfect balance, in the mid-morning sunshine. Feeling a oneness between myself and a car is not uncommon, but it is experienced most clearly in my MX-5. Every corner, at any speed, is responded to exactly as I intend – especially when gently steering around a horse.  
My arrival at my destination is a familiar one. There are many great museums in the UK but, for me, right at the top of the tree is the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu and today is rather special one – Spring Autojumble. One of the perks of my autojumble ticket is free entry to the exhibition halls. It means that, after some serious rusty foraging, I can escape the sun and immerse myself in history, nostalgia and a few surprises.

Beaulieu has the full range – from veterans to Honda Insight.  
**Danny Hopkins Day 2: Beaulieu to Calne**  
Leaving Beaulieu the following day, I head north early aiming for a rendezvous with Mr Walshe  
and his dad’s Citroën Dyane. Destination is the Atwell-Wilson Motor Museum in Calne and I decide to change my angle of attack by whizzing up the A34 to Newbury and hitting one of my favourite bits of tarmac in the world, the A4.   
Between Newbury and Bath, this road is a magnificent example of what motoring used to be like. It was one of the main roads between London and the West of England before the coming of the M4 and is a broad two-way A-road, these days lightly trafficked. It traverses some fine downland scenery and is an MX-5 play pen. It’s a straight drive, but with long sweeping curves and a great road surface. What a fantastic road to explore, with fascinating stopping places like Hungerford, Marlborough and Silbury Hill. I arrive at the Atwell-Wilson Motor Museum with a huge grin on my face to meet James… who is there with his dad!

Rex meets us for a museum mooch in Bourton.

Atwell-Wilson’s Jaguar collection includes newly donated XJ8.

Atwell – filled to the rafters with good stuff.  
**James Walshe Day 2: Bourton-on-the-Water to Calne**   
While Danny potters his way from Beaulieu to Wiltshire, my first stop is Bourton-on-the-Water – familiar turf for me, as I use the Fosseway as my regular run between the office in Peterborough and family in the south Cotswolds. While it’s wise to avoid this area in the height of summer, late spring is a good time to be charmed by the Cotswold Motoring Museum. I especially enjoy the recreation of Bourton born Jack Lake’s country garage. The story of local hero Jack (1891-1981) is told in his own voice which, as a fellow Gloucestershire boy, was especially captivating.  
I hit the road in my dad’s 1980 Citroën Dyane, whose Mimosa Yellow snout has snuffled its way around every corner of the Cotswolds over the years, and wonder what Jack would think of it. For those unfamiliar with the 2CV-based Dyane, it’s less strange than you might imagine. That 602cc air-cooled flat-twin, although noisy, adores being thrashed and so it relishes you wringing out every ounce of speed. The Roman’s arrow-straight A429 allows you enjoy the car’s pillowy soft ride too and, with the canvas roof rolled all the way back, affords a fine view above – including the underside of Cotswold Airport’s own Boeing 747. I stop for a brew at the airport café and, after a mooch around the Bristol Britannia and the British Phantom Aviation Group’s project planes, the Cotswolds continue to unfurl before me… lush rolling hills peppered with stone villages and church spires, bright bunting flapping in the mild spring breeze.   
Beyond the pretty market town of Malmesbury, we cross into Wiltshire, chopping through Chippenham and Calne, and arrive at the Atwell-Wilson Motor Museum. My parents have driven the 25 minutes from their home (probably to check I haven’t broken the Dyane). It’s also dad’s birthday so the perfect chance to grab some tea and cake in the venue’s café, which is one of the many ‘beyond museum’ experiences Atwell-Wilson offers visitors.

F1 display at Atwell is something special.

  
**Danny Hopkins Calne to Sparkford**   
Atwell is superb and it’s great to see James enjoying the visit with his parents. Reminds me of every museum visit and day out I have enjoyed with mine. It is what ignites our enthusiasms, those unforgettable days when we see something to fall in love with. James and I bid his folks farewell and head south into the downs and on to the plains, heading for white horses and views.   
One white horse in particular stands out and that’s Westbury’s beauty. Situated just under Bratton Camp, records suggest that the horse was originally cut in the late 1600s, probably to commemorate the Battle of Ethandun, thought to have taken place at Bratton Camp in AD 878. We head up onto the down for a closer look and we are very glad we did. Above the white horse, standing proud over the rolling Wiltshire hillside, is a fabulous art installation featuring 10ft-high silhouette ‘giants’ modelled on soldiers from  
5 Rifles – which conducts military training on nearby Salisbury Plain.   
Made in steel, these silhouettes stand alongside figures representing members of the public. Designed by the Standing With Giants charity, the artwork is to raise awareness of the MOD’s Respect The Range campaign. Last year alone saw thousands of incidents in which the public illegally accessed Defence training land, causing hundreds of ‘near misses’.  
On the way back down from Bratton, I watch on with interest what resembles a clown car ahead, the Dyane’s rear end bobbing away merrily as we make our way to the next destination. It’s why we are heading to Sparkford via the excellent 2CV Shop in Warminster, where founder Darren Arthur kindly supplies James with a set of four replacement dampers. Then we head on into the setting sun and through the winding back roads of Wessex, bowling along happily as the sky turns to honey, in two cars that we love. James in his bouncy castle and me in my tatty Mazda. We couldn’t be happier. We are heading for a night’s rest before visiting another museum highlight, Haynes Motor Museum, where space has been allocated at the museum’s own dedicated workshop for James to fit his new dampers.

