The panel van has been a welcomed workhorse for generations. With its utilitarian practicality, the panel van has done everything from moving house to making
As many know, we have become somewhat of a Jensen 541 specialist. But today, was a special day at our Suffolk HQ as our very
Some marques offer rarity, luxury, or performance but very few offer all of these in one single form. One of those, is Alpina. Combining comfort,
As our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle nears the end of its restoration, with only a few small bits to do, we though we would take it
This morning, along with a few other new deliveries, we welcomed this gorgeous 1974 Mini 850 Van! As we mentioned with our 1982 Bedford HA,
Here at Bridge Classic Cars, we love a panel van. A solid, dependable and utilitarian workhorse for generations, the humble van at some point has
This morning we took delivery of a collection of new cars destined to be won by lucky winners for our competitions as well as our
Today, we welcomed a few newcomers to our Suffolk HQ including this beautiful 1972 Morgan Plus 4. Shortly, it will be assessed and worked on
The symbol of the prancing horse is an icon of power, elegance, and poise throughout the sporting world. The perfect representation of perfection from the
Chris has been working on stripping down the our 1969 MGC GT in the main workshop. He has been working his way around and in
The Bridge Classic Cars team have begun working on stripping down the internals and wiring of our 1975 Cobra Project. This has been headed up
It has charm, character, and nostalgia. It’s been a workhorse, a celebrated classic and a family friend – The Morris Minor. In any configuration, from
We’ve got a new arrival at our Suffolk HQ today, with this beautiful 1969 MGC GT. The car is just beginning its journey here at
Over the past few weeks, we’ve welcomed a very special addition to the workshop. The third in a line of Aston Martin DB2/4’s which are
Hailed as the modern successor to the legendary BMW E30 M3, the 1M took the world by storm on its release. This rare, straight-six powered
Although it has been in a workshop for a little while now, and our restoration teams have begun the process of bringing this wonderful early
Our 1970 Lotus Europa is now live! The Lotus Europa is without doubt one of the quirkiest and individual sports cars of the 1970s. A
Our stunning 1932 Austin 7 ‘Ulster’ is now live to be won on the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions website. The humble Austin 7 – The
Mauro is continuing on with the MG B Roadster rust removal.
Our 1979 Ford Escort Mk2 is now live on the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions website for you to win! This legendary, rear-wheel drive fun machine
The Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ have welcomed a wonderful new arrival recently. It’s our new 1932 Austin 7 Ulster. This beautiful pre-war road racer,
The classic Austin-Healey holds a special place in the dream garage of many petrolheads. From the humble Sprite to the suave and sophisticated 3000, the
Over the weekend, one of the most prestigious car shows in the world took to the palace grounds of Hampton Court to celebrate the most
Here at Bridge Classic Cars, we have the rare and unique chance to deal with some of the most amazing classic and collectible cars on
Our 1976 Aston Martin AMV8 will soon be headed for auction through our friends over at Car & Classic. Some of you may remember, this
1938 Vauxhall GY25 Wingham Cabriolet long wheelbase with coachwork by renowned coach builders Martin-Walter Ltd. Martin-Walter have been crafting bespoke bodywork since 1773 and working
Last week, Tom and Nick went to deliver our 1972 Triumph Stag to its new owner Dudley. Dudley had won the car the previous week
News broke in the last couple of days, that automotive pioneer and multiple land speed record holder Craig Breedlove sadly passed away aged 86. Breedlove
Over the weekend, a very special project arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ. This Cobra project has been in the works for the
Last night, we invited all of our Mini friends to come over to our Pettistree workshops for the live draw of our 1979 Austin Morris
The panel van has been a welcomed workhorse for generations. With its utilitarian practicality, the panel van has done everything from moving house to making memories.
Now Bridge Classic Cars wants you to relive and relove those memories with our gorgeous 1974 Mini 850 Van.
With its beautiful dark green paintwork, over a simple but elegant black interior, our Mini panel van was subjected to a full nut and bolt restoration between 2000 and 2013 commissioned by an adoring previous owner. Included in the cars history file are invoices which relate to the cars restoration where no stone was left unturned in bringing this classic Mini back to life.
Powered by a small and simple 848cc 4-cylinder engine and 4 speed manual gearbox, this little Mini has a practical and easy-going charm.
Originally classed as a commercial vehicle, many of these panel van sadly do not exist today due to being in constant heavy use in their younger years, but this one has been cherished since its early days it would seem with the odometer showing just a shade over 28,000 miles, which is believed to be original, since it was first registered in Devon on the 1st of June 1974.
This is your chance to win this sensational bite-sized panel van for just a few pounds!
Full Gallery & Video:
As many know, we have become somewhat of a Jensen 541 specialist. But today, was a special day at our Suffolk HQ as our very first Jensen 541 project made its way back to our workshops for the team to begin work on.
This 1961 Jensen 541S was the one of the first, if not THE first, restorations of the unique and rare sports car which was undertaken by our team in 2015, back in our original workshops in Deben Road, Ipswich.
This car, which played such an important role in the early history of our work, will be carefully assessed and then worked on by our talented team very soon. So, keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for updates very soon.
Some marques offer rarity, luxury, or performance but very few offer all of these in one single form. One of those, is Alpina. Combining comfort, pace and exclusivity into a beautifully engineered road car is what Alpina have been doing for over 50 years in cars like this, our 2002 Alpina B10 V8S.
With just 145 2002 B10 V8S’s made worldwide this Bavarian Bruiser is a rare sight but with only 42 right hand drive cars made and believed to be one of only 6 remaining in the UK, this is car number 76 of the entire production run and is known within the Alpina Register.
