British classic cars: model guides, values and history
British car records: the smallest, the fastest, the dearest19 September
Morgan 4/4: the longest-running car name in the world (1936–2018)19 September
Selling a classic car privately: what the law asks of you, what it does not, and how not to get stung19 September
Triumph TR3 values: TR3B over TR3A over TR3, the works cars apart, and a market back to 2010 prices19 September
Lotus Elan values: Sprint over S4, two-seater over +2, the 26R apart, and fifteen years of standing still18 September
Morgan: the Malvern time machines that never went out of production18 September
Lotus Esprit values: V8 over four, S1 over S2, the JPS and Final Edition premiums, and the one market in this series still rising17 September
The engines behind most British classics: A-series, B-series, Rover V8 and the Jaguar XK17 September
Triumph 2000 and 2500: the six-cylinder saloons that invented a class (1963–1977)17 September
Dating a car from its number plate: suffix, prefix, current and dateless, and the rule you cannot break16 September
British car records: the smallest, the fastest, the dearest
Morgan 4/4: the longest-running car name in the world (1936–2018)
Morgan: the Malvern time machines that never went out of production
Triumph 2000 and 2500: the six-cylinder saloons that invented a class (1963–1977)
Selling a classic car privately: what the law asks of you, what it does not, and how not to get stung
The engines behind most British classics: A-series, B-series, Rover V8 and the Jaguar XK
Dating a car from its number plate: suffix, prefix, current and dateless, and the rule you cannot break
E10 petrol and classic cars: what the government actually says, and what the clubs add
Britain, decade by decade
All decades
Frogeye Sprite: the happiest face in motoring (1958–1961)
Heritage certificates: which marques have factory records, what they show, and what they cannot prove
Ford Cortina Mk1: the car Britain bought every seven minutes (1962–1966)
LED headlamps and electronic ignition on a classic: what is legal, what is not, and why 1986 matters
Ford Escort Mk1: the car that won everything and started everything (1968–1974)
Laying up a classic for winter: SORN, insurance, fuel, and what actually rots
Most sold at auction
Sales a year, worldwide, 2021 to 2025
What they sell for
Sold prices from 47,838 recorded auction sales, not valuations
Triumph TR3 values: TR3B over TR3A over TR3, the works cars apart, and a market back to 2010 prices
Lotus Elan values: Sprint over S4, two-seater over +2, the 26R apart, and fifteen years of standing still
Lotus Esprit values: V8 over four, S1 over S2, the JPS and Final Edition premiums, and the one market in this series still rising
Triumph Stag values: Mk2 over Mk1, manual level with automatic, the original-engine premium, and a market down by half
Ford
Ford Cortina: Britain's best-selling car of the 1960s and 70s (1962–1982)
The Ford Cortina was Britain's best-selling car for much of the 1960s and 70s, five generations of family saloon that defined the company car park and the family driveway, from the sporting Lotus Cortina to the everyday GLs. A guide to the Mk1 to Mk5, how the generations differ, the fast Cortinas, and what to check before buying one.
