Dealer News: the first year, Motor Sport, 2021-22
[Since August 2020 I’ve been the chief sub editor at Motor Sport magazine. A few months in, there was a revamp of the sales and auctions section at the back of the mag and Dealer News was born. I put myself forward to run Dealer News with the idea that within 12 months I’d be swanning around with classic car experts the length and breadth of the country – but as chief sub, I can’t leave my desk at the office! I’ve started visiting London-based showrooms, so, y’know, small steps. We’re in the job of entertainment, so I’ve set out to make my news snippets succinct and light-hearted.]
Ride in my beautiful saloon… (May 2022)
For some, the LOTUS CARLTON is as ’90s as watching The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air while slurping a Hooch. It first appeared in 1990 with a price as stiff as its suspension – £48,000 (that’s £115,000 today). Visit Corby’s AUTO UNION and you’ll fall in love with this Diablo-baiting saloon all over again. It has a 1991 model in Imperial Green – the only colour ever offered – for £89,995.
While the hard-of-earning planned bank jobs to afford a Lotus Carlton, in 1992 the FORD ESCORT RS COSWORTH came along and jaws hit the ground once again. Just over 7000 were made. In Radiant Red, a late-production 1996 (P) ‘whale-tail’ recently sold for £150,000 at KGF CLASSICS, Peterborough. It had two sedentary owners – covering a mere 217 miles from new.
DICK LOVETT’s MINI and BMW showroom in Bath is shifting to a nearby state-of-the-art site in Portal Road, MELKSHAM later this year. The company is looking for staff. Vacancies: careers.dicklovett.co.uk.
And now for something really special… A 1967 LAMBORGHINI MIURA P400 on the books at SIMON FURLONGER in Ashford, Kent has the distinction of being the first guida destra (right-hand drive) Miura ever built. It was exhibited at the 1967 London Motor Show and first owned by Norwich-based Thomas Cook of the travel company family. It’s priced just shy of £1.4m.
An ABANDONED BMW DEALERSHIP in Tarragona, Spain that closed its doors 10 years ago is the subject of a YouTube video by German BMW enthusiast M539 RESTORATIONS. Within the space are E30s, an M5 E28, a V12 750i E32, a 1970s Alfa Romeo Alfetta, an NSU Ro 80 and more – in case you were looking for a new project. Lee Gale
Morgan’s Kensington homecoming (April 2022)
This year, Morgan celebrates the 60th anniversary of its famous Le Mans class win. Mere feet from where that Plus 4 SuperSport was built – Astwood Mews, Kensington – MORGAN has opened its NEW FLAGSHIP SPACE. “The wooden fixtures are mostly ash, which is what we use for the car body frames,” explained head of business David Waghorn.
If brute force is more your bag, a 1972 JENSEN INTERCEPTOR MARK III at WOODHAM MORTIMER, Chelmsford, is the stuff of dreams. It was originally Jensen’s press car and has had a full restoration “for use in a major TV show”. Hmm… The Crown Series 5 (Netflix, November)? This 7.2-litre V8 is boldly described as “the best Interceptor in the country”. £POA.
After five years of production, the last of 1350 FORD GTs will leave the Canada factory in 2022. Ford chose who could own its GTs; this 2018 MODEL was snapped up by a “high-profile current F1 driver”. But who? Lando? Russell? Oof, this month’s Dealer News is drifting into quiz territory. BELL SPORT & CLASSIC is keeping tight-lipped; £695,000.
At a loose end in EXETER? It’s easily done. A new CARRS FERRARI showroom is now open, featuring the latest Ferrari identity and a community area where customers are encouraged to visit socially.
Before deciding on your next premium ride, The DVLA has revealed a list of the MOST-STOLEN CARS IN 2021. The low-volume RANGE ROVER was surprisingly second (3754), while also in the top 10 were Mercedes C-Class and E-Class, BMW 3 Series and Land Rover Discovery. Top of the nabs? Ford Fiesta (3909). Lee Gale
Buy a Rolls-Royce – life is too short (March 2022)
For most manufacturers, 2021 will be a year to forget with new car sales in the UK down 38% on the 2016 peak. At ROLLS-ROYCE though, there’s cause to raise a glass. It sold a 117-year record 5586 vehicles, with the Phantom and Cullinan SUV, its best-sellers. The reason? “Covid,” said CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös. “People witnessed people dying and that made them think life is short and you’d better live now.”