  
**Danny Hopkins Day 3: Haynes to RNAS Yeovilton**  
It’s a short hop from Sparkford to the museum, although worth noting that the Haynes Manual publishing house still lives on the industrial estate there and, this year, has started producing paper manuals again. For several years, since the publishing arm was sold to a separate company, Haynes Manuals became a digital only product, but now they are back in paper as well.  
Tops down, or rolled back in James’s case, we leave Haynes and vow to return for its new classic show in September. The afternoon sunshine warms the soul as we hit the A303 for the short journey to the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton. As a pair of old aircraft nerds, James and I enter another heavenly hall.   
If the words Phantom, Buccaneer, Harrier and Vixen mean anything to you then you must visit this place. Add to that Concorde – where James points out the bits his dad designed – and it’s a day out in itself. Which leaves the evening drive to the delightful Hornsbury Mill Hotel for our overnight stop. On the way we acquire cake from the Railway Carriage Café and traverse some of the most beautiful scenery the country has to offer. Neither of us want the day to end.

The white (and brown) horses of Westbury.

  
![](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/22/2025/05/1e1d2ffb-e4d3-4034-8c4c-c065dfa46c25.jpg)Respect the range installation.

Haynes workshop – James fits new dampers.

  
**James Walshe Day 4: Chard to Taunton**  
Wafting through seemingly endless rolling hills of Somerset, you’ll find a love/hate relationship with the A303 – described as anything from a ‘highway to the sun’ to ‘an environmental disaster’. Whatever the case, we’re far to the west of the most controversial bit (the planned Stonehenge tunnel has been ditched) and we’re at its very end, where it joins – and becomes – that other ‘run to the sun’, the A30. I recall stories of holiday bottlenecks told by my parents and grandparents. Having left home at dawn in London, they’d spend an entire day stuck in traffic and would end up somewhere around here as night fell.   
Danny and I dart enthusiastically down narrow winding lanes skirting the beautiful Blackdown Hills, down Blagdon Hill and into the Taunton metropolis. I haven’t been into town here for years, but it looks a little swankier than I recall.  
The town centre appears to be quite lively and this is, in part, down to the establishment of a brand-new classic car related attraction. County Classics, like all the places we’ve visited on our trip, another brilliantly unique take on the motor museum. While I was sceptical of its busy central Taunton location, it turns out the key to the success of County Classics is just that. The museum has breathed new life into the area.

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Wessex wonders

**FANTASY FORECOURT**  
We choose between a bunch of turbotastic Eighties everyman classics

  
Car makers were still experimenting with turbocharging in the Eighties, with some adopting the previous decade’s application of a whopping great blower bolted to the engine, while others were attempting more advanced methods. Whatever the case, the lag was always hilarious and the noises joyous and intrusive. Real-world turbo cars of the era, like the Fiat Uno Turbo, gave first-time drivers their first taste of turbo titivation. While GTi versions of the Golf and 205 get all the adoration from stuffy old hacks, we’ll take a madcap Escort RS Turbo and Maestro Turbo, thanks. Proper traffic light racers and guaranteed to raise a smile from passers-by wherever you go. As for the turbocharged sports cars of the era, how about the Porsche 944 Turbo and Mitsubishi Starion? Does the precision-built Stuttgart star get a thwacking from the tech-heavy Japanese upstart? Which one would you choose? Here are the members of the PC team to tell you which way they swayed…  
  
1 - Porsche 944 Turbo  
**COST NEW** £39,893 **VALUE NOW** £7500-£30,000  
**ENGINE** 2479cc/4-cyl/OHC  
**POWER** 217bhp@5800rpm  
**TORQUE** 243lb ft@3500rpm  
**GEARBOX** 5-spd man  
**WEIGHT** 1280kg  
**0-62mph** 5.9sec  
**TOP SPEED** 152mph  
**ECONOMY** 23mpg  
**2 - Ford Escort RS Turbo**  
**COST NEW** £11,550 **VALUE NOW** £5000-£35,000  
**ENGINE** 1597cc 4-cyl/OHC  
**POWER** 132bhp@5750rpm  
**TORQUE** 133lb ft@2750rpm  
**GEARBOX** 5-spd man  
**WEIGHT** 1080kg  
**TOP SPEED** 125mph  
**0-60mph** 8.3sec  
**ECONOMY** 25mpg  
**3 - Fiat Uno Turbo ie**  
**COST NEW** £10,698 **VALUE NOW** £3000-£15,000  
**ENGINE** 1372cc/4-cyl/OHC  
**POWER** 118bhp@6000rpm  
**TORQUE** 119lbft@3500rp  
**GEARBOX** 5-spd man  
**WEIGHT** 925kg  
**TOP SPEED** 124mph  
**0-60mph** 7.9sec  
**ECONOMY** 28mpg  
**4 - MG Maestro Turbo**  
**COST NEW** £13,995 **VALUE NOW** £5000-£12,000  
**ENGINE** 1994cc 4-cyl/OHC  
**POWER** 150bhp@5100rpm  
**TORQUE** 169lb ft@3500rpm  
**GEARBOX** 5-spd man  
**WEIGHT** 1087kg  
**TOP SPEED** 129mph  
**0-60mph** 6.8sec  
**ECONOMY** 25mpg  
**5 - Mitsubishi Starion Turbo**  
**COST NEW** £16,450 **VALUE NOW** £2000-£15,000  
**ENGINE** 1997cc/4-cyl/OHC  
**POWER** 200bhp@6000rpm  
**TORQUE** 206lb ft@3500rpm  
**GEARBOX** 5-spd man  
**WEIGHT** 1230kg  
**0-60mph** 7.3sec  
**TOP SPEED** 140mph  
**ECONOMY** 25mpg

Blown it

In the July 2025 edition of Practical Classics magazine, we celebrate Father’s Day by getting our dads together to look at the cars they wish they could have bought! From a Rover P5B and MGB to Citroën SM and Rover Vitesse, we get the full story on each – and then hit the road to the west country where Danny and James visit a bunch of England’s most unique motoring museums.

