Vehicle of the Month

We feature the restoration of this lovley little 1976 1500cc Triumph Spitifre, American Export version, in April's vehicle of the month.  It shows how Matthew took it from a full blown US spec to a more subtle UK spec whilst mainting it as a Left Hand Drive car.  Look at the pure satisfaction on his face having removed the wiring harness, of course the bigger job is fitting the new one!  Great to see the car and owner enjoying themselves on the Distinguised Gentleman's Drive Rallye.

Read more about the restoration journey here

Vehicle of the month for March is this 1951 Nimbus Model C designed and built in Denmark by Fisker and Nielsen (who also manufactured the "Nilfisk" brand of vacuum cleaners!). The 750cc in-line 4 engine, which produces a modest 22 bhp, drives through a single plate dry clutch to a 3 speed gearbox and shaft drive to the rear wheel.   
The Nimbus Model C was designed in the early 1930s and some 12,500 bikes were produced in a production run which lasted from 1934 to 1959. The bikes were mainly sold into the domestic market and were used extensively by the Danish army, police and postal service. Although some 4000 are reportedly still registered for road use in Denmark they are uncommon outside of Denmark. Most spare parts are still available from a few specialist suppliers in Denmark.         
The design includes what were some very advanced features for the time including: coil ignition, gear driven overhead cam, crankcase positive ventilation, accelerator pump, shaft drive and telescopic front forks together with some slightly more eccentric features such as the flat steel bar frame, ‘rubber band’ suspension, 3-speed crash gear box and open valve gear.
Although the 750cc in line four engine only produces some 22 bhp it is very smooth to ride and can cruise  comfortably at about 55mph. However, the lowly performance is more than made up for by the distinctive exhaust note - in Denmark they are known as 'Humlebien' (‘Bumblebees’).

View more restoration images for this amazing bike

Meet “Ruby” February’s Vehicle of the month.  A 1951 Opel Kapitan, this is a pretty rare sight in the UK, and like so many cars of it’s age it’s had a very chequered history having spent much time in India (1952) as a chauffeur driven car for the foreign office, eventually returning to the UK in the 1990’s.  Restorations are of course usually a labour of love and this one is no exception.  Ruby has benefitted Pistons from Cyprus, 6V to 12 V conversion, rear wings from Switzerland various rare car parts from Germany and South Africa along with a chance trip to Frankfurt to an Opel parts sale in a multi-storey car park.

Fred’s German improved during the course of reaching out to fellow car enthusiasts across Europe searching for various parts for the car, Google Translate & ebay truly played their part in this task.  A lovely example of the dedication and passion that lies behind these historic gems, thank you for sharing Fred and well done.  

The other good news is that Fred, like so many other enthusiasts, sat down with a box of photo’s and documented Ruby’s history on a www.FactsDisc.com allowing passers by and fellow enthusiasts to see the story too.

Read the restoration journey of Ruby the Opel Kapitan in full here

 

Happy New Year! We’re starting January off in style with our first 2024 ‘Vehicle of the Month’ story by Darren and his beautifully transformed BMW Z3. 

Time for our final ‘Vehicle of the Month’ story this year! We have found a true gem to share with you this December - a 1961 TVR Grantura Mk2a! A brilliantly told restoration journey by the vehicle’s owner, Peter - humorous and packed with images of car parts that you would have thought are never going to get sorted! … well, that was until Peter devoted himself into bringing his TVR Grantura back to life!

Whether you want to find that ‘special gift’ for your classic car loving partner, family member, friend or even yourself - we’ll help you find the right stocking filler or ignite your imagination further on your search for the ultimate ‘Christmas treat’.

Genevieve: ‘The Brighton Belle’ returns to RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run along with her co-star The Spyker, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the classic British comedy film “Genevieve” - a BAFTA award-winning sensation which famously told the story of two couples’ misadventures on the Brighton run.

Welcome back everyone to our vehicle of the month series. This October we’re featuring the story by Mark and the complete restoration of his dream car - a Ferrari 308 GTS. 

Welcome back everyone to our vehicle of the month series. This September we’re featuring a personally owned and driven by HRH The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, Middlebridge Scimitar Number 5. 

Welcome back everyone to our vehicle of the month series. Now that the Summer Season has officially begun, we thought it would be great to start of July with a story of a much beloved vehicle, arguably the “Perfect Classic For A Weekend Away”. We are of course talking about the Volvo 1800ES.

Welcome back everyone to our vehicle of the month series. This June we have a very sweet childhood powered story from Kirsty and her 1984 Saab. Her story began when she was just 3 years old, and here's how she tells it...