SEARCH RESULTS

News Classic Car and Restoration Show by numbers Tuesday, 5 April 2022 at 9:00:00 UTC By Al Suttie Show return hailed a success The Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show has been hailed as a success by visitors, clubs and exhibitors. The show made its return to the NEC in Birmingham after a two-year absence due to covid restrictions. Over the three days of the show, 25,221 visitors attended the show, which is down from 28,846 in 2019. Show Director Lee Masters said: ‘It was great to be back, and the atmosphere was brilliant. As always, the clubs were sensational. The scale of live working and demonstrations seemed bigger than ever, aimed at sharing skills and encouraging others into this wonderful community. ‘Our heart-felt thanks go to everyone involved including all our show partners, sponsors, traders and visitors as well as our motoring celebrities and the team from Practical Classics.’ The show included 152 car club displays and more than 1000 vehicles. There were also live restoration displays, interviews with celebrities including Richard Hammond, Fuzz Townshend, Ant Anstead, and Mile Brewer. Classic Car Auctions held its biggest ever sale at the NEC and sold £3 million worth of cars, with a 78% sale rate. All catalogue proceeds from the sale were donated to The Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, raising over £9,000 for the charity. Classic Car Business spoke to many exhibitors, who reported a busy weekend. Emma Airey, Head of RH Specialist Vehicle Insurance, told CCB: ‘We weren’t sure how many people would come after such a long break, but it’s good to see busy show halls and plenty of interest from the classic car community.’

Job opportunities Trainee Marketing Assistant - Car & Classic - 100% Remote Home Based Job description About you You have studied Digital Marketing at college or university. You are passionate about Marketing and are keen to develop your skills in a busy, dynamic team. Self-organised, versatile, driven and a doer, you are known as being reliable. People enjoy working with you, as you get things done, and elevate the offering through a combination of skill, energy and will. In short, you are passionate about what you do and love doing it. You may have held a previous role, and you are looking for your next adventure. You want to be a part of something new with an exciting growth phase, and you are looking to make a contribution to that journey. About the role You will join our small, but growing Marketing team at Car & Classic. This role requires someone with excellent written, verbal & organisational skills. A self-starter with a passion for Marketing with strong attention to detail and an analytical mind, able to interpret complex data. About us Car & Classic are Europe’s largest classified and listings website with 2.5 million unique visitors per month. We were acquired by Cazana in 2018 and have been working tirelessly to improve the experience of Car & Classic for all. The website is trusted and loved by many as can be demonstrated by our hundreds of positive reviews. We have an extraordinary team of car enthusiasts, designers, technologists, and operators and we’re looking for another expert who can help get the best cars in front of our audience. Our aim is to build the largest marketplace for classic and specialist vehicles globally. Role and responsibilities • Building email campaigns • Building email lists & segments • Researching & gathering content • Social media campaign support • Market research • Assisting CRM Specialist with projects • Campaign reporting Apply

News Carbon-fibre Cobra Monday, 21 February 2022 at 14:30:00 UTC By Al Suttie Classic Creations to make 10 carbon-fibre Cobras US-based firm Classic Creations is producing a limited series of 10 Shelby Cobras and each comes with a Carroll Shelby commemorative signature on the dash. Called the Carbon Fiber Shelby Race Car and built to mark the 60th anniversary of the AC Cobra, the entire body is made from the lightweight material. All up, the body weighs a claimed 88lbs (39.9kg). Each car will have a diamond-encrusted badge. Classic Creations’ cars will be powered by an 800bhp supercharged Ford Coyote V8. The company believes this will make it the fastest Cobra model ever made. Each of the 10 Carbon Fiber Shelby Race Cars will cost $1.2 million (£880,000). https://classic-recreations.com/

News Gateway Auctions now offers online sales Wednesday, 18 January 2023 at 0:15:00 UTC By Al Suttie New timed-online classic car sales from Gateway Auctions One of the UK’s largest auction firms is now moving into the classic car sector as Gateway Auctions offers timed-online sales with up to 380,000 bidders across its platforms. Gateway Auctions Classic Cars has been set up with a hand-picked team including Roger Nowell, Sam Grange-Bailey, Theresa Cunliffe, and Fuzz Townshend. The firm’s first sale will end on Friday 23 February, with onsite viewings available prior to the sale’s end time. Auctions will run every month and cars will be displayed on the six largest bidding platforms including White Label, BidSpotter.co.uk, i-bidder.com, thesaleroom.com, and LiveAuctioneers.com. Managing Director David Sunderland said: ‘Last year, we sold around 20,000 individual lots through our construction equipment sales, and despite that volume, each auction runs like clockwork. We’d been looking to branch into classic cars for some time now, since many of our customers share our passion for older, interesting vehicles. ‘I needed someone with expertise in the industry to make it work, and Roger Nowell – who I’ve known for many years, and will run this new part of the business – was that man. Gateway is so pleased to have Roger and his newly-appointed team on board, and we’re really looking forward to opening up our timed-online sales to classic car enthusiasts across the UK.’ Roger Nowell, Gateway Auctions’ Classics Director said: ‘It’s rare for a business to enter the classic car sales market that can offer such a unique mix of features, as Gateway can. Not only will it be the only classic car auction house to operate timed-online sales across the most popular bidding sites, with massive exposure, but it will also be the North West’s only timed-online sale with vehicles physically on site with all the advantages that that brings for buyers and sellers.’ http://www.gatewayauctions.com/classic-car-auctions/