Meanwhile, we bring you tales of father-son restorations and classic revivals – from a Bond Equipe and Mini Clubman to a Morris Minor Convertible. The Jaguar XJ6 goes up against the Range Rover P38 in a head-to-head test, while there’s a battle of the 1980s turbocharged classics – from MG Maestro Turbo to Mitsubishi Starion.

There are two essential guides this month – one about buying a Peugeot 405 and the other on how best to get your hands on a Lotus Esprit S1-S3. Plus, at the Practical Classics workshop, we’re getting dirty with an Alfa 147, Renault Clio, Austin Seven, Morris Minor, Hotchkiss Gregoire and a 2CV, while there’s advice on seized brakes, small electric motors and alternator upgrades. No other magazine does this much!

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CarFest presented by bp pulse is the ultimate family festival celebrating cars, music, and fun, all in support of UK children's charities. Founded by Chris Evans, it brings together a vibrant mix of classic cars, supercars, celebrity drivers, and thrilling track shows. Alongside the automotive excitement, each night you can enjoy live music from top artists including Travis, Madness, Squeeze and more. Not only that, there’s family entertainment for all ages, delicious street food and chef demonstrations from the likes of Si King and Michael Caines , wellness experiences as well as celebrity guests such as Lee Mack, Rob Brydon and Edd China. With dedicated zones for kids, vintage lovers, and motoring fans alike, CarFest offers something for everyone. It’s a high-octane weekend of joy, packed with horsepower and heart. Join us for an unforgettable celebration of all things automotive and community spirit!

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**MARKETPLACE**  
More exotic than an Italian and faster than a German? James Walshe says the Esprit’s time has come!

  
**Why you want one**  
It’s the exotic British supercar so exclusive, that not even Roger Moore could get his hands on one when it was launched. After giving Lotus a great big boost by showcasing its new car to the world in 1977 Bond film _The Spy Who Loved Me_, the 007 actor was reportedly refused a discount – although we suspect it had more to do with the Esprit’s low asking price, which was a fraction of what Porsche and Ferrari were charging for their supercars at the time. Surely Rog could have put his hand in his pocket? Despite its bargain price, nowadays, the arrival of an Esprit on the show field is more likely to make an impact than any Italian supercar.  
The Lotus Esprit S1-S3 may jangle the nerves of an inexperienced buyer and, while early cars suffered from a rot-prone chassis, these days you’ll find the dogs have long since departed and what’s left will have been fixed and cherished by a dedicated band of owners. The 1976 S1 ‘G car’ (Giugiaro) with its 2-litre 130bhp Lotus engine and Citroën SM gearbox is a sought-after version, for sure. However, it came with its fair share of issues and was replaced after two years by the S2 – essentially an S1 with some of the problems rectified, (like the poor cooling system). 1980 saw the introduction of the rare ‘S2.2’, with its 2.2-litre engine (only 100 were produced) and a John Player Special version to mark the F1 championship win. The 210bhp ‘Essex’ Turbo arrived in late 1980, complete with stiffened chassis and body kit, to be followed by the S3 in 1981. With numerous refinements and all versions getting the stiffened chassis of the Turbo, the S3 is the most sought after for some. The run-out Turbo HC of 1986 is a popular choice, being stronger, faster and better built than its predecessors. The S3 was replaced by the so-called ‘S car’ (Peter Stevens styled) of 1987. Bangs for buck aplenty, but dare you take the plunge?  
**The inspection**  
Check the entire body for star cracks in the glassfibre from flying stones. In addition, study the nearside rear wing, which is sometimes damaged by objects in the boot being allowed to move around. The offside wing is protected by the battery, so damage is unlikely here. The nose suffers from stone chips; hopefully any damage will be confined to unsightly paint, but in some cases the plastic itself may have been harmed.  
The corners are most likely to have suffered poorly repaired accident damage where the glassfibre hasn’t been let in properly, although parking scrapes could lead to scars anywhere. Paint that has sunk will appear mottled where some of the pigment has remained on the surface. It’s possible to mend damaged glassfibre invisibly but requires skill – those we’ve featured in PC who’ve restored glassfibre cars have often talked of it being easier to work with than steel, once you’ve got the hang of it. If you’re not confident and scars are evident, get an estimate of what a specialist will charge to put it right. Treating several areas will be a labour intensive (and costly) process of grinding back the glassfibre and letting in fresh matting – a reportedly satisfying process!  
Chassis damage and rot are not easy to repair. Esprit S2.2s on had a galvanised chassis, so these later cars are even less likely to be suffering from tin worm. If you’re looking at a S1 or S2 the only way of making sure that the chassis isn’t rotten is to put the car on a ramp. An insulating layer of felt between the chassis and the bodyshell absorbs water and then corrodes the chassis. It’s not possible to check the top of the chassis because it is out of sight, but tapping the metal with a hammer should elicit a crisp clang. If you hear a dull thud, it’s likely that corrosion is causing the metalwork to dissolve.

This one is far better on the road than in the water.

