Blogs Posts

This fully restored rust-free US-import 356 is completely perfect. But, as Richard Gunn asks, is it too good to use? A lot of money for something not that far removed from a Beetle? This, though, is real early Porsche purity. And it’s in beautiful order, cosmetically and mechanically – all it seems to need is the rear badge fixing more securely and the vibrating brakes attending to.

Sensational on its introduction in 1955 and still extraordinary today, the Citroën DS in any of its forms is a comfortable and fantastically stylish classic. The futuristic looks and the sound if unconventional engineering give it a unique appeal that hasn’t dampened almost 70 years on. The station wagon variant – known variously as Safari (UK and Australia), Break (France) and Wagon (USA) – was added to the range in 1958.

It can be a cheap way into a Cosworth. But tread carefully – parts can be scarce. Words RICHARD DREDGE Photography JOHN COLLEY Buying Guide Snap up the last unhyped Eighties Ford – the Granada MkIII Seven steps to buying Ford Granada MkIII / Scorpio Mk1Eighties Fords have never seemed more expensive. Not an auction seems to go by without another record being broken by the likes of the Capri 2.8i and Sierra Cosworth. Once-commonplace and cheap cars now seem out of the grasp of many.

Building on the reputation of the Audi 100 in the 1970s and the 200 the decade thereafter, the brand’s 500-badged models were introduced into SA throughout the 1990s. This Ingolstadt-based brand stubbornly avoided the temptation to follow its compatriot brands, BMW and Mercedes-Benz down the route of six-cylinder engines powering the rear wheels.

We know it’s exclusive to the 911 Turbo, but what is the overboost function – and does it work? Extra performance is something we all may crave occasionally for our 911. Since 2004, Neunelfer Turbos have had this exact capability in the overboost feature. But what is it? To understand overboost, we need to consider the engine, because overboost is only possible on a turbocharged motor. The turbocharger supplies additional clean air, under pressure, into the engine to generate more power.

Looking at the lineage of GT3 production, one model stands out: the 991.1 variant. Of all the iterations, the 991.1 is the only one that wasn’t available with a manual gearbox. Does that make a difference to how the market views it, compared to its peers? Philip Raby of Philip Raby Specialist Cars suggests that it doesn’t. “Most people are happy with the idea of PDK now, and accept it. There’s a good market for PDK GT3s, but if you really wanted a manual, you’d probably just buy a Gen2 version.

V12 thirst aside, the last of the traditional XJs can be a surprisingly practical classic but don’t expect an easy ride. WORDS PAUL WAGER LIVING WITH THE SERIES 3 JAGUAR XJAn up-together Series 3 XJ can be a delightful prospect, but a down-at-heel example can quickly drain you of funds and enthusiasm. Here’s how to stay on the right side.

Find out what to look for when buying a DB2 or the later DB2/4 and how much repairs and maintenance should cost. BUYING GUIDE DB2 & DB2/4 WORDS ROB HAWKINS Everything you need to know to buy one of these classic Aston Martins When the dated 2.0-Litre Sports was due for replacement towards the end of the Forties, the DB2 was the ideal candidate and arguably kept Aston Martin in the limelight during the Fifties, paving the way for a new design of sports car.

The 964 has seen huge growth in popularity in recent years, and yet the 964 Cabriolet remains one of the most affordable entry points to ownership of an air-cooled Porsche... Words Dan Furr Photography Dan Sherwood BUYING GUIDEBag yourself a tidy Porsche 911 Cabriolet 964. Launched in November 1988, the 964 marked a sea-change in the 911’s development.

I’m sure we’ve all got stories about the one that got away. The car we sold, the car we were offered or could have bought for what now seems like a knock-down bargain price. Of course, if I’d known that BMW E52 Z8s were going to go mad in recent years I’d have bought the one I was offered at around £40k by a main dealer not long after it was launched.

Peugeot 106 - Missed out on a 205GTi? This is just as good, so buy now before the market wakes up. Words JAMES WALSHE Photography MATT HOWELL Six steps to buying a Peugeot’s 106 No car’s passing has been quite so lamented as that of the Peugeot 205GTi. Its supposedly unrepeatable combination of sharp handling, and light weight with such a feisty engine has yet to be repeated in its 206/7/8 predecessors. But perhaps this misses the point?

When compared to earlier and later 911s making use of forced induction, the 996 Turbo represents one of the Porsche's scenes best buys... TECH: BUYING GUIDE PORSCHE 996 TURBO SMore than twenty-five years have passed since the 996 debuted, yet talk of the model’s radical departure from previous 911 architecture fails to quell.

Bought new by a Ministry of Defence official, this Fintail has spent the decades since in single family ownership criss-crossing Europe. Words RICHARD MASON Photography IAN SKELTON Trans-Europe Express – the well-travelled story of a ‘Fintail’ Mercedes July 1967 – Desmond Thain collects in Stuttgart ‘My dad, Desmond Thain, always had nice cars, Zephyrs and Jaguars,’ says Desmond’s son Philip. ‘But he’d never had a Mercedes before.

This perfect introduction to classic car ownership is still affordable – just – so act fast Words RICHARD DREDGE Photography JON COLLEY Seven steps to buying a Triumph SpitfireBargains at one end, investments at the other – so buy a Spitfire now! Buying Guide With early Triumph Spitfires making big money, now’s the time to buy What to pay You can still find a scruffy 1500 for as little as £3400, but it’ll probably need bodywork attention.

The 997 Targa. Chances are you forgot about that one, and indeed the 996 before it. Porsche took a bit of a diversion with the Targa version of the 993, 996 and 997, with these models not coming with the immediate Targa signifier of a rollover bar and expansive wraparound rear glass. The 991 would return to that format, with some added opening and closing automated theatrics, all of which leaves those interim Targa models somewhat overlooked.