News Heritage poll records strong interest Tuesday, 8 February 2022 at 0:00:00 UTC By Al Suttie Polls shows strong interest in heritage sector An opinion poll commissioned by the Federation Skills Trust shows continued strong interest in the heritage transport sector. It found that 45% of adults in the UK expressed some interest in the sector. The majority of those interviewed for the poll said their main interest was in visiting attractions such as museums. While attendance data shows the largest group is those aged 55 and over, there is growing interest from younger groups aged 25-34 and 35-44. These two latter age groups make up 33% of all heritage attraction visitors in the past five years. Road and rail attractions are the two most popular with visitors, followed by marine and aviation. The opinion poll was conducted by Kantar and interviewed 1232 people across all ages, gender, ethnicity, region, and socio-economic groups. Francis Galashan, Chair of Trustees for the Federation Skills Trust, said: ‘We hope people will conclude that interest in the heritage sector is healthy. Regardless of which sector of heritage transport we are in, we must continue to work together ever more closely to ensure that mobile heritage has a vibrant and inclusive future.’ https://www.heritage.engineering/

News Thornley Kelham strenghtens ties with O’Rourke Tuesday, 24 May 2022 at 15:30:00 UTC By CCB staff Restorer takes dedicated bay at prestigious trimmers Thornley Kelham has announced it now has a dedicated bay at O’Rourke Coachtrimmers to ensure its European line of reimagined classics receive world-class upholstery. The two companies have worked together for many years on a number of award-winning restorations. This new partnership will only use Connolly leather. Simon Thornley, co-founder of Thornley Kelham, said: ‘In the world of restoration and bespoke projects, we know we have a team capable of producing perfection at nearly every stage of the process, from engine-building to deep, mirror-finish paintwork. But the art of coachtrimming requires a specialist with a natural talent. Rorky and his team have been our trusted partners for years, never compromising and always chasing the right solution, not the easiest. They truly understand our business, and they believe in our vision for the ‘European’ line-up; concours-quality work, authentically reimagined in the spirit of the original car.’ Rob O’Rourke, founder of the coachtrimming company commented: ‘My family of artisans and I are excited and enthusiastic about the challenge of delivering best in class interiors for the new European range of restomods by Thornley Kelham.’

News Hilton Group expands showroom Tuesday, 5 April 2022 at 9:30:00 UTC By Al Suttie New three-floor space for Hilton Group The Hilton Group has opened its new three-storey facility in Bishop’s Stortford. The purpose-built 75,000sq/ft complex gives the firm a total of 100,000sq/ft of space for storage, showrooms, and workshops. It also includes a roof terrace for customers. The upper two storeys are given over to storage and showroom space for the firm that specialises in classic car restoration and approved body work repairs. A custom-made ramp allows access to the first floor for vehicle repairs to be undertaken. Hilton Group Founder, Peter Hilton, said: ‘This new facility is the future of our business, perfectly encapsulating everything we do here at the Group. The new state-of-the-art showrooms are the ideal showcase for our perfect restoration work at Hilton & Moss – as well as TVR and Lotus models as part of Car Sales – our two-storey 30-bay workshop further extends our reputation as the largest manufacturer-approved repair facility in the UK, and Hilton Car Storage showcases our absolute passion and attention to detail. More than that, though, we wanted to create a real destination for car enthusiasts in the South East and beyond.’ https://hiltonaccidentrepair.co.uk/

News MPH to close Friday, 17 December 2021 at 0:00:00 UTC By Al Suttie Bonhams closes MPH The MPH arm of Bonhams is closing and the company will now focus more effort on the recently acquired The Market. The move comes with immediate effect despite MPH hosting 12 auctions since its launch in 2019. It was set-up by Bonhams to concentrate on newer classics in the sub-£100,000 category. Bonhams bought The Market in April 2019, which has proved very successful during the pandemic with its online auctions. The Market is also set to launch in the US with Caroline Cassini spearheading this move. https://themarket.co.uk/en/