  
Esprits use one of three versions of the Lotus all-alloy twin-cam engine. The first two-litre examples were designated type 907, followed by the 2.2 (type 912) and 2.2 turbo(type 910). All of them should easily cover 100,000 miles between re-builds if 6000-mile/six-month service intervals have been adhered to. Although the Lotus twincam has a reputation for unreliability any major failings are usually because of an engine not being looked after properly. The cam belt should be replaced every 24,000 miles (or every two years).  
If the engine misfires under acceleration check for oil in the spark plug recesses. The engine leaks oil from the gasket between the cam covers on to the exhaust manifold, where it gets burned off. If the carriers or covers have simply been tightened to cure such a leak damage will have resulted from stripped threads and distortion. It’s because of these leaks that the oil collects in the spark plug recesses.  
As mentioned, the five-speed gearbox is the same one that’s used in the Citroën SM, and parts are getting hard to find. Gearchanges should be smooth and slick, but the tortuous linkages can go out of adjustment as the bushes and cables wear over time. The gearbox is durable — it’ll usually last a lot longer than an engine. The only thing to be wary of is worn bearings, so check that the gearbox isn’t making a lot of whining noises. If it is, you’re looking at having to replace the bearings. Anything more significant, such as damaged cogs, is likely to land you a big bill. The spigot bearing will fail if it hasn’t been greased, wrecking the crankshaft in the process.  
There should be plenty of steering feel with no heaviness. If there is it’ll need a new rack – £200 plus specialist labour if you can’t do it yourself. Racks wear more quickly on S3s and later because the wider wheels and tyres put a greater strain on it. You won’t see much more than 48,000 miles out of a rack and a hard-driven cars could last half that. Poor self-centring is usually because the steering column universal joint has seized.  
The Esprit’s electrics are reliable despite the numerous earthing problems usually associated with plastic-bodied cars. That said the electric window motors can seize thanks to corrosion and the glovebox-mounted fuse box can lead to problems when the fuses get knocked about. Esprit headlamp relays are worth checking carefully because they will be one of the first things to give trouble. The TR7-sourced headlamp motor itself also tends to fail at some point, but getting it repaired at an electrical engineer isn’t expensive. Also check the dashboard and footwells for any signs of deterioration because of water ingress.  
  
BODY

  
Externally, the nose is the most likely area to be damaged by flying stones. Look out for signs of poor repairs where the glassfibre hasn’t been let in properly. Paint that has sunk will appear mottled.  
  
CABIN

  
Various trim materials were used including leather, cloth and Marquasite, which is like crushed velvet. Leather tends to crack with age. Water ingress can cause damage to the cabin, so check for moisture.  
  
ENGINE

  
Your prospective purchase will have one of a few versions of the Lotus all-alloy twin-cam engine – the first two-litres are designated type 907, followed by the type 912 2.2 and the type 910 2.2 turbo. Look out for blown cylinder head gaskets and fractured manifolds.  
  
**WHAT IT’S LIKE TO LIVE WITH**  
**James Walshe** tells the tale of two Esprits…

Fabian reckons the rewards make a resto worthwhile!

  
I’ve had the pleasure of driving two examples of Esprit that, while both were 007 replicas, they had nevertheless been restored to the highest standards. The film star looks distracted from the way in which they been so faithfully rebuilt to factory spec. This meant experiencing the exceptional road manners you’d come to expect from Lotus, with a pleasing thump of power from the Turbo, especially. That’s not to say Paul Coleman’s September 1976 registered Series 1, featured here, is a slouch. There’s plenty of punch from that modest 2-litre lump. He took his time to revive it though, having almost given up a few times. ‘I spent four years on the bodywork, learning as I went. For instance, before I could even think about prepping for paint, I left my glassfibre repairs for six months to make sure the filler didn’t sink. It’s certainly an art.’  
Fellow Esprit enthusiast Fabian Steele, who also successfully restored his own _The Spy Who Loved Me_ Esprit, went even further and built himself a replica of Bond’s Esprit Turbo from For Your Eyes Only. He began the mammoth task by removing the body from the chassis on his lawn. ‘My mate has a garden business, so I got four large fence posts off him and staked them around the car. I then designed a system of wooden beams, clamps and bolts, so that I could inch-by-inch lift the body on my own.’  
In both cases, they carried out their projects very carefully, seeking advice and adapting to the unique challenges that a Lotus restoration presents. Says Fabian, who has recently restored yet another Turbo: ‘I originally thought restoring an Esprit would be a simple case of following instructions in a handbook but there’s scant information. That’s where the clubs and forums come into it!’  
  
**WHAT TO PAY**  
**PROJECT** £15-25,000  
**AVERAGE** £25,000-£35,000  
**EXCELLENT** £35,000-65,000  
**TECH SPEC**  
**ENGINE** 1973CC/4-CYL/OHC  
**POWER** 160BHP@6200RPM  
**TORQUE** 140LB FT@4900RPM  
**GEARBOX** 5-SPEED MANUAL  
**TOP SPEED** 138MPH  
**0-60MPH** 8.4SEC  
**ECONOMY** 25MPG  
  
MARKET ANALYSIS  
Early cars are worth a fair chunk more than all other Esprits these days, with prices dipping slightly for standard S2 models. You’ll still pay £30-40,000 for an S2 in tidy condition with a good history. That said, JPS-liveried S2s will set you back a lot more – as we went to press, there was one up for grabs for £63,000 online.  
Traditionally, the S3 has represented the best value especially given the refinements, and indeed we found an average condition car for sale at £27,000, but as always in this market, exceptional examples of any type can exceed expectations when it comes to value.  
Projects? Well… be prepared for a lot of hard work and potential expense when paying less than £20k. Any 007 replica will attract a premium but if that’s what you want, check the restorer wasn’t distracted from the basics (prioritise a rot-free chassis over missile launchers).  
  
