One of the smallest actors in the world, the Late Kenny Baker, owed one of the biggest cars, and the Rolls Royce is up for auction.

• The 1982 Rolls-Royce Corniche was formerly owned by the late Kenny Baker who starred as R2-D2 in the Star Wars films
• The car will be offered at auction by CCA on 24th September at the Warwickshire Exhibition Centre
• The car is estimated at £33,000 to £36,000

A luxury Rolls-Royce formerly owned by the late Kenny Baker will be offered for sale at Classic Car Auctions’ (CCA) September Sale on 24^th September at the Warwickshire Exhibition Centre.

As one of the most recognisable and popular actors of the Star Wars franchise for his role as robot side-kick R2-D2, Kenny Baker appeared in six of the blockbuster films.

Kenny purchased his 1982 Rolls-Royce Corniche FHC on 6^th June 2002 and used it at his daily driver for four years. Standing at 3ft 8in tall, one of the smallest actors in showbiz, the luxury coupé was specially adapted to allow Kenny to drive it, with two foot long blocks of wood fixed to the pedals, as well as a sturdy pile of cushions placed on the driver’s seat.

The car, one of the most expensive Rolls-Royce models available when produced, featured the powerful Rolls-Royce V8 engine, a blue leather interior, walnut and chrome detailing, wooden steering wheel and lambswool over rugs.

Kenny was a self-declared fan of Rolls-Royce luxury cars.In fact, such was his love of Rolls-Royce that he took his final journey to Lytham Crematorium in a gleaming black Rolls-Royce limousine.

“Kenny wanted the best car in the world which just happened to be one of the biggest,” comments Guy Lees-Milne, auction manager at CCA. “Today the only indication of the special adaptation are some small holes drilled in the pedals, evidence of the car’s special story and unique provenance, which is sure to attract the interest of Rolls-Royce and Star Wars fans alike on auction day.”

Offered at auction with a sale estimate of £32,000 to £36,000, the car has had four previous owners, including Baker, and has covered 76,500 miles. Presented in good condition, although in need of a little bit of love, the Rolls comes with a comprehensive history file, original handbook, the V5 clearing showing Kenny Baker as a previous owner, and every tax disc since new.

eBay and Silverstone Classic manage to rebuild the Range Rover Classic in just three days, now thats good going.

• Fergus Walkinshaw led a team of expert restorers at eBay RESTORATION LIVE

Festival goers at this weekend’s Silverstone Classic (29-31 July) experienced a once-in-lifetime chance to see a 1983 Range Rover brought back to life over the course of just three days.

eBay, the festival’s official parts and accessories partner, challenged racing driver and car restorer Fergus Walkinshaw to revive the vehicle in front of a live audience at eBay’s RESTORATION LIVE.

Starting at 7.00am on Friday morning, Fergus and his team of skilled mechanics guided the crowd through every step of the project as they renovated the iconic first-generation Range Rover using only parts bought from online marketplace eBay.

The crew worked around the clock to get the Range Rover ready for its unveiling on stage at the Mike Brewer Car Clinic on Sunday.

The project included replacing the suspension and the exhaust system, as well as a host of other jobs. The Range Rover was returned to its original condition, even sourcing rare parts such as a section of carpet covering the spare wheel and the front bumper trim.

On Sunday afternoon, the off-roader was driven onto the eBay stage for Mike Brewer’s Car Clinic in front of a crowd of festival-goers.

Mike described the breakneck restoration as “a miracle”. “If you had seen this car three days ago, you would not have believed it could have looked like this,” he said on stage, before Fergus took the crowd through the process of sourcing hundreds of parts from eBay and overhauling the car in just under three days.

RESTORATION LIVE also hosted David Newell's gloriously restored Triumph GT6 Mk3. David was one of three amateur restorers selected to take part in the first ever eBay Car Challenge. David and the owners of a Volkswagen Beetle and Riley Kestrel 1300 secured a £4,000 restoration budget from eBay and set about restoring their classics in painstaking detail in just three months.

David poured “blood, sweat and tears – literally” into his "poor man's E-Type", replacing both rear wings among hundreds of new parts. The Triumph was proudly displayed next to the Ranger Rover pit over the course of Silverstone Classic and took part in the official Triumph parade lap on Saturday afternoon.