Or rather than lining the pockets of BMW-owned Rolls, could we interest you in the finest Beemer ever designed – the BMW 507? A 1958 SERIES II in Silbergrau, originally owned by Gustavo Zingg – official rep for Mercedes in Venezuela – is on sale at FANTASY JUNCTION in California for £1.8m.
The name on the bodywork is ‘P Orsini’ –Pierre – the Corsican rally driver who raced this 1961 ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA SZ ZAGATO in the early ’60s. Just 217 were built; the majority, like this were ‘Coda Tonda’ or round tails; the later ‘Coda Tronca’ – truncated – had a Kamm tail. Fully restored, it’s at HOWARD WISE CARS in Essex for £699,995.
London-based American car importer CLIVE SUTTON has added three right-hand drive versions of SUPERPERFORMANCE’s COBRAs to its range (from £123,950). Orders are being taken for summer delivery.
After a 50-year run, FORD no longer perches at the top of the UK new car charts. The VAUXHALL CORSA is now your most-wanted, toppling the Fiesta which has vanished from the Top 10. The last time a Ford wasn’t leading was 1971, when the Austin/Morris 1100/1300 – given a damn good thrashing by Basil Fawlty – reigned. Lee Gale
Take a spin to Surrey for rare Spyder (February 2022)
If you thought pigs in blankets were hard to come by of late, spare a thought for those with a hunger for the hybrid 887bhp PORSCHE 918 SPYDER. They’re rare: of the 918 made, currently there are just four on sale in the UK. A 2015 model in Basalt Black Metallic, with a mileage of 3271, can be found at Surrey’s ROMANS INTERNATIONAL – with a meaty price of £1.1m.
Then again, who’d have need of a 214mph hypercar when a nifty FRAZER NASH LE MANS REP MK II with a lively competition history is available? From 1952-55 racing stalwarts SIR STIRLING MOSS, KEN WHARTON and TONY BROOKS drove this 2-litre campaigner (chassis FN176). It was the second of seven Mk IIs built, and is on sale at AUTOSTORICO in Oxfordshire, £POA.
A new international car event is heading to London. The idea behind SALON PRIVE LONDON at ROYAL HOSPITAL CHELSEA (April 21-23) is that all motors in its Concours de Vente are for sale. “This is an opportunity for elite collector dealers to take centre stage,” said David Bagley, co-founder of Performance Events.
HR OWEN has been named official UK retailer for the RADFORD LOTUS TYPE 62-2 – bringing the companies back together for the first time since 1963. Limited to 62 cars, 12 will be the range-topping JPS; 12 was Ayrton Senna’s number at Lotus.
In November, SYNTNER GROUP and ROLLS-ROYCE SUNNINGDALE launched a competition to find a Christmas hero. The winner and their nominee were treated to a lavish day in London with a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce, £1000 Harrods vouchers and afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason. Lee Gale
GM’s costly flop is a snip at the price (January 2022)
General Motors’ dream 30 years ago was to develop the world’s most sophisticated sports car, and to do this it wanted computer-controlled active suspension using Lotus F1 tech. Some £16m (£36m today) was flung at the shortlived project, with 25 CHEVROLET CORVETTE ZR-1 test cars built. Four survive; one, from 1990, is at RMC MIAMI in the US, priced at £65,000.
The only BRM P48 ever to win a race is chassis 486, on sale with WILLIAM I’ANSON, £POA. Most of the P48’s F1 results in 1960 were ‘Ret’, with Dan Gurney finishing once, but at the Victorian Trophy at Ballarat, Australia in 1961 Gurney and P48 clicked. The car is in “impeccable condition”.
In 1998 ASTON MARTIN unveiled its PROJECT VANTAGE, a one-off fully functioning 6-litre V12 supercar with a claimed top speed of 200mph. It was a Vanquish before its time and ultimately saved the company’s bacon. In 2016 it was sold at auction in an Aston Martin Works Sale for £87,740. With just seven miles on the clock, it’s back on the market with CLASSICMOBILIA, £POA.
York is not short of an attraction or two, and now JCT600 has added another with the 567sq m PORSCHE CENTRE YORK, not far from the Railway Museum. With Teutonic-tinged zeal, construction work took just nine months to complete.
Remaining in York… those after a Hyundai i20 N after Motor Sport’s glowing review (November) might recognise MINSTERGATE HYUNDAI’s sales exec. Gabriela Irimia is one half of pop duo THE CHEEKY GIRLS. Not to be outdone, twin sister Monica is on the books at Read Hyundai in Boston, Lincs. Lee Gale
No Mr Bond, I expect you to buy (December 2021)
With 007 adorning the side of every bus, now is the time to own a 1934 ROLLS-ROYCE SEDANCA DE VILLE in Masons Black and yellow. The ultimate Bond villain drive, you’ll find one for £275,500 at PETER JARVIS CLASSIC CARS in Swanley, Kent, who describe it as “the most beautiful-looking Rolls we have ever seen”. All you need is a mute Korean chauffeur for the full look.