Alpina have been connected to BMW since the early 1960s, gaining a reputation for crafting hand built, fast and sophisticated luxury cars. With bespoke packages for their clients, each car is individual and unique to their owner.
Not to be confused with the 4.6-litre ‘Standard’ B10, our V8S features a 4.8-litre V8 made specifically for this car. At Alpina’s facility in Buckloe, Germany their team of engineers increase the capacity of the base BMW engine for the B10 to produce more torque rather than making it a big horsepower car.
With stunning metallic silver paintwork and a sophisticated and luxurious grey leather interior, our B10 V8S has the good looks to match its performance completed with the signature 20 spoke ‘hollow’ wheels.
Supplied new by Sytner BMW in Nottingham on the 8th of July 2002, our B10 V8S’s history file contains multiple invoices from BMW main dealers throughout its life as well as some work being carried out by independent specialists.
As our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle nears the end of its restoration, with only a few small bits to do, we though we would take it into the Atelier and set up a photo shoot for the car before it leaves our Suffolk HQ to head back home to its excited owner.
‘Delilah’, as the car is affectionately known, came to us at the beginning of 2023 to begin its restoration journey. This wonderful piece of automotive sentiment has received the love and car from each and every department here at our Suffolk HQ like any of our restorations to make sure that we deliver a car which will last well into prosperity for its owner to enjoy and Delilah is one of those. The team have also tried to preserve her unique and personal history with the retention of the window stickers and other original pieces which make ‘Delilah’ a one-off to her owner.
From the sympathetic and careful metalwork done by Chris and Monty in the fabrication shop, to the fastidious and meticulous preparation and execution of Chris, Alan and Mauro in the paint department. Brian and Lydia turning their expert skills and attention to detail on the bespoke cream leather interior and handmade roof in the trim workshop all the way down to James getting the engine set up to run just how it should, Little Jon working on getting each system working correctly in the cabin and Big John installing the wonderfully subtle RetroSounds stereo unit into the original dash. Each department has proudly worked on Delilah to bring her back to life and back to being able to be enjoyed by her owner for many many years to come.
Now, it was up to me to try and capture in photos what the team here at Bridge Classic Cars have worked so hard on over the past 11 months – I hope I managed to show just how beautiful this Beetle turned out from the talented and skilled work our amazing team have put into this classic Volkswagen.
Take a look at the full gallery here:
This morning, along with a few other new deliveries, we welcomed this gorgeous 1974 Mini 850 Van!
As we mentioned with our 1982 Bedford HA, we love a panel van here at Bridge Classic Cars and this is one of the nicest ones we’ve seen. Like the others, soon this pint sized workhorse will be headed into our workshop were our skilled technicians can inspect and assess the car to make sure it is ready for its lucky new owner.
Here at Bridge Classic Cars, we love a panel van. A solid, dependable and utilitarian workhorse for generations, the humble van at some point has played a role in everyone’s life.
This one though, is a 1982 Bedford HA Panel Van. And its previous owner has had commissioned to look like one of the original early 1980s British Telecom work vans.
The team will be bringing this into our workshop very soon to assess and inspect the entire car so keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates very soon.
This morning we took delivery of a collection of new cars destined to be won by lucky winners for our competitions as well as our 1938 Vauxhall Wingham Cabriolet being brought back to us safe and sound.
The new cars included a Morgan Plus 4, a Mini 850 Van and a very yellow 1982 Bedford HA Panel Van safely tucked away in the trailer of our friends at EM Rogers.
One by one, these classics were unloaded and taken round to our usual photography spot for us to capture them before they begin their journeys. But, we do like to grab photos of the action!
Along with delivering our classics back to us, EM Rogers were also here to collect a very special car destined for its new owner.
The team have been readying the Riley Stelvio ahead of its journey and today was the day where it would leave our Suffolk HQ bound for a new life since arriving from South Africa earlier in the year.
Today, we welcomed a few newcomers to our Suffolk HQ including this beautiful 1972 Morgan Plus 4.
Shortly, it will be assessed and worked on by the team to make sure everything is up to scratch and looking the best it possibly can.
The symbol of the prancing horse is an icon of power, elegance, and poise throughout the sporting world. The perfect representation of perfection from the vision of one man, Enzo Ferrari. Commendatore Ferrari would use this symbol to announce to the world that his cars meant performance and prestige.
Through the decades, the artisans at Maranello would craft some of the most elegant and striking road and race cars the world would ever see.
In the mid-1970’s, the design language would change to adopt the more angular and aggressive styles seen in motorsport throughout the world and give birth to a series of icons from the Ferrari family such as this, the Ferrari 308.
Bridge Classic Cars is giving you the chance to join the Scuderia with our 1984 Ferrari 308 GTSi.
Finished in the Ferrari signature colour of Rosso Corsa and recently retrimmed back to its original Crema leather, this 308 GTSi combines elegance and timelessness into a true 1980s icon.
With a 2.9-litre fuel-injected V8 and the signature ‘dogleg’ manual gearbox, our 1984 Ferrari 308 GTSi has the beating heart of a thoroughbred to match its sporting Pininfarina designed good looks.
Originally delivered to UK Ferrari dealer Modena Engineering Ltd through the legendary Maranello Concessionaires in Surrey in January of 1984, this 308 GTSi was built at the legendary Ferrari workshops in Maranello, Italy in November of 1983 after being ordered in July of that year– confirmed by Tony Willis of the Maranello Concessionaires Archive.