**USEFUL CONTACTS**  
**Club Esprit**, :a[clubesprit.co.uk]{href='https://clubesprit.co.uk' }  
**Club Lotus**, :a[clublotus.co.uk]{href='https://clublotus.co.uk' }  
**Lotus Drivers’ Club**, :a[lotusdriversclub.org.uk]{href='https://lotusdriversclub.org.uk' }

Buyers Brief: Lotus Esprit (S1-S3)

**READER’S STORY**  
As soon as Jack St John Wallis turned 16, a restoration project was inevitable  
**INTERVIEW** CRAIG CHEETHAM **PICTURES** JAMES WALSHE

  
I’ve been into our transport heritage from a very early age, initially with steam trains and also with my home model railway layout. I’m 20 years-old now, but cars have always been a major part of my life, while my dad, Roger, always had something interesting to keep himself entertained – with numerous cars ranging from a Jaguar E-type to a BMW 7-Series. But I wasn’t like the other kids. While they were playing with train sets, I was taking the locomotives apart and putting them back together again because I wanted to know how the engines worked. I’ve always been fascinated by stuff lsike that.  
I knew from an early age that I wanted to have a classic as my first car, so when I was told about a Morris Minor convertible for sale locally via a friend, dad and I immediately went to have a look at it. The owner was sadly very ill and would never get to complete his project, which at that point was stored in a garage underneath a pile of sheets and mattresses.  
We had a good look at it and we could both see the potential there – it was a solid enough car but it needed some localised body repairs and a new roof, and the engine was also very smoky, but I hadn’t even started to learn to drive yet, so I had plenty of time in order to get it back on the road. It was offered to me for a very good price because the owner could see how enthusiastic I was, but on the promise that I’d restore it and get it back on the road. It looked like I’d found my first car! We took it home, having assured the owner that I’d return it to its former glory – and that’s what I spent the next two years doing.

**AS FOUND** Minor was an unfinished project, which Jack went to view with his dad. Despite being found under a pile of mattresses, they saw the potential. While Jack hadn’t yet hit driving age, at the age of 16 his restoration journey had truly begun… in style!

  
**First steps**  
As is the way with all project cars, when we started to strip the Morris, it became apparent that it needed a bit more work than expected. The outriggers and sills were rusted all round, so at the age of 16 I taught myself to weld, with dad watching over me to make sure I didn’t set fire to the garage.  
I carried out repairs to the underneath that were strong and solid, though now I have a fair bit more experience, I may get under there and do it again – the car is absolutely fine structurally, but I know that I can weld a lot more neatly now than I could back then!  
With the welding complete, I set to work on the body, taking it back to bare metal and repairing and preparing all the panels for paint, which I entrusted to a family friend. While the car was with the painter, I set about sourcing replacement seat covers and new roof fabric, and when it came back, I had a lot of fun building it back up. The refreshed interior really transformed it, from a tired-looking Minor to one that really looked the part.  
That left a mechanical overhaul before I could start using it, so I rebuilt the engine in our garage – it fired up straight away and ran well, just in time for me to start driving. I wanted to learn to drive in it, but unfortunately the Minor wasn’t acceptable for me to take my test in as it doesn’t have a lot of the modern features required by driving examiners, so I ended up passing my test in a Peugeot 107 – but the Minor was pressed into daily service shortly before my 18th birthday and it has been my daily driver ever since.  
The Minor’s not my only classic, though. While I was restoring it, I was offered a 1957 Series 1 Land Rover, so I bought that and worked on it at the same time. I also now have a pre-war Austin 10 and a Thirties Riley, so the Minor can soon come off the road for some minor fettling – I’m 20 now, and two years of being used all-year round mean there are a few minor cosmetic bits to sort out and I want to make it perfect.  
I have the facilities to do so, too, as my passion for old cars led me to set up my own business, Jack’s Garage, just outside Newquay, where dad and I work on all manner of classic cars. It started with my Minor and has snowballed from there.

  
Once the car had been completely stripped down, Jack set to work on the bodywork, taking it back to bare metal. Still aged just 16 at the time, Jack spent hour after hour teaching himself to weld, with his dad checking in on him every now and then.

  
With the once shabby bodywork seen to and sent off for a fresh coat of paint courtesy of a good friend, Jack tidied up the extremely tired interior, sourcing replacement seat covers, trim and convertible roof.

  
The Minor wasn’t deemed acceptable for a driving test, due to lack of safety features required by the driving examiner. But, while Jack passed his test in a Peugeot 107, the Minor has been his daily driver ever since.

  
Having bought and restored the Minor convertible at the tender age of just 16, Jack has since bought himself an Austin 10, Series II Land Rover and a Riley Continental Tourer, but he says the Minor serves as both daily transport and show car!  
  
**TIME TAKEN** 2 (YRS)  
**EST. COST** (£)1500  
**BEST HELP ‘**I spent a long time getting things wrong and trying again – but never giving up, knowing the reward would be worth it.’  
  
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‘It started with model railways!’

BUYER'S BRIEF  
From fastest selling new Vauxhall of all time to rare classic, here’s how to buy the very best example you can…

Handsome Viva could be had in both two-and four-door saloon and as a three-door estate.