Murray Lambell, eBay’s director of retail car parts & accessories, said, “Watching Fergus and the team bring two tons of Range Rover back to life was an amazing spectacle. As soon as they fired up the engine for the first time on the last morning, the RESTORATION LIVE crowd burst into a round of applause, which was amazing."

When Fergus handed back the keys to the proud owner live on the eBay stage, he presented him with the original sales brochure from 1983 too. Fergus was able to find every part he needed from eBay, using 80 business sellers from the online marketplace ensuring that he had everything Fergus and his team needed.  

Murray added, “It was also fantastic to have David and his glorious Triumph GT6 Mk3 with us for the festival. Having seen pictures of the Triumph before the eBay Car Challenge, he’s done a superb job to have it ready for Silverstone Classic and we’re really glad to have helped him get back on the road.”

eBay and Silverstone Classics collaborate to rebuild a 1982 Range Rover live, during the event.

• eBay announced as official parts and accessories partner  
• Show-goers to witness 4x4 classic being restored to its former glory  

The organisers of the record-breaking Silverstone Classic (29-31 July) are delighted to announce eBay, the global online marketplace, will be joining the event, for the first time, as the official parts and accessories partner.

It is a significant collaboration that will add yet another crowd-pleasing component to this summer’s staging of the world’s biggest historic motor racing festival. Demonstrating that eBay is the premier destination for car parts show-goers will be able to follow the live restoration of a 1982 classic Range Rover over the three-day event.

Hosted by eBay, RESTORATION LIVE with Fergus Walkinshaw is sure to be a hugely popular attraction for the tens of thousands of show-goers, many of whom will be travelling to Silverstone in their own lovingly restored classics.

Walkinshaw and his team will guide the crowd through every step of the project as they renovate the iconic first-generation Range Rover using only items bought from eBay. 

Whether it’s a new replacement body panel or an original piece of internal trim, finding the right pieces shouldn’t prove too tricky as there are more than eight million live listings of car parts and accessories on ebay.co.uk to buy at any time. 

Indeed, eBay is home to one of the largest collections of motoring products in the world and, thus, the ideal destination for everything from replacement parts for the family car to the final rare piece in a classic restoration puzzle.

Murray Lambell, eBay’s director of retail car parts and accessories, said: “We love the Silverstone Classic. It attracts everyone from the highly experienced restorer right through to people who simply just love their car – just like eBay does – so it’s a great event for us to be part of. 

“With such a huge selection of products Fergus and the team will easily find everything they need when they restore the Range Rover. eBay can help with everything from an everyday replacement part – to a rare component in a classic restoration.”

As for the Range Rover, once it is restored to its former glory, it will appear on stage during the Mike Brewer Car Clinic on Sunday at the Classic, with Mike and Fergus answering questions and sharing their experience of the complex project.

“We are understandably enthused to be partnering a company of eBay’s global esteem and importance,” said Nick Wigley, CEO of Silverstone Classic organiser Goose Live Events. 

“All the more so as eBay will be helping us to add yet another fascinating new dimension to this summer’s festival. A large number of our visitors are no strangers to restoration projects, and I’m sure they will really enjoy seeing a 34-year-old Range Rover being restored to its original grandeur.”

All tickets for the 2016 Silverstone Classic must be purchased in advance.  Adult admission starts at just £42 and sticks to the Classic’s widely-praised ‘access all areas’ policy, thus providing admission to both National and Wing race paddocks, trackside grandstands, the vintage funfair, air displays and the live music concerts which this year include chart-toppers The Boomtown Rats, Reef and The Stranglers.

Exclusive new GTS trim added to Volkswagen's Scirocco model.