Included in the beautiful Burgundy leather bound history file (which has a highly polished plaque proudly displaying the cars chassis number) includes a copy of the cars original order form which includes the car being specified with optional air conditioning. Along with this wonderful piece of the cars story, is a detailed service history print out from the Ferrari Owners Club. The folder includes correspondence and invoices dating back to the earliest days of the cars life.
In 2023, various works were carried out Haynes Heritage Engineering which included repairs to the sills and several areas of paintwork being rejuvenated.
Enter now for your chance to win this sensational 1980’s supercar with our 1984 Ferrari 308 GTSi.
Full Gallery & Video:
Chris has been working on stripping down the our 1969 MGC GT in the main workshop.
He has been working his way around and in the car to remove all of the various pieces of trim and mouldings to get the car ready to head into our body shop. The team use this time to evaluate and analyse all of the parts removed from the car to check for condition or any breaks/damage to items which can be recorded and if neccesary, replaced.
Chris has got the car back to a point where other members of the Bridge Classic Cars team can now help get this fantastic sports car ready for the next step of its journey.
The Bridge Classic Cars team have begun working on stripping down the internals and wiring of our 1975 Cobra Project.
This has been headed up by our technician Mauro ahead of the body and paint team beginning to work on the car in our in-house paint and body shop. The team have carefully gone through each system in the car to make notes for the cars reassembly after the work has been completed, such as wiring connections, as well as to make a note of any missing items for the project.
It has charm, character, and nostalgia. It’s been a workhorse, a celebrated classic and a family friend – The Morris Minor. In any configuration, from Traveller to Convertible, the humble Morris Minor is beloved by generations. From school carol concerts, sleepy nighttime drives after spending time with family or bringing home the Christmas tree, the Morris Minor has played a part in so many lives. The most practical and seldom seen, is the Pickup.
This charming Morris 1000 Pickup could be yours just in time for Christmas. Our 1968 Morris 1000 Pickup is the perfect classic Christmas gift for you or a loved one this year.
Finished in that timeless and festive shade of deep and glossy Almond Green, the perfect colour to compliment that festive jumper you always want to wear. With a simple cabin featuring a pair of soft newly reupholstered black seats, our Morris 1000 Pickup is as useful as it is stylish and charismatic with a wood lined cargo bay (with a beige hardwearing canvas tie-down cover) which as seen, can comfortably fit an 8ft Christmas Tree.
Having recent work carried out Morris Minor masters, Charles Ware, in 2018 – ‘The Pickup’ as it is aptly named in the postcard hidden in its glovebox had been meticulously cared for and restored since its reimagining in 2018.
During its time at the Bristol based experts, the car was upgraded with an uprated heater, electronic ignition, cut-off switch, halogen headlamps as well as a reconditioned engine and gearbox being carefully rehomed in the front of this nostalgic work truck.
Now, as you sit back and think about what you really want for Christmas this year, why not enter now for your chance to win our 1968 Morris 1000 Pickup, the ultimate Christmas classic.
And, just to give you a little bit extra this Christmas – we’re giving you £1000 in cash!
From all of us here at Bridge Classic Cars Competitions, a merry Christmas to all! And to all… Good luck!
Take a look at a couple of the films that we’ve done with our very own Molly and our 1968 Morris 1000 Pickup.
And then, have a look at our very special Christmas film that we’ve made.
We’ve got a new arrival at our Suffolk HQ today, with this beautiful 1969 MGC GT.
The car is just beginning its journey here at our restoration workshop so keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more updates very soon!
Over the past few weeks, we’ve welcomed a very special addition to the workshop. The third in a line of Aston Martin DB2/4’s which are being completely restored by our classic car restoration technicians at our Suffolk HQ.
This particular car, is a 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe and one of a rarefied few which remain. This car, which has yet to be named, has been commissioned by its owner for our highly-skilled teams to bring back to its former glory alongside the sister cars of ‘Claret’ and ‘Moonshadow‘.
Although work has already begun on this incredible piece of Aston Martin history, there is still a long way to go. But, like the sister cars, our team are excited and eager to get this wonderful restoration on the move and all of us are lucky enough to have 3 of these stunning DB2/4’s in the workshop.
Hailed as the modern successor to the legendary BMW E30 M3, the 1M took the world by storm on its release. This rare, straight-six powered miniature meanie is a rare sight to see, especially in the UK and in all black.
BMW M, or M Division, was created in the mid-1970s as BMW’s in-house performance wizards. They took ordinary, everyday road cars and created some of the most sought-after and legendary performance cars until today – with the likes of the M1, M3, M4, M5, M6 etc. In the late 2000’s, M would take the humble 1 series coupe and essentially grafted in elements from the M3 and M4 to create the 1M (not to be confused with the late 70s supercar, the M1).
With only a few hundred of these rare coupes arriving in the UK, most were ordered in colours like Orange and Blue. But this one was ordered in Black with Black leather, making it one of only a handful of cars to be specified like this – making it even closer to its forefather, the fabled E30 M3, whose most common colour was black.
Although we mainly work on classic and vintage vehicles, all of us at Bridge Classic Cars have an appreciation for modern cars which try to rekindle that old-school analogue feel – the 1M being one of those rare machines. Thank you to Chris for bringing it over and lighting up our late afternoon here at the Suffolk HQ.
What’s your thoughts on the BMW 1M?
Although it has been in a workshop for a little while now, and our restoration teams have begun the process of bringing this wonderful early DB2/4 back to its former glory, we never did get to take some of usual arrival photos with the car.
On a Friday evening, our entire Suffolk HQ down tools to clean up all of our workshop and offices ready for the week ahead. This involves moving some, if not all, of our incredible restoration projects outside to safely clean our restoration workshop.
