Classics World

There's been a lot of talk among the Classics World team about new cars recently – partly because some of us are in the market, but also because we've been impressed by a number of new releases. Manufacturers seem to have realised that cashing in on heritage and leaning on retro design cues is a recipe for success, and we're fans of the approach. Renault picked up where MINI left off with its new all-electric 5, a car that has captured the imagination of buyers and journalists alike. Like the MINI, it manages to appeal both to those who remember driving the original and younger buyers looking for cheap(ish), stylish transport. Renault also took a page out of BMW's MINI playbook with the introduction of the new Alpine A290, a…

Kelsey Media has launched its classic show line-up for 2025, with a stellar selection of events catering for a wide range of enthusiasts. The season gets underway on March 23 with VolksWorld Show, the popular annual celebration of Beetles, Karmann Ghias, T1/T2 campers and buses, plus all other air-cooled Volkswagens. For 2025, the show will take up residence at its new home at the South of England Showground in West Sussex, a spacious venue with a great combination of indoor and outdoor space. Expect displays, club stands, the famous international swapmeet and trade exhibitors, plus the inaugural VolksWorld Concours Collection for the very best VWs. See classicsworld.co.uk/volksworld-show for tickets and full details. The South of England Showground will also host the Classic Ford Show on May 11 – Europe's largest…

The Ford Focus has retained its position as the UK's most scrapped car, with 2024 marking its eighth consecutive year at the top of the list. Data from Scrap Car Comparison revealed that the Focus accounted for 6.3 per cent of all scrapped vehicles last year. Close behind, the Vauxhall Astra claimed second place with 5.6 per cent, followed by the Vauxhall Corsa at 4.8 per cent and the Fiesta at 4.4 per cent. These cars were some of the biggest sellers in the 2000s and 2010s, but are now starting to disappear. The Volkswagen Golf, Renault Clio and Vauxhall Zafira occupied fifth, six and seventh places respectively, and notably, the MINI hatch climbed to eighth place having first appeared on the list two years ago. Meanwhile, the Peugeot 207…

As well as much-needed peace for a beleaguered nation, Donald Trump's vow to end the war in Ukraine might provide a glimmer of hope for fans of the Lada Niva, one of the very few truly functional off-road vehicles left in production. Although the Niva name was transferred to a more modern design in 1998 under General Motors involvement, the original car – renamed Niva Legend in 2021 – remained in production and indeed has been manufactured ever since. Official imports to the UK ended in the mid ‘90s but more recently Mark Key at Lada4x4.co.uk was importing the car here, until sanctions against Russia finally forced an end to sales in 2023. You might have thought that with Russia's economy struggling and sanctions making manufacturing difficult that the 48-year…

After eight successful years of encouraging the next generation of classic enthusiasts, the Classic Car Loan Project (CCLP) has been rebranded for its next chapter. Borrow A Classic was launched at the FBHVC's Club Expo event at the British Motor Museum on January 18, with the invitation to become involved now extended to more clubs. The scheme was launched back in 2016 to provide selected drivers with a unique chance to live with a classic car for a whole year, free of charge save for insurance. There have been over 100 participants during that time, and around 25 of them have gone on to buy their own classic as a result of their experience. Applicants for the scheme normally have to be at least 25 years old with a full…

Our sister title Motorsport News will celebrate its 70th anniversary in style at Race Retro on 21-23 February, with a world-famous Jaguar D-Type set to take centre stage on the long-running weekly's display stand at the Stoneleigh venue. The car in question is a shortnose Jaguar D-Type prototype, pictured here at the MIRA test track in 1955 with Jaguar aerodynamicist Malcolm Sayer and test driver Norman Dewis. It's at the show to represent Jaguar's Le Mans win in 1955, the same year that Motorsport News was launched, originally called Motoring News. When Motorsport News first published in July 1955, Winston Churchill was Prime Minister, ITV had just flickered onto our screens and James Dean was making the girls swoon in Rebel Without a Cause. In the motorsport world, besides Jaguar…