Post-Covid, 14% of Londoners want to up sticks*, with Devon sitting third on Rightmove’s most searched-for locations. Fuelled by the influx, a HENDY PERFORMANCE showroom has opened in Exeter next to Hendy’s existing Lotus dealership. “It’s for anything that gets the pulse racing,” said customer experience manager Lloyd Newbery. “Demand is tremendous.”
Custom-bike maker Mutt Motorcycles has just opened its new 35,000sq ft HQ in Birmingham. THE HOUSE OF MUTT is in a former Victorian mill where you’ll find a showroom, shop, workshops, R&D lab, coffee shop and, for your pillion, a whisky bar.
A 1985 PORSCHE 959 PROTOTYPE – the seventh of 12 built – is at MECHATRONIK in Germany. It’s the oldest 959 in the world still on the road and was once owned by racing driver and dealer Vasek Polak. Controversial, but is this the best-looking Porsche ever built? £POA.
According to research by BOOKMYGARAGE one in five cars over 40 years old fails its MOT test – despite not legally needing one. The highest failure rates (2019-21) were Dodge with 55% from 143 tests, then Austin-Morris, 39% from 567. All Bentleys, Saabs, Opels, Toyotas and TVRs passed. Lee Gale
A direct link to Steve McQueen’s Le Mans (November 2021)
It seems you’re never far from a car with irrefutable ties to STEVE McQUEEN. This recently reassembled CHEVRON B16, chassis b16-70-26, was bought by the actor’s Solar Productions and raced by Clive Baker/Digby Martland at Le Mans 1970 (DNF), which in turn gave it a role in McQueen’s plot-flimsy ’71 film Le Mans. It’s on sale at LEGENDS AUTOMOTIVE in Bicester for £225,000.
With ‘revenge buying’ all the rage, the used-car market is now sizzling – but which car’s price has risen most? That honour goes to the MERCEDES V-CLASS DIESEL (2014-19) vans. At the three-year/30,000-mile mark its value has rocketed by £11,000 in six months.
In July car production in the UK fell to its lowest level since 1956, says the SOCIETY OF MOTOR MANUFACTURERS AND TRADERS. 53,438 cars were built, a fall of 37.6% compared to last July. “The semiconductors shortage shows little sign of abating,” says SMMT’s chief executive Mike Hawes.
If you think that’s gloomy, in 1949 the UK government was urging businesses to ‘Export or die’. AUSTIN did its bit with the streamlined A90 ATLANTIC, aimed at the American market. But of almost 8000 made, just 350 ended up in the US. Corrosion ate A90s alive and now there are fewer than 60 left. You’ll find a ’49 fully restored convertible at ST ANDREWS AUTOS in Chelmsford for £29,950.
Research by car finance company MONEYBARN has revealed the best and worst places in the UK to buy a used car. Bottom, with much soul-searching to do, is BURTON UPON TRENT where 52% of reviews for its dealerships were ‘terrible’. Sitting in sunlit uplands is BOLTON, where 75% of dealers were rated as ‘excellent’. Please form an orderly queue on the A666. Lee Gale
All enquiries to Stirling Moss, Tring 2181 (October 2021)
In 1950, STIRLING MOSS owned and raced a COOPER MARK IV T12. From 23 outings, it scored 12 first-placed finishes but by Christmas it was in the classifieds. “Winner of Monaco, Silverstone, etc,” read the ad, with all enquiries to Moss on Tring 2181. It’s currently on sale at TERENCE MORLEY CLASSIC CARS in Kent for £385,000, including photographs – and the ad.
The final version of the FORD CAPRI was the 1986 limited edition Mark III 280 ‘BROOKLANDS’. All were right-hand drive with a 2.8-litre V6 engine and each was green, hence the Brooklands nickname. Of the 1038 built, there are now just 90 280s on UK roads, and this one, with 50,000 miles on the clock, is available at KGF CLASSIC CARS in Peterborough for £34,995.
According to research by South-West dealership group DICK LOVETT, TIKTOK’s most-loved car company is BMW, with a total of 22 billion views – double Audi’s figure in second place. However, the model TikTokites can’t get enough of is the AUDI TT, with 5.5 billion views.