Ford Granada: the executive Ford from The Sweeney to Cosworth (1972–1994)
Ford Escort: the everyman Ford and the rally legend (1968–2000)
Ford Capri: the car you always promised yourself (1969–1986)
Ford Anglia 105E: the small Ford with the backwards window (1959–1967)
Jaguar
Jaguar XJ6 and XJ12 (1968–1992): Sir William Lyons' last saloon
Jaguar XJS (1975–1996): the grand tourer that outlived its critics
Jaguar XK120 (1948–1954): the fastest car in the world
Triumph
Triumph TR6: the last of the hairy-chested roadsters (1968–1976)
Triumph Spitfire: a real roadster on a shortened saloon chassis (1962–1980)
Triumph Stag: the V8 grand tourer that lived down its reputation (1970–1977)
Mini
Mini Cooper and Cooper S: the giant-killer that won the Monte (1961–2000)
Mini Clubman and 1275GT: the squared-off Mini of the 1970s (1969–1980)
Mini Traveller and Countryman: the woody Mini estate (1960–1969)
MG
MG MGB: over half a million built, and still the easiest classic to own (1962–1980)
MG MGB GT: Pininfarina looks and a hatchback, for roadster money (1965–1980)
MG Midget: a Sprite in MG clothing, and the cheapest way into the marque (1961–1979)
Land Rover
Land Rover Series I: the aluminium original (1948–1958)
Land Rover Series II and IIA: the definitive working Land Rover (1958–1971)
Land Rover Series III: the most numerous of them all (1971–1985)
Jensen
Jensen Interceptor: the Anglo-Italian V8 grand tourer (1966–1976)
Jensen FF: the first four-wheel-drive production car (1966–1971)
Jensen CV8: the fibreglass Chrysler-V8 bruiser (1962–1966)
Rootes Group
Hillman Minx: four decades of Britain's dependable family car (1932–1970)
Hillman Imp: the rear-engined gamble that took on the Mini (1963–1976)
Sunbeam Alpine: the civilised British sports car (1959–1968)
Reliant
Reliant Scimitar: the sporting estate that invented its own class (1964–1986)
Reliant Robin: Britain's most famous three-wheeler, and most misunderstood car (1973–2002)
Reliant Regal: the three-wheeler that carried Britain's tradesmen, and the Trotters (1953–1973)
Jaguar E-Type (1961–1975): the complete guide to the series
The Jaguar E-Type was the most beautiful car of its age and one of the fastest, and it ran from the covered-headlamp Series 1 to the V12 Series 3 across fourteen years. The development story, the differences between the series, the myths sorted from the facts, and what the survivors are like to buy now.
Read the guide
Lotus
Lotus Elan: 700 kilograms that changed what a sports car had to be (1962–1973)
Lotus Esprit: the wedge that went underwater and grew into a supercar (1976–1992)
Lotus Eleven: the tiny sports racer that made Lotus a marque (1956–1958)
Vauxhall
Vauxhall Victor: nineteen years and five generations of family Vauxhall (1957–1976)
Vauxhall Carlton: Luton's last big saloon, the Car of the Year and the GSi 3000 (1978–1994)
Vauxhall Astra GTE: Ellesmere Port's hot hatchback, from the Mk1 to the 16v red-top (1983–1991)
Austin
Austin Seven: the car that motorised Britain (1922–1939)
Austin Ten: the quiet best-seller of the 1930s (1932–1947)
Austin A30 and A35: the little Austin that raced everything (1951–1968)
Morris
Morris Eight: the best-seller that saved Cowley (1935–1948)
Morris Oxford: six generations of the sensible middle (1913–1971)
Morris Minor: a million of the best-loved car Britain ever made (1948–1971)
Rover
Rover P4: fourteen years of Auntie (1949–1964)
Rover P5 and P5B: the car that ran the country (1958–1973)
Rover P6: the first Car of the Year, and still the clever one (1963–1977)
Kit cars
Gilbern: the only car ever built in Wales (1959–1973)
Ginetta G15: the Imp-powered baby GT the taxman killed (1968–1974)
Clan Crusader: the Lotus engineers' fibreglass underdog (1971–1973)
Tractors
Massey Ferguson 135: the classic tractor everyone knows
Fordson Major: the big, simple Ford that ploughed Britain
David Brown tractors: the gear-makers who also built Aston Martin
Family saloons
Morris Marina: British Leyland's million-selling problem child (1971–1980)
Austin Princess: the wedge that should have been a hatchback (1975–1981)
Hillman Avenger: the saloon that changed badge three times (1970–1981)
Microcars
Peel P50: the smallest production car ever made
Bond Bug: Reliant's tangerine three-wheeler (1970–1974)
Heinkel Kabine and Trojan 200: the bubble car Britain built in Croydon (1956–1965)
Vans
Morris Minor van: the Post Office classic
Bedford CF: the Transit rival that became a camper icon
Austin-Healey