So, I took the chance to grab some photos with this stunning GT car. This is one of the cars that not only cemented the Aston Martin name into automotive history as one of the most illustrious and well-respected names, but also would bring the fabled DB name into the limelight and on wards into the future of the brand.
All of us, both in the workshop and in the team behind them, see it as an absolute pleasure and honour to be able to preserve and cherish these wonderful piece of automotive history and document their rebirth.
Our 1970 Lotus Europa is now live!
The Lotus Europa is without doubt one of the quirkiest and individual sports cars of the 1970s. A low slung, mid-engined, racecar inspired drivers’ cars which has garnered a following amongst marque enthusiasts and classic car fans across the world.
The Europa, with its slab back design, would become a precursor to later performance cars like the Elise of the 1990s. But what if you took that classic style and gave it a modern performance heart? That question is answered with our 1970 Lotus Europa and it could be yours…
This beautiful pale yellow 2-seater has been retrofitted with a legendary Toyota 4AG-E engine, giving this retro silhouette modern day performance. Converted to be run on carburettors and then taken onto a rolling road to be fully set up ready for that backroad thrash or an easy cruise to your local car show.
Recently imported from South Africa, the car has been recommissioned for road use and registered in the UK.
Bridge Classic Cars Competitions is giving you the chance to win this unique and stunning sports car and experience all the classic cool with added modern performance – Enter now for your chance to win our 1970 Lotus Europa.
Watch the film with our unique 1970 Lotus Europa here:
Our stunning 1932 Austin 7 ‘Ulster’ is now live to be won on the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions website.
The humble Austin 7 – The car which played a pivotal role in getting Britain on the move would form the basis of some of the earliest homegrown racing efforts across this green and pleasant isle.
In the early decades of motor racing, the only way to be competitive was to pay your way to the top. Granted, there were notable exceptions, but the pre-war years were dominated by the likes of Bugatti, Mercedes, Auto-Union, Alfa Romeo and Bentley. These were the playthings of the ultra-rich and the elite, seen to be out of the grasp of mere mortals. However, smaller firms who built ‘standard’ saloon cars decided to get involved in the blossoming sports of club-racing and hillclimbing. One of those, was Austin.
In 1929/1930, Austin would field a group of cars in the Tourist Trophy at the Ards Circuit in Northern Ireland. After their success, the Austin 7 Sports Special would gain their infamous name and inspire countless homages – the ‘Ulster’.
This beautiful example of an ‘Ulster’, with bodywork by Rod Yates Coachbuilders, is finished with the elegant and traditional boattail rear end and presented in its stunning combination of deep green with a saddle brown bench seat. Originally built as a box saloon in 1932, its conversion to an ‘Ulster’ was carried out in the late 2000’s along with its introduction to the fabled VSCC (Vintage Sports-Car Club). With the car being awarded its eligibility to compete, after a thorough and detailed inspection by the club in April of 2009.
In 2011, the 4-cylinder 747cc engine was sent to Vince Leek Specialised A7 Engineering for rebuild and upgrades which included a new Phoenix crankshaft along with upgraded Honda pistons (to which the block was rebored) and the cars connecting rods ‘remetalled’ and machined to fit the new crankshaft. Along with the internal work, the block was resurfaced and new guides, new seats cut and fit new valves.
The car features an extensive history file including multiple receipts for work undertaken on the car over the last nearly 20 years, as well as handbooks for the Austin 7, conversion manuals for the ‘Ulster’ specification racer, along with period promotion and maintenance materials.
All of this specialist and skilled work, combines to make one of the most charming and elegantly simple pre-war sportscars out there. And now, Bridge Classic Cars Competitions wants to give you the chance of experiencing what so many pioneers of motorsport lived with our 1932 Austin 7 ‘Ulster’.
Enter now and win this nostalgic bite-sized racer!
Full Gallery:
Mauro is continuing on with the MG B Roadster rust removal.
Our 1979 Ford Escort Mk2 is now live on the Bridge Classic Cars Competitions website for you to win!
This legendary, rear-wheel drive fun machine is loved the world over – from the snowy forests of Scandinavia to the dusty outback roads of Australia, the Mk2 Ford Escort has cemented its place in the heart of petrolheads.
Read the write up here:
”It is a mainstay of the classic car world and a favourite amongst blue oval enthusiasts across the world. From the treelined, snowy forests of Sweden and Finland, to the unofficial streetlamp lined racetracks of the North Circular and as far away as the dusty roads of the Australian outback, the Mk2 Escort has reigned supreme across the globe.
It’s timelessly fun attitude of light weight, rear-wheel drive and adaptability of purpose make it a perfect addition to any petrolhead’s arsenal.
Bridge Classic Cars Competitions wants to put one of these pint-size prowlers on your driveway with our 1979 Ford Escort.”
”With vibrant and striking red paintwork and a dark interior, this little terror means business thanks to the addition of a 2-litre 4-cylinder engine and having been upgraded with a 5-speed manual gearbox.
The engine is believed to be a 2.0-litre unit according to invoices from the cars history file along with being fitted with a desirable Weber 32/36 DGV carburettor (supplied by FastRoadCars.co.uk and in the spirit of the original fast Mk2, the RS2000) to help this wonderful 4-cylinder breathe. The history folder also includes an invoice from the legendary Burton Power for a 3J Drivelines NXG 22-spline Limited Slip Differential to make this Mk2 hook up and go!”
”With that additional power and performance, the previous owner made the decision to evoke the spirit and attitude of the Sport 2000 model by paying tribute to this much-loved performance model, with a few of their own styling choices, with this particular Mk2.