News ‘New’ BRM delivered Friday, 24 September 2021 at 21:00:00 UTC By Alisdair Suttie The first ‘new’ BRM P15 since 1953 has been delivered to its owner. Built to celebrate 70 years of the BRM company, the exact recreation was presented to owner, John Owen, at its first shakedown test at Blyton Park circuit The P15 is one of three that will be built, all with a 1.5-litre V16 engine that revs to 9000rpm. John Owen said: ‘Hearing that V16 engine again after so many years was an incredible moment, and a dream come true. It’s a tribute to the tremendous skill, persistence and attention to detail of the engineering team at Hall and Hall who have built the car.’ John is the son of BRM founder Sir Alfred Owen, and he has been instrumental in the creation of these cars that produced 600bhp at 12,000rpm when new. For the test, the BRM was driven by Rob Hall, of Hall and Hall. He said: ‘The car still needs a few tweaks and adjustments, but this is to be expected in such a complex package. We took the engine up to 9000rpm, but got a ticking off from the circuit because I think we exceeded their 95dB noise limit!’ The BRM P15 makes its public debut at the Goodwood Revival on 17 September. http://www.britishracingmotors.co.uk

News Everrati partners with Hilton & Moss Thursday, 5 May 2022 at 9:00:00 UTC By Al Suttie EV convertor partners with Mercedes specialist Electric vehicle specialist Everrati has established a strategic partnership with Mercedes restorer Hilton & Moss to produce ‘Pagoda’ SL models. The W113 SL Pagoda is the latest model to join Everrati’s list of EV conversions, and Hilton & Moss will undertake the restoration of all the non-EV powertrain elements of the car. Peter Hilton, founder of The Hilton Group, said: ‘The fabric of Hilton & Moss is woven with the spirit of Mercedes-Benz. Having developed 40 years of knowledge with Mercedes-Benz vehicles, we pride ourselves in providing an authentic feel behind the wheel. Everrati’s EV technology and engineering bring another exciting dimension to this experience, and we’re delighted to have the opportunity to offer our combined expertise to customers seeking a stylish and thrilling classic motoring experience.’ Justin Lunny, Founder and CEO, Everrati Automotive Limited, added: ‘Everrati prides itself on working with partners who meet extremely high-quality standards. With its industry-leading expertise in Mercedes-Benz vehicles and passion for exquisite restoration, Hilton & Moss is the perfect partner to help us redefine the W113 SL Pagoda experience. We’re excited to work with such an established name in the world of classic vehicles and look forward to offering more redefined iconic models in partnership with Hilton & Moss in the future.’ https://hiltonandmoss.com/ https://everrati.com/

News Hagerty announces 2023 Bull Market List Thursday, 8 December 2022 at 10:00:00 UTC By Al Suttie UK and US Bull Market Lists from Hagerty Hagerty has released its Bull Market Lists for the UK and US, showing which cars it believes are the rising stars of the classic car market. In the UK, among the 10 cars chosen by Hagerty are the Ford Fiesta Mk1, Lotus Elise Series 2, and Mercedes-Benz SL R129. Others to make it on the list are the original Audi TT, Austin 7, Bentley Turbo R, Citroen BX, Lamborghini Diablo, Saab 99 Turbo, and the Triumph Spitfire. In the US list, there are some similar picks, such as the Saab 900 Turbo and Lamborghini Aventador. However, the remainder of the US choices are unique to this market and include the 1968 AMC AMX, original Audi R8, 2011 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, Nissan 350Z, Suzuki Cappuccino, and 1984 Toyota Pickup. There is also one motorcycle in the US Hagerty Bull Market List with the 1936-1947 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead. John Mayhead, Editor of the UK Hagerty Price Guide, said: ‘Our Valuation Team analyses thousands of transactions from our 2 million insured vehicles, auction results and dealer sales to see what is on the move. The Bull Market list identifies those cars that may be rising in value, so if you want one, now may be the time to start your search. ‘This year, as ever, we have a really interesting mix of cars to suit all pockets and areas of the hobby, from a veteran car all the way through to a modern classic supercar. We’ve also included a couple of very different British roadsters. As ever, working through the data to compile this list has been a highlight of the year.’ In the US, Hagerty Senior Vice President of Media and Editorial Larry Webster added: ‘Bull Market is a guide for enthusiasts of all types to find, buy and drive something they love while also making a good investment.’ http://www.hagerty.co.uk

News SmartBench launches portable 3-axis CNC router Monday, 16 May 2022 at 8:00:00 UTC By Al Suttie World’s first portable 3-axis true-CNC router launched by SmartBench SmartBench has introduced a 3-axis true-CNC router that is says is a world first. The CNC SmartBench is aimed at restoration businesses that require quick, accurate and repeatable cutting for dashboards, flooring, door cards, and vinyl. SmartBench works from a standard G-Code file and can be supplied with simple-to-learn, intuitive software which doesn’t require specialist skills. The SmartBench can work with 8’x4’ sheet, yet it can also be quickly folded stored when not needed, and it takes only three minutes to set up. It will also fit in the back of a van or estate car. There is an optional Stylus attachment that allows the user to cut vinyl or create large drawing, such as for wiring diagrams. https://www.trend-uk.com/smartbench