  
**Why you want one**  
This really is one extremely rare slice of Seventies British car culture. When the third generation Viva was launched at the outset of the decade, Vauxhall stuck its flag firmly in the soil and boasted of a £3m investment in what it named ‘Punishment Park’ – otherwise known as the now iconic 700-acre proving ground at Millbrook. The company’s launch brochure declared proudly that its new saloon had been given ‘all it could take – and more’ at the Bedfordshire site. Indeed, the Viva was a tough car, with its tried and tested engines and steel said to be ’28 percent thicker than major rivals.’ Just not tough enough to survive in large numbers, despite 640,863 examples rolling off the production lines at Luton and Ellesmere Port.  
Pickings are slim indeed. The 1970 range started with the handsome but basic two-door Viva with its OHV 1159cc engine (1256cc from 1971), drum brakes (discs optional) and black vinyl seats. The two-door de Luxe model got coachlines, ‘Vynide’ upholstery, door pull armrests and servo assisted brakes, while the altogether fancier SL came with extra trim and fluffinside, plus the option of a 1599cc OHC lump (upgraded to an 1759cc unit from 1972). You could have your De Luxe and SL in four door and estate body styles. From 1971, the Firenza coupé began stealing sales from the Capri and Marina Coupé – thanks in part to its 2-litre twin-carb engine from the HB Viva GT.  
Vauxhall split the range in 1973, with the 1300 models keeping the Viva badge, and the 1759cc engine and a 2.3-litre becoming the luxurious Magnum, with seven dials replacing the Viva’s strip speedo (the 2.3-litre version of the Viva SL got those dials too). All models were fitted with front discs, while the Firenza got its fabled ‘droop snoot’ nose. Over time, the range continued to evolve, with the base spec car later known simply as ‘E’ in the mid-Seventies (the only model to retain the strip speedo), while the ‘L’ (with its twin dial instrumentation) took up the mid-spec area of the line-up and the Viva GLS (replacing the SL) topped it off with the seven-dial dash, quad headlamps and comfy, reclining velour seats. Losing sales to the likes of VW’s Golf, the Viva left showrooms in late 1979, ahead of the Astra’s launch in March 1980.  
  
MARKET ANALYSIS  
Unless you find one that’s complete, beware of barn finds and basket cases. Regardless of how good you are at fabricating metal, you’ll need to work extremely hard to find all the missing bits on a Viva or Magnum. It’s inevitable that prices are edging upwards. The HC remains good value though, and while there’s little price difference between two/four doors and estates, you are likely to pay a little more for one with the bigger engines – including the rare Firenza, which is sought after. That said, a 1971 four-door Viva went for £6k at Barons in September 2024 – a grand more than a Magnum estate went for a month earlier at Anglia Car Auctions – while a late 1300 GLS sold for £8200 at ACA last summer. We noted a few unsold examples at auction, while a deliciously basic Viva E went for just £2k at Mathewsons.

Simple and easy to maintain, but ask about cambelt changes on the OHC engines. Later engines can also suffer from cam cover oil leaks.

Check inner front wings around the suspension turrets and bonnet hinges, outer front wings, rear wheelarches as they corrode near the sills, and the B-pillars.

Simple cabin is comfy but trim impossible to source, so make sure the car you’re looking at is complete as possible inside.

  
**The inspection**  
That it’s easier to find spares for high performance exotic supercars these days is no exaggeration. Anything from headlights to dash switches are hard to find. The owner’s club is likely to be the best source of advice, so we’d encourage you to join up. Replacement panels for the Viva are getting scarce, (wings can be worth £500 plus) so check your prospective purchase very carefully. You may be relying on new/old stock or used items. Inner front wings rot around the suspension turrets and bonnet hinges. The outer front wings tend to rot around the bottom where mud collects. Inspect rear wheelarches as they corrode near the sills, as do B-pillars. Pay particular attention to the screen surrounds and A-pillars as bubbling here could turn into a major headache. Check every panel very carefully for signs of corrosion. You’ll also want to get underneath, as the floorpan is prone to rust. See also the boot floor and suspension mounting points. The top mountings for the rear shock absorbers can be especially problematic, so don’t rely on a cursory glance as repairs in this area are tricky.  
All engines are DIY-friendly, with good parts availability. Listen for excessive tappet noise on OHV engines – valve-gear breakage can occur if it’s left unchecked – and you should also inquire when an OHC unit last had its cambelt changed. A snapped belt won’t lead to engine damage, but it’s a good indicator of general maintenance. These latter engines can also suffer from niggling oil leaks, with the cam cover gasket being a particular issue. Broken oil pumps aren’t unheard of either. Cooling systems could have degraded, so check the condition of the coolant and hoses, while lumpy running is likely to be a carburettor or distributor that’s ready for an overhaul. Otherwise, a record of diligent maintenance – oil changes every 3000 miles are recommended – should be all that’s needed to keep an HC’s engine running sweetly.

  
The manual gearbox was a four-speeder – if it’s going to wear, it’ll be the second gear synchromesh that goes first. Any whines or crunches need further investigation, but it’s trouble-free otherwise. The GM three-speed autobox just needs checking for jerky shifts or signs of burnt or treacly fluid. A slight whine from the differential is unlikely to signal imminent failure, but look for any evidence of oil leaks.  
The sheer simplicity of the HC’s running gear means that checking the steering, brakes and suspension is straightforward. And, unless the example you’re looking at has been completely neglected, general wear and tear is likely to be the extent of any problems. Check the condition of the front wishbone bushes as these can wear prematurely, although replacements are cheap; the same goes for the bushes that locate the rear axle. Tired springs and dampers should be easy to spot on a test drive, but you shouldn’t have much trouble tracking down a new set.  
You can buy Escort interior parts on every street corner, but good luck sourcing decent Viva interior trim. It can involve a lot of searching, so make use of your newfound friendships in the club. The vinyl trim is quite hard-wearing, and any damage can be dealt with easily by a professional trimmer or a capable DIYer. The later cloth is altogether harder to find. More problematic is cracking of the dashboard moulding. Better news is the fact your Viva won’t be too difficult to work on, whether you’re refurbishing the engine or stripping and repairing an interior. Ownership of any classic Vauxhall is going to be more of a challenge than it is for the owner of a Ford or BL car, but the reward is exclusivity. What was once street furniture is now more exotic than any 200mph hypercar. Join the club, find your Viva and let the nostalgia begin!  
  