Now is your chance to win this devilishly handsome and performance minded Mk2 Escort. Enter now and win our 1979 Ford Escort Mk2.”
The Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ have welcomed a wonderful new arrival recently. It’s our new 1932 Austin 7 Ulster.
This beautiful pre-war road racer, has arrived at our workshops to be checked over by our technicians ahead of one lucky winner ending up with it on their driveway through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions!
Take a look at it’s arrival photos and then keep an eye out for your chance to win our 1932 Austin 7 Ulster.
The classic Austin-Healey holds a special place in the dream garage of many petrolheads. From the humble Sprite to the suave and sophisticated 3000, the Austin-Healey has earned its pedestal.
Bridge Classic Cars Competitions is giving you the chance to win one of these truly engaging and wonderful classic British sports cars with our 1958 Austin-Healey 100/6.
With stunning red paintwork and a complimenting black leather interior and white piping, this ‘big Healey’ has got charm and character which could only come from a long-legged, drivers Healey.
Fitted with a beautiful 2.7-litre inline-six and 4-speed manual gearbox, this soft-top sports car has got the perfect set-up to be enjoyed on a back road blast or a relaxed road trip.
Recently imported from South Africa at the start of 2023, the car has gone through a recommission by the Bridge Classic Cars team which included a full brake system rebuild as well as some mechanical jobs to get this wonderful classic ready for its new home.
During its time in South Africa, the car took part in several grand-touring rallies and drive-outs including most recently in the 2022 running of the Cape 1000.
The vehicle comes with a full UK registration, 742XWA, as well as several folders of workshop manuals and dating letters and certificates from the Austin-Healey Club and the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust.
Enter now for your chance to win one of the most sought after classic British sports cars.
Over the weekend, one of the most prestigious car shows in the world took to the palace grounds of Hampton Court to celebrate the most unique, rare and beautiful pieces of machinery the world has ever seen – The Concours of Elegance 2023.
From the moment you stepped foot through the east gate into the palatial gardens, automotive history burst out from every corner and on the perfectly manicured lawns. Cars of such historic note that they have become myths, only to be viewed in the printed pages of books and magazines. But yet here they were, within arms reach. Their flawlessly polished and presented paintwork able to be fogged up by the heavy breathing of petrolheads who had taken this pilgrimage.
Everything from one of only a handful of Mk2 Ford GT40s (the road-going version of the racer, the Mk1) to a fleet of XK120s, 140s, 150s and E-Types flanked the medieval brick walls that ran the perimeters of the palace. But in front of them, over a century of automotive history lay bare for all to see, hear and experience.
Beautifully restored Lamborghini Miura’s, battle scarred all original Jaguar C-Types and Blower Bentley’s were rowmates with the original 1899 Piretti-Bugatti which even came with its original wooden crate next to its brothers, a Type 57 Atalante and a Type 59 unrestored racer. Only at the Concours of Elegance could these machines be brought together as all of the 90 cars on display had been personally invited to attend because of their importance in classic car history.
If it had just stopped there, this still would have been the greatest display that I had ever seen. But, nestled under the branches of a listing oak tree lay what can only be seen in the fever dreams of the most ardent of classic car fans.
These weren’t just some of the best classic cars I had ever seen, these were THE best. On a financial note, the first 5 cars in this row would have a combined value of over £80,000,000 and I was within inches of these achingly beautiful hand built objects d’art.
4 of them well and truly stuck out to me. These 4 to be specific.
1954 Jaguar D-Type Prototype recently restored by the craftspeople at DK Engineering to exactly as it would have left Browns Lane ahead of testing. A car driven by the greats such as Dewis, Hamilton and Hawthron. The only words that can describe it as are ”life changing” in that something with so much story, actually lives and breathes.
There was all manner of multi-million pound metal as far as the eye could see. Bugatti 57S Atlante’s, Ferrari 275’s, Countaches, Rolls Royces, Porsche’s you name it. But, one of the most rare beasts just stood there next to one of the most important sports cars in history but first, let’s talk about the White One.
A Ferrari 250 GTO is one of the most sought-after and highly prized pieces of the classic car world. In fact, I would go as far as to say they transcend being a machine and become object d’art. In total, just 36 of these cars were made for the 1962/1963 season to represent the Scuderia and its affiliated privateer teams. The tales of these cars passed into legend, whether it be through certain drivers or just because of their rarity. These cars will openly trade for over £30m+ so just to see one in the wild was beyond far out. Oh, and it was truly stunning.
Possibly one of the most beautiful cars to have been penned by Giotto Bizarrini paired with the elegant violence of the majestic Colombo 3-litre V12, it is completely understandable how something like this is mentioned in the same breathe as paintings by the masters.
As if just this car on its own wasn’t enough, it was flanked either side by cars that make grown men weak at the knees. But the car to the left of the 250GTO was particularly important to us for several reasons and part of the reason that we paid for the ticket and made the effort to go all the way south just to see when it was announced it was going to be there.
It is CSX2001.
CSX2001 is the first production Shelby Cobra to be built. Built in July of 1962, CSX2001 and delivered to one of the first customers located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The car was enjoyed for a little while before being brought back and chopped in against a brand new Porsche.
It was then purchased by ‘Lucky’ Casner – who basically founded the American arm of the Maserati factory race team. Because of that, CSX2001 was converted into full race duties for upcoming races. Once the conversion was complete it was ready to hit the track but one thing lead to another and CSX2001 was sold to French driver Jean Marie Vincent ahead of the 1964 24 hours of Le Mans but it would never compete that year. Between 1964 and 1965, the car would be raced throughout Europe by Jean Marie including the Tour de France, 1000kms de Paris and several others.