Exclusive GTS trim with new 18-inch alloy wheels

Scirocco GTS has a new generation of infotainment equipment on board as standard

Ten key facts about the Scirocco GTS:

• The new Scirocco GTS makes its debut as a separate and especially sporty GT version
• 220 PS Scirocco GTS has a top speed of 246 km/h and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds
• Individualised exterior with new 18-inch alloy wheels and optional GTS décor (décor standard in China)
• Red brake callipers as an identifying feature
• Exclusive GTS interior with black trim features, red stitching and the legendary golf ball gear knob
• Included as standard: the "Composition Colour", from the latest generation of infotainment systems
• Modular infotainment matrix (MIB II) available for all Scirocco models from the end of May
• The Scirocco GTS can also be ordered with an extremely quick-shifting 6-speed DSG gearbox as an option
• The spirit of the first Scirocco GTS (which made its debut in 1982) was carried forward into the year 2015 in the new GTS
• With over a million sold, the Scirocco is one of the most successful sports cars in the world

The Scirocco is a pure bred European sports coupe which has been reinvented through the years to give it a timeless appeal.  Presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March 41 years ago, it became an icon of compact German coupés. 

The car caught the spirit of the age: over a million units of the Scirocco have been produced since then.

Last summer a comprehensively refined generation of the sports car was launched, featuring, among other things, a completely new range of engines. Building on this, Volkswagen unveils the new Scirocco GTS – a sports car with 162 kW / 220 PS – in a world premiere at Auto Shanghai. Its engine is one of the most popular in the Scirocco range because it is sharing its design genes with the engine of the Golf GTI. 

A turbocharged direct-injection petrol engine that is recognised as being one of the most agile four-cylinder engines in the world.  It catapults the Scirocco GTS – either with a manual gearbox or with the 6-speed DSG – to 100 km/h in just 6.5 seconds. Top speed: 246 km/h (DSG: 244 km/h). 

The average fuel consumption shows just how efficient the engine of the Scirocco is: just 6.1 l/100 km with a manual gearbox and similarly economical at 6.4 l/100 km with a DSG gearbox.

A legendary predecessor

The first GTS was launched in 1982.  There has been a Scirocco GTS before, in 1982, and that coupé was also related to the Golf GTI of its time, both technically and visually. 

The Scirocco was recognisable by a strikingly designed GTS stripe (which ran all round the silhouette of the car just above the sill), its distinctive sport seats and a gear knob in golf ball design.  

The GTI had the same sport seats (with different upholstery) and the golf ball gear knob. Today, the situation is similar. The new Scirocco GTS will be launched in Europe at the end of May, with China following in the summer. This marks the comeback of an icon, a straight-forward, mighty fast and exclusively-equipped sports car.

GTS exterior

New 18-inch wheels. The Scirocco  GTS will be equipped as standard with new 18-inch “Norwich” alloy wheels; the popular 19- inch “Lugano” alloy wheels will be available as an option. 

The red brake callipers of the GTS can be seen through the spokes of both of these wheel options. In addition, the Scirocco GTS comes with the R-Line package "Exterieur" as standard, which includes distinctive R-style bumpers (at the front with integrated fog lamps and glossy black radiator and air inlet grilles), custom side sill extensions, a roof spoiler (also R-style) and a diffuser. 

The wing mirror caps are painted in stylish black and, just like its predecessor, the '82 Scirocco GTS, the new model can be ordered with a sporty GTS decal for the body as an option (standard in China). 

This option features two decorative red stripes that run centrally from the bonnet over the roof and the boot (if the car is painted in “Flash Red” the stripes are black). The new Scirocco is also enhanced by 3D GTS logos in the radiator grille and on the tailgate. The Scirocco GTS can be ordered in six colours: "Deep Black", "Indium Grey", "Urano Grey", "Pure White", "Oryx White" and, as already mentioned, "Flash Red".

GTS interior

Black and red. The interior of the Scirocco GTS is also customised, of course, and dominated by the sporty colours black and red. The customisation includes:

• Black headliner
• Decorative inlays in "Piano Black Lacquer " in the centre console and the applications on the dashboard
• GTS badges on the sill panel mouldings
• Customised sports steering wheel with red seams and the lower spoke finished in "Black Piano Lacquer" (with the GTS logo)
• Pedals in stainless steel
• Seat covers with centre panels made of a new material (with the GTS logo at the top of the backrest) and red decorative stitching
• GTS package also includes the legendary golf ball gear knob
• Chrome trim package (for the wing mirror and electric window switches)
• Air vents and inside door handles in "Black Piano Lacquer"
• Contrasting red seams for the safety belts, the handbrake lever, the gear lever gaiter, the central armrest and the floor mats

Modular infotainment matrix (MIB).  Also included as standard:  The "Composition Colour" infotainment system, available for the first time in the Scirocco. This marks the debut of the second generation of the modular infotainment matrix (MIB II) in this series of sports cars.