**WHAT TO PAY**  
**PROJECT** £750  
**GOOD** £3000-£5000  
**EXCELLENT** £5000-£9000  
  
**WHAT IT’S LIKE TO OWN**  
**James Walshe** looks at what Viva HC life has in store for you…

  
Every street in every town – Vivas were a common sight in the Eighties… gradually vanishing in the decade that followed. As our road-testing supremo John Simister pointed out when he drove a Viva HC in a Practical Classics group test, it was very much part of Britain’s new breed of family cars for the Seventies, with a look and style all its own. John says the HC was a cut above the Cortina and Avenger in many ways. ‘The Viva’s shift is precise and on test, proved to have the speediest steering response of the three cars driven that day. It turned instantly, generating little body roll, although the downside of that tautness in the bends is a choppy ride.’ Maz Hopley is chairman of the Viva Owners Club and has cherished numerous examples since the age of 18. ‘I’ve never known anything but Vivas! As a Sixties kid, my parents had a Viva HB when I was born and in 1978 traded in for an HC, at a cost of £1999. I own that car today and it’s very much part of me.’ Maz’s Viva is currently undergoing a full restoration – an effort he says is generally quite challenging these days. ‘There has to be a ‘make do and mend’ approach to looking after the Viva. If you can find HC wings, you’re often looking at more than £500 per side! Joining the club is definitely beneficial, as we do everything we can to help fellow members.'  
  
**USEFUL CONTACTS**  
**Vauxhall Viva Owners Club,** :a[vauxhallviva.com]{href='https://vauxhallviva.com' }  
**Vauxhall Green Parts,** :a[vauxhallgreenparts.co.uk]{href='https://vauxhallgreenparts.co.uk' }

Vauxhall Viva HC

Join us for our celebration of the cars of MG Rover, as we mark the firm’s passing 20 years ago. Memories of Longbridge are still strong in the classic car community, even if the area itself has changed. We pay the factory site a visit in some of MG Rover’s superstar cars.

We also meet some of the enthusiasts who own and cherish the cars of MG Rover and find out why – from Rover 25 to MG SV – these cars matter today. There are two in-depth guides this month to the Vauxhall Viva HC and Alfa 147, and we get under the skin of an extraordinary Renault 16 restoration – 60 years after the iconic hatchback was launched. There’s also a Golf Cabrio restoration story and members of the team pretend they’re rich and try to work out which Ferrari they would pick (and attempt to maintain).

Back down to earth, two of the chaps each buy an aged Renault Clio and a BMW 523i, plus loads of action from our workshop, with Danny working on his Fiat 124 Spider, James attempting to fix his 2CV and Smart Roadster, and Matt Tomkins his Austin Seven. There are tips on Hydragas and injection fuel systems and cleaning cabriolet roofs… and so much more!

WISE BUYER  
The still affordable way into Alfa ownership. Here’s how to go about it

  
**Why you want one**  
The svelte looking 156 saloon changed the fortunes of Alfa Romeo in the UK. The slick good looks were backed up by exceptional dynamics and fuelled by its newfound mojo and a terrific new platform on which to base other models, the firm introduced its new range of small hatchbacks in 2000 and was declared European Car of the Year. Also sharing the 156’s range of punchy Twin Spark engines, the 147 is a brilliant machine – and still very affordable. There’s terrific backing from great owners clubs and specialists, too.  
On your search, you’ll happen upon three and five-door cars with a range of trim – Turismo was standard and Lusso was proper posh. The most popular engine is the 2-litre Twin Spark, although the 105bhp 1.6 TS is eager enough. That engine was also available with 120bhp in the Lusso, courtesy of variable cam timing. The 1.9 JTD was available as either 8v 115bhp, 16v 150bhp (from 2005) or 170bhp (in the run-out Ducati Course special edition). Top of the pile for many was the 2002 GTA, with Alfa’s 250bhp 3.2-litre V6. The 147 was equipped with air-conditioning, alloys and leather on top models, the whole thing feeling nicely screwed together. The car got a 2005 facelift, with the addition of 159 and Brera styling themes, while the suspension was sharpened up. Not much could be done to improve space though. If it’s roomy a cabin you want, it’s not for you. Still tempted? Then step this way…  
  