The car was then upgraded into 1964 specification for the Cobras. The gnarly 289ci V8 was dropped in the front along with that gorgeous set of Halibrands which required the aluminium flares to be sank into the body. Oh, and it has rack and pinion steering rack installed in it by AC Cars here in the UK.
In 1966 it was sold to another Frenchman and continued to be raced throughout Europe.
In 2006, it was bought by petrolhead extraordinaire Bruce Meyer who is the president of the Petersen Museum in LA and an eminent collector of significant road and race cars in his own right.
To celebrate the restoration of CSX2001 in its new black paintwork, Bruce rallied the car to Budapest as part of its shakedown.
In the same row as CSX2001 was another piece of myth, it wore the prancing horse on its nose and again I never thought I’d get the chance to ever see this car in the flesh.
This particular 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spider is not like the others. It was owned by French actor Alain Delon and was actually rediscovered in a French barn along with 60 other rare classics before being recommissioned and brought back to life.
The most famous of its siblings is of course the James Coburn car but Delon’s car still reached an impressive $18.5m when it went across the auction block after its reawakening in Paris around 10 years ago. It has always worn this number as well, in period photos (some of which included Delon and Jane Fonda arriving on set for the film ‘Les Fellins’ it still has the number 4452 on its plate.
A beautiful piece of not only Ferrari history but classic car history in general and by the looks of things, the pride and joy of its new owners collection and to be honest, a bit of privilege to get to take photos of.
Also to celebrate the 100 years of Le Mans, Concours of Elegance had put together a very special display of Le Mans winning cars. The special things being that these cars hadn’t just won the worlds toughest endurance race once, but back it up with a double win. Not the same model of car which is common place in modern endurance racing but the same chassis with back to back wins.
Cars like the 1929 and 1930 winning Bentley ‘Old Number One’, the 1952 Merecedes W194, 1968 and 1969 Le Mans Ford GT40 (in full Gulf livery), the 1963 and 1964 Le Mans winning Ferrari 275P as well as the 1974 Matra MS670B driven by the legendary pairing of Henri Pescarola and Gerard Larousse.
It was an absolute pleasure to be able to attend an event such as this in such a beautiful setting. It was also a true petrolheads honour to even be around these machines and soak up the atmosphere and history. Guaranteed, its already on my calendar for 2023.’
Nick attended this event with his side project, Caster & Camber. To see more of this project and more of his work check them out on Instagram and Facebook.
Check out the full gallery from the 2023 Concours of Elegance here:
Here at Bridge Classic Cars, we have the rare and unique chance to deal with some of the most amazing classic and collectible cars on a near daily basis. Some are rare and iconic, others are storied and well-traveled. This 1935 Bentley Van Den Plas Sports Saloon is all of those wrapped into one.
The car belongs to a good friend of Bridge Classic Cars, John. John is a classic car enthusiast from South Africa who over the years we have developed an incredible friendship and appreciation for vintage metal with and its an absolute joy to have him make the trip over to see us. Recently, we had a shipping container filled to the brim with beautiful classics arrive at our Suffolk HQ which had been brought over by John, including this Derby Bentley.
John has kindly asked us to photograph and represent the car at auction for him here in the UK but the story of this car and its pure originality is what makes it truly stand out from the rest.
Firstly, here’s a quick recap on what a ‘Derby’ Bentley is for those who aren’t versed in early Bentley history – After the Rolls Royce takeover of Bentley in the early 1930s, the Bentley name would still retain its reputation for superb engineering, effortless style, and rock-steady reliability under its new ownership though the cars that would come to be known as Derby Bentley’s after its move from the Cricklewood home under W.O Bentley to Rolls Royce’s workshops based in Derby. Hence, ‘Derby’ Bentley’s.
Here’s what we specifically know about this car, BOL 505.
This 1935 Bentley Van Den Plas sports saloon spent its early years here in the UK under the registration BOL 505. In 1971, the car was acquired by South African Bentley enthusiast Tony White and shipped to South Africa in order to compliment his fleet of early Bentleys including a pair of 1928 4 ½ litre tourers. Soon after, the car was sold to another South African classic car enthusiast who would retain the car for the next 44 years.
It was then bought by another classic car enthusiast in South Africa who began work on the car, the previous owner to him carrying out the aesthetic restoration of the cars body as well as the overhaul of the all important straight-six engine, however due to the previous owners failing health there are no records or recollection of what work was indeed carried out.
Finished in two-tone Grey, this 1935 Bentley Van Den Plas sports saloon is a wonderful blend of sympathetic restoration and true originality. The exterior of the car is in fabulous condition, along with the engine block and engine bay being given an aesthetic restoration. In its 88-year life, it is believed the body has never left the chassis since the pair were brought together at the Derby works and must be one of only a handful to proudly wear that title.
Throughout its 52-year history in the southern hemisphere, the dry conditions have worked to preserve this beautiful British motorcar and meant that it has always been road registered with its previous owners.
The exterior of the car is in superb condition with very minimal work left to do, some of the original parts are missing such as the spare wheel, P100 headlight internals and sidelights. The interior is about as original as it comes but will require retrimming and some restorative work. The leather, although well patinated is still soft to the touch and could be kept or used to create a new interior for the car.
This is an incredible opportunity for an enthusiast of the Bentley marque or pre-war British motorcars to bring back to life, at minimal effort and with the large expenses already outlaid, a wonderful piece of British motoring history.