Tailor-made customisation.  As an option, the Scirocco GTS can also be ordered with black "Vienna" leather upholstery; here again the seats are customised with decorative red seams. Volkswagen also offers features such as the transparent panoramic tilt sunroof, bi- xenon headlights, a multifunction steering wheel and – as previously mentioned – the new MIB II radio navigation systems. In China the leather interior and the panoramic tilt sunroof come as standard.

Fuel consumption Scirocco GTS in l/100 km: 6.1 (combined); CO₂ emissions in g/km: 142 (combined); efficiency class: C (estimated values)

Technical data of theScirocco GTS

Body/wheels
Concept	2-door, 4-seat coupé
Length/width/height	4,256 mm/1,810 mm/1,406 mm
Wheelbase	2,578 mm
Wheels/tyres	8J x 18 / 235/40 R18
Luggage compartment capacity	312 - 1,006 l
Drive
Drive train concept	Front-wheel drive
Petrol engine	2.0 TSI (turbocharged, direct injection) 162 kW/220 PS/350 Nm
Gearbox	6-speed manual or 6-speed DSG
Performance / fuel economy data
V/max.	246 km/h (DSG: 244 km/h)
0-100 km/h	6.5 s
Fuel consumption (NEDC, combined)	6.1 l/100 km (DSG: 6.4 l/100 km)
	139 g/km (DSG: 148)
Driving range	916 km (DSG: 859 km)

First ever Golf GTD Estate to be unveiled at Geneva Motor Show in March.

• First ever Golf GTD Estate to be unveiled at Geneva Motor Show in March
• Like the iconic diesel hatch, GTD Estate features 2.0-litre 184 PS TDI engine
• Combines sporting performance with combined fuel economy of over 64 mpg*
• Sporty design cues inside and out match those on GTD hatchback

Since 1982 Volkswagen's GTD logo has stood for Gran Turismo Diesel, with its promise of sporty yet economical motoring.  Now for the first time, the GTD initials grace the Golf Estate, which like the Golf GTD, boasts the 184 PS engine.  The new model is set to make its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

The Golf GTD Estate is well placed to establish itself as an iconic long-distance cruiser.  The 184 PS TDI engine takes the Golf GTD Estate to 62 mph in just 7.9 seconds with the 2.0-litre unit delivering a maximum torque of 380 Nm – and yet this sporty Estate car boasts an impressive combined fuel consumption figure of 64.2 mpg*.

 VW Golf GTD Estate

Other VW Golf Estates

The car’s sporty character is reflected in its exterior design: along with special GTD bumpers and the honeycomb radiator grille, the Golf GTD Estate also features smoked rear lights and flared sills.  The look is completed by 17-inch Curitiba alloys, black roof rails and dual chrome tailpipes. 

Also standard on-board the Golf GTD Estate are bi-xenon headlights, sports suspension with ride height lowered by 15 mm, and progressive steering, which gives a sharper response during high-performance driving as well as ensuring greater comfort in ordinary conditions.

Inside, the dynamic theme continues, with sports seats in Clark tartan, illuminated door sills, black headliner and black pillar trims.  Added to this, there are numerous decorative inserts and panels in Checkered Black, plus stainless steel pedal caps.  Further refinements include the multifunction steering wheel with aluminium trim and the gear knob styled as a golf ball.

The Golf GTD Estate is also available with 18-inch Nogaro alloy wheels and seat covers in a choice of Alcantara or Vienna leather.  Optional extras include a Sports and Design package featuring driving mode selection, Nogaro 18-inch alloy wheels, red brake callipers and tinted windows.

The Golf GTD Estate is expected to go on sale in the UK in April, with first deliveries in June. UK pricing and specification will be confirmed closer to launch.