Classic Car Auctions to showcase an eclectic range of cars for their final auction of the year.

• 130 ‘everyman’ classics will be offered at auction at the Warwickshire Exhibition Centre on Saturday 3^rdDecember.
• Lots include a 1979 Porsche 930 Turbo, a 1973 Jaguar E-Type SIII V12 Roadster barn-find, the first ever 1977 Vauxhall Chevette HS and a special VW Beetle charity lot.
• The sale is the auction houses’ final event of 2016 and includes a special viewing day on Friday 2^ndDecember.

Classic Car Auctions returns this weekend with its final auction of the year and a catalogue of 130 quality ‘everyman’ classics for sale on Saturday 3^rd December at the Warwickshire Exhibition Centre.

With a diverse mix of traditional and modern classics on offer, buyers can expect everything from rare, low mileage collectibles, to eighties performance icons, timeless, restored classics and ready for restoration ‘barn finds’, offering the chance to buy some of the most desirable cars on the market, along with some healthy investment opportunities, given the growth in the sub-£100k market.

 

Proving popular at CCA sales, a number of iconic, modern performance cars headline the sale including a remarkable UK supplied, right-hand drive 1992 Honda NSX, finished in striking metallic black with a black leather interior. Supplied with a perfectly suited registration plate, 'J13 NSX', it is estimated at between £30,000 and £35,000.

Another iconic model, a 2001 Subaru Impreza P1 2.0T 4WD 2DR, number 524 of just 1000 limited editions by Prodrive, and with just one previous registered owner, offers great value to buyers with a sale estimate of £10,000 to £12,000. A supercharged 2003 Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG, with incredible performance and luxury, also offers buyers exceptional value, with a sale estimate of £8,000 to £10,000.

Fans of British performance models have the chance to own a 1999 Lotus Esprit V8 Twin Turbo, with both low mileage and recent servicing, estimated at between £26,000 and £30,000.

A fantastic choice of Porsches are also available, with a right-hand drive 1979 Porsche 930 Turbo finished in Tahiti Blue and maintained in excellent condition, estimated at between £55,000 and £65,000.

A very well cared for 1983 Porsche 944 Lux, finished in Guards Red with a leather and pinstriped velour interior, and reading just 61,000 miles, is estimated at between £8,000 and £10,000. Also, an attractive 1980 Porsche 911 3.0 SC Targa which has benefitted from much recent expenditure, is expected to achieve between £20,000 and £25,000 on sale day.

Barn-find E-Types are now a regular at CCA, commanding elevated sale prices over the last year, and a UK, right-hand drive 1973 Jaguar E-Type SIII V12 Roadster barn-find, ready for restoration, is therefore sensibly guided at £25,000 to £30,000.

Other highlights of the auction include a 1977 Vauxhall Chevette HS 2.3, a genuine part of motoring history as the very first example off the production line and now fully restored, estimated at between £18,000 and £22,000.

An unusual 1985 Mercedes-Benz 250 Limousine formerly owned by the United Arab Emirates Embassy will be offered at ‘No Reserve’.

Finally, the auction house will be offering a special charity lot, a 1975 Volkswagen 1303 Beetle Convertible, with all proceeds to be donated to 'Bloodwise', to end a year of fundraising for the blood cancer charity.

“We pride ourselves on the variety we offer our customers at our sales, and this one is no exception as one of our most exciting catalogues yet,” comments Guy Lees-Milne, auction manager at CCA. “We welcome all car fans, young and old, to our sales and we’ll be getting into the Christmas spirit early, so if you’re looking for a festive day out, or to buy the ultimate Christmas present, we can promise a very exciting auction.”

A special viewing afternoon will be held on Friday 2^nd December at the auction venue, near Leamington Spa. The sale itself begins at 12.30pm on Saturday 3^rd December. 

CHINA SALES - Ford posts growth numbers ranging from 6% to 15% dependant on it's joint ventures.

• Ford and its joint ventures sell 88,189 vehicles in July, up 15 percent
• Changan Ford Automobile sells 69,074 vehicles, up 20 percent
• Jiangling Motor Corporation sells 17,748 vehicles, up 6 percent

Ford and its joint ventures in China continued their strong sales performance with 88,189 vehicles sold in July, up 15 percent compared to July 2015. Year-to-date sales for Ford, Changan Ford (CAF) and Jiangling Motor Corporation (JMC) total 652,836 vehicles, up 6 percent compared to the same time last year.

July sales for CAF, Ford's passenger car joint venture, reached 69,074 vehicles, up 20 percent compared to July 2015. Year-to-date sales for CAF accelerated past the half million mark with 503,719 vehicles sold, up 11 percent compared to last year.