It’s a true pleasure and honour to be able to photograph piece of automotive history like this Derby Bentley. And it’s also a privilege for our friend and customer to ask us to represent the car at auction for him aswell.
The car is offered for auction through our friends over at Car & Classic using this link.
Our 1976 Aston Martin AMV8 will soon be headed for auction through our friends over at Car & Classic.
Some of you may remember, this stunning left-hand drive example of the DB6 replacement came to us from the USA as a claret US spec car but over the course of the last 8 months has been transformed into the stylish and handsome GT car you see today, finished in Deep Carriage Green.
Recently, we took the car out to shoot the photos for its upcoming auction which you can see here!
Keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for the announcement of when our 1976 Aston Martin AMV8 will be live on the Car & Classic website.
1938 Vauxhall GY25 Wingham Cabriolet long wheelbase with coachwork by renowned coach builders Martin-Walter Ltd.
Martin-Walter have been crafting bespoke bodywork since 1773 and working for not only Vauxhall but also Rolls Royce motor cars during their history.
This particular long wheelbase Wingham Cabriolet that only became available in 1938 features the extended luggage boot, which according to original promotional material is ‘’large enough to take suit-cases, golf clubs etc.’’ making this Wingham Cabriolet truly capable as a vintage touring automobile.
The car is certified by Vauxhall Heritage as having left the firms legendary Luton works in July of 1938.
Our 1938 GY25 Wingham Cabriolet was previously owned by Mr Anthony West, who started the restoration of this beautiful car in 1973 and was the cars custodian until to 2022 with an estimated £230,000 spent to restore the car to how you see it today.
Unfortunately, Mr West passed away before the car was complete and it sat for a time in a garage in Norwich, who had taken the car to around 98% complete.
The car was purchased from the executor by Bridge Classic Cars, who completed the final works, had the car MOT’d and managed to get the original “Paisley” Scotland registration retained.
The car has beautiful black paintwork with the famous Vauxhall chrome fluted bonnet as well as custom made hood and tan leather interior by Moore’s Classic Car Interiors.
The 3.2-litre straight-six engine runs strong and balanced and is akin to the wonderful Vauxhall 30/98 engine of the period in terms of performance.
Every part of this car has been painstakingly restored over the span of 40-years by teams of true enthusiasts and passionate craftspeople. From the bespoke wooden cappings to the quirky full opening chauffeur and bride doors, this 1938 Vauxhall Wingham Cabriolet celebrates the artisan nature of coach built cars.
The car will be offered at auction very soon on Car & Classic
Last week, Tom and Nick went to deliver our 1972 Triumph Stag to its new owner Dudley.
Dudley had won the car the previous week through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions and was excited to take delivery of his new pride and joy.
Upon meeting Dudley and finding out a bit more about his story, his incredible life with aircraft and cars, we also found out about his personal connection to our current charity partner, East Anglian Air Ambulance.
Dudley has been an avid supporter and advocate for the amazing work that the charity do to help people in serious situations either in the air or on the road with the incredible live saving team since he found himself in need of their help one day while visiting family.
Take a look at the moment Dudley met his 1972 Triumph Stag for the first time and more on this amazing gentleman’s story below.
You to could be just like Dudley and win a dream classic of your own while also supporting a very worthy charity by entering our 1973 Triumph Spitfire charity competition, with 100% of the profits of this competition going directly to help East Anglian Air Ambulance continue to save lives.
News broke in the last couple of days, that automotive pioneer and multiple land speed record holder Craig Breedlove sadly passed away aged 86.
Breedlove was part of a small alumni that would push and reset the boundaries of speed in the 1950s and 60s while living to tell the tale, in a sport that would see far too many taken far too soon.
A Southern California native, Breedlove’s obsession with speed started young. At just 13 years old, he got his hands on a 32′ Ford Coupe that he would drive around in secret, but just a few years later at 17, he would be taking an alcohol fueled 1934 Ford to 154MPH on the dry lakes of the sunshine state. This, is where the story of the fastest man in America would begin.
He began his high-speed career in what would now be seen as the start of the golden age of land speed racing. Where amateur enthusiasts could take homemade creations out on the dried salt lakes such as Bonneville and El Mirage to achieve speeds unseen or unobtainable just a few years before. To put into context, in 1927 Sir Henry Seagrave achieved a two-way average speed on 231MPH in his twin-aero engined, purpose built land speed car ‘The Slug‘. In 1957, at the age of 20, Breedlove piloted an alcohol powered ‘belly tanker’ at the Bonneville salt flats to a new record of 236MPH.
His chosen career path, would see him work for legendary aircraft manufacturer Douglas (later McDonald Douglas) as a structural engineer. The skills and knowledge gained from this would have a lasting and impactful future on his later career, speed.
As the sun set on the 1950s, the age of jet power had truly begun to dawn over the horizon of land speed racing. In 1959, Breedlove began his first forays into this new method of propulsion and into the record books.
With a second hand J47 jet engine, Breedlove made his jet fueled way into history with the first iteration of the legendary Spirit of America.
This move into the jet powered world, would also begin one of the most exciting eras of speed the world had ever seen. The 1960s would see the land speed record set, smashed and reset multiple times over a matter of months as Breedlove entered the fray against drivers/builders such as Art Arfons and his half-brother Walt. This triangle of competition would push the boundaries of what people thought would be possible out in the emptiness of the Utah salt plains.