MARKET ANALYSIS  
Numbers are in decline, and we’ve spotted more than a few in scrapyards in 2025, so now is the time to start saving the good ones. There isn’t a huge choice anyway, so get in with the owners’ clubs for the best examples. Fellow members are likely to charge you top dollar, as the cars will have no doubt been cherished. Expect to pay up to five grand for the nicest example of a Twin Spark or JTD. A look further afield and on the usual websites and forecourts and you’ll find good 1.6-litre models for as little as £1500, while a later TS or diesel will set you back just £2500. As for the GTA? Ten grand gets the best, although we’ve seen them go for a few thousand less at auction recently, so keep your eyes peeled.  
**The inspection**  
The Twin-Spark units are truly delightful, but aren’t without their issues. They tend to guzzle oil – in some cases a litre every 1000 miles.  
What doesn’t help is the fact that the cylinder head features oil jets to cool the pistons, which allows the oil to vaporise. Make sure the cambelt has been replaced every 36,000 miles (72,000 or six years on the JTD). When you’re replacing the cambelt you should fit the newer metal tensioner, not the plastic one. The 2-litre 16v has a balance belt and tensioner that will also need replacing, otherwise the belt tensioner can break, and the debris become trapped in the cambelt drive. A special camshaft locking tool is required if you change the cambelt yourself.  
Oil changes need to be done annually or every 12,000 miles, preferably using Selenia 10w40 semi-synthetic, although the slow-burn HPX 20w50 brew may reduce oil consumption on high milers. The variable valve timing variator on the TS unit can get noisy and make the engine sound like a diesel, especially if run low on oil. It screws into the end of the camshaft and costs about £250 from a main dealer and £150 from an independent. When replacing the spark plugs, be aware that there are two different lengths and you need to be careful not to overtighten the smaller of the two; also, remember to refit the earth wire at the back of the engine. As there are eight spark plugs, it’s just as well they only need replacing every 60,000 miles. Incidentally, if you spot oil in the spark plug wells, replace the cam cover gasket. JTD units are robust. If there are problems with cutting out, though, suspect the high-pressure diesel pump.

Twin Spark lump is an absolute belter of an engine.  
The storming 250bhp 3.2-litre V6 GTA is rare and its 24mpg fuel economy could rule it out for some owners. Again, oil use seems an issue and it’s important to keep an eye on the cooling system, specifically the rad, as it must do a lot of work.  
Gearboxes on all models are reasonably strong, although synchromesh can fail with age, especially on JTD models. Reconditioned units sell for around £550 from gearbox specialists, while used units sell for £100-£150. Some ’boxes also suffer shaft bearing noise, but stripping the ’box and changing the bearings solves the problem. Clutches are self-adjusting so a high biting point signifies that a new item is around the corner. Autoboxes are good, but the Selespeed paddle shift option can sometimes stick in gear or fail to shift properly. It’s not always the ’box at fault – the pump under the front wing, the actuator, trip switches or the three-piece clutch may also be to blame. On those models, check that all of the different ways of changing gear work – from the paddles to the gear knob and ‘city’ mode.

Cabin is nicely made, but check everything works.  
Like the 156, the 147 is prone to bush wear, and because Alfa doesn’t supply the bushes separately, main dealer replacements can prove pricey. It’s common to find wear in the upperand lower arms, bottom balljoints, link rods, droplinks and anti-roll bar bushes (which can knock). The top strut mounts are also a weak point – they start squeaking, and if you notice uneven tyre wear at the front this could be why. Unlike the 156, there’s been little call for replacement steering racks, but if yours should go (symptoms being a knocking sound when turning the wheel from lock-to-lock) reckon on spending £250 from an independent. Beware rusting power steering pipes. Meanwhile, the GTA is so ridiculously nose heavy, front suspension components wear quickly, and with so much power on tap, the diff takes quite a hammering. The Q2, Alfa’s Torsen mechanical limited slip differential, is worth having if one’s not been fitted as an option already. Some 147 owners have experienced ABS warning lights appearing, usually due to adjustment on the brake pedal switch. Setting it up properly is a tricky job requiring feeler gauges. The only brake malady concerns sticking rear pads – simply free them off and apply a small quantity of copper-based grease to the back surfaces.  
Inside, the 147 was well made but look for tired trim as it isn’t that easy to find. The driver’s side window regulators can fail, while wiper motors have been known to go wrong. Poor connections and dodgy switches are normal, as are mysterious blinking dash lights. With that in mind, start by checking for a failing battery – it’s the cause of many an issue for a car of this era.  
‘All the spirit of an Alfa, but easy to live with’

One of the greatest badges of all.  
  
**WHAT TO PAY**  
**PROJECT** £500-£1500  
**GOOD** £1500-£4000  
**EXCELLENT** £4000-£10,000  
**TECH SPEC**  
**ENGINE** 1970CC/4-CYL/OHC  
**POWER** 148BHP@6300RPM  
**TORQUE** 133LB FT@3800RPM  
**GEARBOX** 5-SPEED MAN  
**TOP SPEED** 129MPH   
**0-60MPH** 9.3SEC   
**ECONOMY** 31.7MPG  
  
**WHAT WE SAY** **THE ONE TO BUY**  
**James Walshe…**  
This completely outrageous little 150mph shopping cart is all about the engine, isn't it? All you have to do is stamp on the throttle and your ears are assaulted by the melodic howl of Alfa Romeo’s majestic 3.2-litre V6. Sure, the GTA isn’t blessed with the finesse of a Focus and while it lacks the grip of an Impreza and slickness of a Civic Type-R, who cares? The GTA still feels sharp and agile and delivers the kind of maniacal thrill that few others can. We should be glad they made it. It’s delightfully unhinged.

  
**Matt Tomkins…**  
I'll confess here to rather enjoying the combination of excellent chassis dynamics and lower power output, so will seek to combine the 147’s good looks with that frugal oil burner, please. I'll delight in conserving momentum and exploiting the suspension to the full once I've fitted some fresh bushes. I might even make good use of the 1300kg braked towing capacity to ensure I have the best looking rig in the paddock! I’d enjoy those oft-repurposed seats, too, which ensure it’s a comfortable place to be behind the wheel.

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