CAF’s strong performance was led by the Ford Escort, which saw July sales up 82 percent, and the new Ford Focus, with monthly sales up 13 percent.

JMC, Ford's commercial vehicle investment in China, sold 17,748 vehicles in July, up 6 percent compared to last year. Year-to-date sales total 139,262 vehicles, down 5 percent.

An historic line-up of 40 Ford Fiestas came together in convoy to mark it's 40th birthday at the Ford Summer Festival.

• Convoy of classic and modern Fiestas attend 40^th anniversary event
• Run from Dagenham to Brighton ends at new Ford event
• Stunning selection of cars on display

An historic line-up of 40 Ford Fiestas came together in convoy to mark the model’s 40^th birthday at the Ford Summer Festival.

Setting off from Dagenham, the Fiesta convoy was made up of classic and modern Fiestas, driven by owners’ club members, Ford employees and prominent motoring journalists.

The cavalcade included some very special Fiestas, including the all-new ST200, a super-rare Mk 1 Fiesta Van, A Fiesta Fly Crayford Convertible and the last Fiesta to leave the Ford site at Dagenham, which – in 14 years - had covered a mere 17 miles from new before going on the run.

The run was also joined by a car that joined Ford’s heritage fleet just a day before the event – a silver Fiesta Mk 4 that was donated to the company by its previous owner, having covered only 22,000 miles.

“We got it on the ramp, put some new brake pads on it, and away we went,” said Ivan Bartholomeusz, who looks after the company’s heritage fleet.

Others from Ford’s own collection included two immaculate Mk 1s, a 17,000-mile from new Fiesta Mk 2 and a pair of original, unrestored XR2s, one of which was driven to the venue by a prominent European Car of the Year Juror who remembered driving it when new.

The birthday run concluded at Brighton Racecourse with a cake-cutting ceremony, while a display of even more classic Fords meant there was plenty for guests to look at.

The People’s Choice award for car of the day went to Dave Lane for his Mk1 Cortina Estate, while the award for furthest travelled went to Avelino Pirin, who had driven 235 miles to get to the event.

Organised by the team behind Fast Ford, Classic Ford, Fast Car and Retro Cars magazines, the event also featured live music for a Rod Stewart tribute act, a casino and a Scalextric competition, along with guest appearances from TV host Ant Anstead (who presented the awards) and former racing driver Barrie Williams, who has a long-standing history with the Blue Oval brand.

Event manager, Katherine Chappell, said: “The festival was a great opportunity for Ford to celebrate the 40^thanniversary of one of its icons, and we were delighted to have such an incredible turnout of Fiestas on the day.”

CHINA - Ford grows by 6% over last year with the joint ventures, Lincoln and Ford all showing gains.

• Ford Motor Company first half sales in China total 577,097 vehicles, up 6 percent
• Changan Ford Automobile first half sales total 434,645 vehicles, up 10 percent; 64,377 vehicles sold in June, up 4 percent
• Jiangling Motor Corporation first half sales total 121,514 vehicles, down 7 percent; 19,351 vehicles sold in June, up 5 percent 
• Lincoln first half sales in China total 12,450 vehicles, an almost three-fold increase and exceeding 2015 full-year sales

Ford Motor Company continued its strong performance in China with vehicle sales in the first half for Ford, Lincoln and its joint ventures reaching 577,097 vehicles, a 6 percent increase compared to the same time last year.

Vehicle sales for Ford and its joint ventures in the first half were up 5 percent over last year to 564,647, with June accounting for 85,105 units sold. June results were 3 percent higher than June 2015.

“We continue to see solid growth in China during the first half,” said Dave Schoch, Ford Motor Company group vice president and president of Asia Pacific. “Even as the pace of growth slows and the market matures, customers continue to respond well to our products, particularly our world-class SUV lineup.”

Demand for Ford and Lincoln sport utility vehicles (SUVs) continues to be high in the first half of 2016, with combined sales of the Ford EcoSport, Kuga, Edge, Everest and Explorer and Lincoln MKC, MKX and Navigator surpassing 150,000 vehicles, a 27 percent increase over 2015.

The Ford Edge saw sales surpass the 50,000 mark during the first half. First half sales for the Ford Explorer increased nearly 50 percent over last year to 6,884. 

First half sales for Changan Ford Automobile (CAF), Ford's passenger car joint venture, reached 434,645 vehicles, a 10 percent increase compared to last year. In June, CAF sold 64,377 vehicles, up 4 percent compared to June 2015.