In his first time out with the J47 powered Spirit of America, Breedlove would run the ‘car’ at over 400MPH – clocking a 407MPH average over the two-way course. In response, Tom Green (the driver for Walt Arfons) would respond with a 413MPH record in February of 1964 only to have that record shattered by Walt’s half brother Art at the wheel of his own creation ‘The Green Monster’ with 434MPH. To respond, Breedlove came back with a 468, 500 and then 526MPH. This would spark one of the greatest rivalries in the automotive world between Arfons and Breedlove that would see them push eachother harder, faster and stronger towards what many see as the true ragged edge.
Famously, at the end of his record setting 526MPH run – both of the parachutes used to slow down Spirit of America tore to shreds and because of this, Breedlove completely burnt the brakes out trying to slow the several ton machine down. He outran the boundaries of the salt flats, rolling the ‘car’ into the lake which sat at the end of the course. His crew, fearing the worst, rushed down the course to help their driver… only to find him soaking wet and dancing on the waters edge and screaming ”and now for my next trick, I will set myself on fire!” A true reflection of a man who understood the risks but chased the rewards. His car was in tatters and he knew that someone would be along to challenge that record soon…
He wasn’t wrong, his biggest rival Art Arfons soon responded with a 536MPH record.
The only way to truly prove a point was to push the limit of what was even conceivable. Breedlove came back to Arfons’s record with a now historic 600MPH run in November of 1965. To back it up, Breedlove then pushed Spirit of America even further on the way back to get an average of 606.6MPH. The first man to run 500 and 600MPH. With the sound barrier growing closer and closer, pilots and builders had no clue when this would happen as it also depends on multiple environmental factors. Would the car simply slip past it like a plane? Or, because of the shockwave being created so close to the ground – would it instantly rip the land speeder apart as it traveled across the vast emptiness? No one knew.
The following story has passed into speed record folklore: Breedlove and Arfons were bitter rivals. Arfons being the working mans hero and Breedlove as the all-American poster boy with the backing of huge sponsors and wore a spacesuit for his record runs. One night, towards the end of those crazy few years, Breedlove and Arfons would meet on the edge of Salt Flats. No one knows the words the two contemporaries exchanged exactly, but people have said it went along the lines of one asking the other ”when does all this end?” with the other replying ”when one of us gets it wrong”.
The fear didn’t stop Breedlove from trying to push the limits harder and harder. Over the following years, Breedlove would attempt to beat his records. However, he never did manage to push that any further but neither did Arfons who trying to break a record would see him survive the fastest and most severe accident on earth at 609mph with only a headache and two black eyes.
Over those beautiful few years in the early to mid 1960s, these superhumans would expand what people thought was possible. New ways to engineer solutions to problems never before faced – tyre technology, suspension set up and construction and advanced aerodynamic theory and implementation were all aspects of the automotive world which had been moved on at a pace no one had seen before.
In the following 20 to 30 years, the land speed record would only be moved on by around 100MPH. The current record being attributed to Richard Nobles Thrust SSC, an evolution of everything learned from pioneers such as Breedlove, to 763.055MPH – breaking the sound barrier for the first time on land. Breedlove’s status in the history books are sealed, his achievements and records can never be taken away or tainted or disputed.
The wonderful story of this gladiator of motion is best summed up in a beautiful film, The Wildest Ride. Released in 1964, it follows Breedloves attempts and record run to be the first person to cross the 500MPH mark (you can watch the film for free on YouTube below).
Craig Breedlove, and the team behind Spirit of America, were true pioneers of their time. From all of the world, and all throughout the car world, he will be sorely missed. One of the final connections to those glory days of speed.
Over the weekend, a very special project arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars Suffolk HQ.
This Cobra project has been in the works for the past 30 years with its previous owner, but now the current owner has bought it to our Pettistree workshop to get the car working and fitted out before then moving onto the next phase of work.
We’re excited to get started on this Cobra and make sure you check out the Bridge Classic Cars news page for more on the Cobra project very soon.
Last night, we invited all of our Mini friends to come over to our Pettistree workshops for the live draw of our 1979 Austin Morris Mini in our Atelier building.
With the weather holding off, we opened the doors for everyone to come in with incredible woodfired pizzas from Picollo Pizza Box and the Atelier Bar serving everything from our Rijo42 Coffee to the always popular Adnams 0.5% range – Our friends had something in hand to listen to the amazing set by Annika Rands.
As the clock struck 7PM and the sun began to dip lower across the Suffolk countryside, it was time for us to find out who the lucky winner of our 1979 Austin Morris Mini was! Would it be someone in the room…
Molly and Freddie took our virtual friends are the Atelier through our Facebook live stream, going through some of the upcoming competition cars as well as some other exciting news about a very special Jaguar which you’ll find out more about very soon.
At 10 past 7, as always, the competition closes. This marks the point where fate and luck collide as we find a new home for a dream classic somewhere in the UK. With only a couple of hundred tickets remaining, Molly gathered everyone in the room a little closer and beckoned those behind a screen to edge forward on their seats.
As with every live draw, we wait until everyone (both in the room and on the web) can clearly see our screen loaded up with the Google Random Number Generator. After a quick test outside of the 1-4999 tickets, everything was in place to find the classic Mini a new home.
Molly carefully and precisely put the numbers in, 1 and 4999 for the generator to search through. With a drum roll and a countdown by everyone in the audience, Molly clicked the fateful button which has led to over 130 people winning through Bridge Classic Cars Competitions.
4027.
Those were the exact numbers that showed up bold and resolute on the screen.
That particular ticket had been part of a handful of tickets bought by Anthony Wardley – The new owner of our 1979 Austin Morris Mini 850.
Bridge Classic Cars are award winning Classic Car Restoration and Maintenance specialists. Your pride and joy is in safe hands with our expert Classic Car Technicians. Take a look at our awards here.
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