Five stretched 2015 BENTLEY MULSANNE GRAND LIMOUSINES that were shipped to the UAE but never registered or used are on sale at BENTLEY EMIRATES. Got a thirst on? You’ll find the champagne flutes between the front-facing seats.
You may remember him as Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights or as the cap-worn-backwards frontman of 1990s hip-hop ensemble Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, but these days Mark Wahlberg is acquiring Ohio Chevrolet dealerships like they’re going out of fashion. His fifth is MARK WAHLBERG CHEVROLET OF AVON. And next? He hopes to expand to Boston – his home town. Lee Gale
Rimac Nevera hits London’s tourist trail (September 2021)
The 258mph, 1914bhp RIMAC NEVERA EV left its native Croatia for the first time in early July for a quiet spin around London’s shops and sights. It was here courtesy of HR OWEN – the sole official UK retailer of the £2m car. With its 1.4MW lithium-manganese-nickel batteries, it was, of course, exempt from the capital’s £15 Congestion and £12.50 ULEZ zone charges.
A ‘lost’ 2003 JAGUAR X-TYPE SCV8 created for the failed Supercar V8 championship has been found alive and well and living with Andy Rouse. The former BTCC star’s firm Rouse Hall built the one-off X-type for the proposed BTCC rival series. Since then, the car has been stored. It’s on sale (offered with a Lotus V8) with CNC AWS in the Cotswolds from £30,000.
The largest ever survey of historic car fans (55,000) by the FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DES VEHICULES ANCIENS (FIVA) reveals a significant contribution to local and national economies. The average devotee spends £4162 a year on their car or visiting events, which equates to £8.6bn a year based on the outlay of more than two million FIVA enthusiasts in 71 countries.
Do you go weak at the knees with ‘Holy Grail’ cars? Then you’d better sit down. The single factory BUGATTI EB 110 GT PROTOTYPE is on sale at Massachusetts dealer Copley Motorcars, with a meagre 680 miles on the clock. It’s yours for £1.5m.
Attention Leeds United footballers… Construction is underway on JCT600’s new two-storey FERRARI dealership and service centre at The Boulevard, just a goalie’s throw from Leeds’ Elland Road ground. It is due to open in early 2022. Lee Gale
Huracán to hit New York in a storm of luxe (August 2021)
Check your inbox – you wouldn’t want to miss a visit to the new invite-only LAMBORGHINI LOUNGE NYC. This 5400sq ft Manhattan venue is an Italian melange of cars, dining and brand partners. “It’s a space that our friends and customers can call their own,” said Stephan Winkelmann, Lamborghini’s president and CEO. The Huracán STO will be one of the first models on display.
In Jaguar circles, the Frankensteinish 1960 JAGUAR XK150 FOXBAT ‘shooting brake’ has cult status. This unlikely mid-1970s amalgamation of a 3.4-litre coupé and a Morris Minor is on sale for £44,995 at JUSTIN BANKS in Tunbridge Wells.
On an estate theme, there is much excitement at NICHOLAS MEE in Herts over a trio of rare ASTON MARTIN DB5 VANTAGES. Just 66 DB5s were of the high-performance Vantage variant, and only one was a Shooting Brake, made to accommodate Aston Martin chairman David Brown’s gun dog and polo gear. And here it is, offered along with a coupé and a convertible. “It is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said MD Nicholas Mee. The collection price is £4m.
Read all about it! A new three-level HARWOODS JAGUAR LAND ROVER dealer with upper floor barista bar has opened in Hollingbury, Brighton. The site was formerly the home of local rag The Argus. “We’ve commissioned a local artist to create public artwork that will feature the print presses,” said head of business Marc Sack. Lee Gale
Well-oiled – the King of Cool’s V8 Volante (July 2021)
“If you drink, don’t drive – don’t even putt,” cracked Rat Packer DEAN MARTIN. In 1979, The Cannonball Run star, whose vanity plate was once ‘DRUNKY’, was the first owner of an ASTON MARTIN V8 VOLANTE CONVERTIBLE that’s now on sale ($POA) at AUTOSPORT DESIGNS in New York. That’s amore!
PORSCHE CENTRE PRESTON has become the first location in the country to install ultra high-speed charging points. In just five minutes, the CBX 150kW CHARGER can give a Taycan power for 60 miles – enough to get you to Halifax. “It’s a glimpse into the future of electric motoring,” said centre principal Tom Fox.
A myth-busting mission by the GOVERNMENT, AA and ELECTRIFYING.COM reveals that many of us are still in the dark about EV incentives: 63% had not heard of the plug-in grant. “This is why we’re investing up to £2.8bn to drive the switch,” said transport minister Rachel Maclean.