Jiangling Motors Corporation (JMC), Ford's commercial vehicle investment in China, sold 19,351 vehicles in June, an increase of 5 percent compared to last year. First-half sales totaled 121,514 vehicles, down 7 percent.

Lincoln continues to see strong growth in China with 12,450 vehicles sold in the first half of 2016, an almost three-fold increase compared to last year. With this, the luxury brand already has exceeded last year’s full-year sales of 11,630.

Ford year to date sales in china are have risen to nearly half a million, and still growing at a steady rate.

• Ford year-to-date sales total 479,542 up five percent; 88,248 vehicles sold in May.
• Changan Ford Automobile year-to-date sales total 370,268, up 11 percent, 67,055 vehicles sold in May.
• Jiangling Motor Corporation year-to-date sales total 102,163 vehicles, down nine percent; 19,692 vehicles sold in May.

Ford’s performance in China remains strong with year-to-date sales reaching 479,542, a five-percent increase compared to 2015. May sales totaled 88,248.

Year-to-date sales for Changan Ford Automobile (CAF), Ford's passenger car joint venture, reached 370,268, an 11-percent increase compared to last year. CAF sold 67,055 vehicles in May, matching the company’s best-ever May performance of 2015.

The Ford Edge had another strong month in May with more than 8,500 sold.  The new Ford Taurus also is off to a strong start with nearly 2,500 sold during May.

Jiangling Motors Corporation (JMC), Ford's commercial vehicle investment in China, delivered year-to-date sales of 102,163 vehicles, a nine-percent decrease compared to the same time last year, generally in-line with the traditional commercial vehicle market. In May, JMC sold 19,692 vehicles, a four-percent decrease compared to May 2015. 

The Ford Escort has been named as the fans most favourite of all time by the Ford fans.

• Britain’s favourite classic Fords are the Escort and Capri
• Celebrating icons ahead of Classic Ford Show
• Major event for the Blue Ovals’ finest takes place at Santa Pod, Sunday, June 5

The iconic Escort has been named the favourite Ford of all time by fans of the UK’s best-selling car brand.

Launched in 1968, the Escort was sold in six generations and enjoyed an impressive 32-year production run, with the final hatchback model rolling off the production line at Halewood, Liverpool, in July 2000, although the Escort van remained on sale until 2002.

In total, over three million Escorts were sold in Britain, making it one of the country’s best selling cars of all-time.

It spawned several performance models, including the RS1600, the Mexico, the RS2000, The XR3, RS Turbo and RS Cosworth, all of which enjoyed astonishing motorsport success.

The Escort scored 36 per cent of the vote in a survey organised by The Classic Ford Show, beating the Capri to a close second in terms of legendary status.

Both of the icons, along with other fine names from Ford’s past, such as the Anglia, Cortina, Mustang and Granada, along with more modern icons such as the Fiesta and Focus, will be in abundance at the Show, which takes place at Santa Pod, Beds, on Sunday June 5.

The Classic Ford Show, in association with Admiral, will play host to thousands of the best Fords in Britain, from both club exhibitors and individual entrants.

There will be a wide variety of standard, tuned and modified cars on display at the show, which is supported byClassic Ford, the UK’s leading publication for fans of the Blue Oval’s most iconic models.

It will feature an exclusive Ford-only Run What Ya Brung on the drag strip, open to show visitors and their cars. The quarter-mile contest will give guests the chance to pit their own Fords against each other, and drivers will receive a full performance print out showing reaction time, terminal speed and the time it took to complete the sprint.

Another major highlight of the show will be a series of Ford Drag Car demos, featuring some of Santa Pod’s most famous Ford-based dragsters, which are always a huge hit at the show. The hotted-up Capris, Sierras, Anglias, Fiestas and more will be available to view in the pit area, where showgoers can get up close to the cars and their drivers.

Santa Pod will also be doing a few runs with the strip’s famous FireForce Jet Car. Powered by the engine from a Skycrane helicopter and putting out approximately 10,000bhp and 5,000lbs of thrust, FireForce has the fastest terminal speed of any Jet Car in the world – it’s an impressive beast to look at, and even more awe-inspiring to hear.

In addition, there will be dramatic live stunt displays, drift trikes and the opportunity for  showgoers to win a Ford Focus ST, which is currently being transformed by Classic Ford’s sister title, Fast Ford.

This year, the show is backed by Admiral, which has introduced a range of classic car insurance products including policies aimed at owners of multiple vehicles.

Those wanting to make a weekend of it will be able to take advantage of on-site camping, available from midday on Saturday June 4, complete with a bar and live entertainment.