The £2m PININFARINA BATTISTA EV might soften your resolve to remain on first-name terms with Esso-station cashiers. JARDINE MOTORS has been appointed official Battista dealer for London and the South. “We will tailor an experience to the client’s requirements, which includes a trip to Automobili Pininfarina in Cambiano,” says comms manager Victoria Healy.
A Barnato Green 2012 BENTLEY MULSANNE formerly owned by THE QUEEN has been sold by BRAMLEY MOTOR CARS for £178,000. Her Majesty used the Bentley, which carried the reg DK61 FHM, for Diamond Jubilee duties and visiting the PM at No10. We’re unable to verify whether a ‘Little princess on board’ sign for use on the rear window was part of the package.
While bagging car brochures at the Earls Court Motor Show in 1975, you might have spotted a gleaming FERRARI 365 GT4 BERLINETTA BOXER next to Niki Lauda’s F1 312T. It’s with SIMON DRABBLE, priced £275,000. Lee Gale
A whiff of vindaloo for your VW? (June 2021)
No stranger to a jape, south-coast Volkswagen dealer PETER COOPER announced on April 1 a new range of air fresheners – TECHNICIAN (serviced car fragrance), NEW CAR and CURRY. “We have been working tirelessly for three months to produce these scents,” the social media campaign revealed.
As well as owning an impressive herd of hippos, notorious drug lord PABLO ESCOBAR was an avid racer and car enthusiast. A 1974 PORSCHE 911 RSR once owned by the bon vivant and also driven by Emerson Fittipaldi in competition is on sale with Florida’s ATLANTIS MOTOR GROUP for £1.6m.
With space for 30 cars, HR OWEN BENTLEY SURREY’s new 2800sqm showroom in Ripley is now welcoming visitors. “We want the local community of automotive enthusiasts and families to enjoy it, not just Bentley customers,” said John Stone, Bentley brand director at HR Owen.
A pair of 1956 sports cars – a JAGUAR D-TYPE and a COOPER T39 BOBTAIL – that took part in the 1960 Longford Grand Prix in Tasmania have been reunited in the Cotswolds showroom of THE CLASSIC MOTOR HUB. “It’s a great story having them together after such a long time,” said Ben Stinson, marketing and social media co-ordinator.The Cooper has already sold but the the D-type is still available, £POA.
Man United’s ROY KEANE and Liverpool’s STEVEN GERRARD were football enemies. Now cars once owned by the pair are tussling at AUTO TRADER. Keane’s 1998 DB7, bought to celebrate his side’s 1999 treble, is £24,950; Gerrard’s ’13 OVERFINCH VOGUE SE is £42,995. Back of the net! Lee Gale
Libyan tyrant’s luxury coupé d’etat (May 2021)
Deposed Libyan dictator COLONEL GADDAFI had his detractors but his appreciation of rare motors was exemplary. Before his regime was toppled, he ordered a MAYBACH 57S XENATAC COUPE but never got his hands on the heated steering wheel. It’s on sale at AUTO LEITNER in Holland for £830,000.
Aston Martin new boy SEBASTIAN VETTEL has put his F1 woes behind him by slimming down his car collection. His sell-off included five Ferraris. TOM HARTLEY JR dispatched a 1996 F50, a 2004 ENZO, a 2015 458 SPECIALE, a LAFERRARI, and F12 TDF – both from 2016 – in just three days.
Surrey performance car specialist ROMANS INTERNATIONAL hasn’t let a worldwide pandemic thwart its plans. it is almost doubling its forecourt size after buying the Ford site next door. “Covid-19 ended up being the catalyst,” said marketing manager Eddie Cumberland. “The Ford dealership vacated the premises and that gave us our perfect scenario.” The new space will open in July.
Despite the Covid-enforced closure of its Shropshire showroom, CLASSIC MOTOR CARS’ restoration projects are continuing as normal. Work is underway on a 1961 JAGUAR ZP PROJECT E-TYPE, which was raced by Sir Gawaine Baillie in the 1960s. “It’ll take two years to finish,” explained acquisition consultant Harry Wassell. “It’s a very special car.”
No bull, but MARSHALL MOTOR GROUP has gone for the treble with its sponsorship of darts pros JOE ‘THE ROCKSTAR’ CULLEN, GERWYN ‘THE ICEMAN’ PRICE and SIMON ‘THE WIZARD’ WHITLOCK. From April 12, it’s game on! Lee Gale