Sam Grange Bailey (The Old Car Lady) sits down with Tim Ashworth of Stockley Classics for a proper trip down memory lane and a clear-eyed look at where the classic car market is right now. Tim is a Mini and Metro specialist with decades in the trade, and this one covers a lot of ground.

They dig into growing up with cars in the 70s. The colours, the trim levels, the Sunday morning rituals and the dads who kept the family motor running with nothing but a tool bag and a bit of nerve. Tim’s mum had a succession of Minis. His dad pulled an engine change on the drive the night before a Monday morning work run. Sound familiar?

From the Citroen CX to the VW Golf to the Range Rover, they build a shared top five defining cars of the 70s and argue about why the BMW E21 and the Rover SD1 deserve to be on the list. There is also the era’s extraordinary colour palettes, the social significance of trim levels, and why peacocking over your company car was an Olympic sport.

Tim also gives his take on the classic car market today. It’s tough, some pricing reconciliation is still needed, but the club scene is thriving and he’s quietly optimistic. Plus what he’s got on the forecourt right now . He’s also got a Ford Street Ka on the forecourt that he reckons is a future classic hiding in plain sight.

Minis, Metros and the Family Car Route: Tim’s mum ran Minis through the 60s and 70s. His dad tackled a full engine change on the driveway the night before work. A shared conversation about the cars families actually drove, and what it meant to keep them going.

The Lost Art of Loving Your Car: Sam and Tim make the case that something has gone. When you saved up for your first car, to the penny, you looked after it, washed it and made it your own. Leasing and monthly payments have made buying a car too easy, and the emotional attachment has gone with it.

Top Five Cars of the 70s: The VW Golf. The Rover SD1. The Citroen CX. The BMW E21. The Range Rover. Sam and Tim build their list and defend every entry, with plenty of honourable mentions for the cars that just missed the cut.

Colour, Trim and the Peacocking Rep: 70s cars came in Pageant Blue, Citron Yellow, Russet Brown. Your trim level told people exactly where you stood in the pecking order. Tim and Sam on why that vibrancy has gone from modern motoring, and why the classic car buyer still cares deeply about it.

The Market Right Now: Tim is honest: there are too many cars chasing too few buyers and some pricing still needs to come down. But the club scene is thriving, the community is strong, and he thinks this summer could be the start of a quiet renaissance, especially for good sub-£20k cars.

Why Mini restorations now cost £20-25k and why that maths rarely works as a business. How to know when to stop spending on a project car and why ‘used and improved’ often sells better than a full restoration. Why 70s cars are far more colour and trim sensitive than their modern counterparts. What makes the classic car club scene the market’s biggest long-term asset. Why the Ford Street Ka is worth putting on your radar right now. And why the generation that financed their cars on monthly payments may never develop the same emotional relationship with them that we did.

• Is the classic car restoration business a viable one? Tim’s view is clear. If you’re spending £20k to get £20k back, you’ve wasted your time. The maths only works if you’re doing it for love or if you know exactly when to stop.
• Has the next generation lost its connection to cars? Both Tim and Sam think so and worry about what that means for the classic car market in 20 years. The buyers who’ll hanker after a 90s hot hatch when they’re 50 may be fewer than the trade hopes.
• What does the classic car market actually need right now? Tim’s answer is realistic pricing, credible ethical trading, an

Join Sam Grange Bailey (The Old Car Lady) for Part 2 of her conversation with James Harding from Chop's Garage. If Part 1 was about how James got into the trade, this one is about what it's actually like to live in it.

James explains why he puts his full margin on show, what he paid, what he spent on prep, what's left in his pocket, and why that transparency has made him more trusted, not less. They get into consumer law, warranty claims on cars with 30,000 post-sale miles on them, and why the next generation of classic car buyers might be the trade's biggest headache yet.

He also lifts the lid on car raffles: no VAT, no Consumer Rights Act liability, and the potential to make four times the retail margin. He's raised over £30k for charity doing it. He thinks the window is closing.

Plus a proper nostalgia detour via Talbot Sambars, bump starts, and the lost art of caring about your key ring.

Featured Stories

The Transparent Dealer: James tells customers exactly what he paid, what prep cost and what he's pocketed. Some dealers hate it. His subscribers love it.

Consumer Law and the Classic Car Problem: A six-month implied warranty on a 40-year-old car is a recipe for misery. Sam and James ask whether the next generation of buyers will ever get why the rules need to be different.

The Raffle Loophole: No VAT, no Consumer Rights Act, four times the retail margin. James has raised over £30k for charity doing it and he's pretty sure it won't last.

First Cars and the Bump Start: A Talbot Samba’s with a brick for a handbrake. A Midget nursed along with a plank and a mallet. Two people who learned to drive in cars that genuinely hurt when they went wrong.

Mileage, Markets and the E-Type Question: James would put his money in a V10 BMW M5. Sam wonders who's queuing up for a £500k Cosworth when the people who wanted them are done with them.

What You'll Learn

Why showing your margins online can make customers trust you more, not less. How VAT on the gross works and why it still shocks people. Why a six-month consumer rights claim on a classic car is a completely different beast to the same claim on a nearly new hatchback. How car raffles work, why they're currently tax and liability free, and why that's probably on borrowed time. Why a motorway-mile 120,000-miler might be in better shape than a Devon-lanes 60,000-miler. And why the classic car market's generational problem is more urgent than most people in the trade want to admit.

Key Questions

• Does showing your margins actually help you sell cars? James says yes, unequivocally. Subscribers who've watched him buy, prep and price a car come back and buy it precisely because they trust him.
• Should a classic car buyer expect the same rights as someone buying a new TV? Legally they have them. In practice both Sam and James think applying modern consumer expectations to a 40-year-old car is a disaster for everyone.
• Is the car raffle model sustainable? James doubts it. Right now it's VAT-free and exempt from the Consumer Rights Act because it's legally a gift. He thinks that won't last, but for now the numbers are compelling.

A Nod To

Chop's Garage on YouTube, where James documents the full reality of life as a car dealer. CG Car Sales, James's retail forecourt in Devon. Next week Tim Ashworth from Stockley Classics joins Sam to talk Metros and the state of the classic trade.

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Sam heads to the NEC in Birmingham for the Classic Car & Restoration Show, joining forces with Richy Barnett — Market Editor at Classic Car Weekly — to walk the Iconic Auctioneers sale floor and put their money where their mouths are on six cars that caught their eye. From a rare lilac Morris Minor Million to a first-gen Firebird and a gorgeously sinister Daimler Sovereign, they predict the hammer prices — then go back to find out how close they got. Along the way, Sam catches up with Frank from Pegasus Classics, who's fitting a Rover V8 into a Jensen Healey live on the show stand, and bumps into returning podcast guest Anthony Kersley for a passionate case in favour of the criminally underrated Rover SD1.

FEATURED

• The Morris Minor 1 Million — One of only around 100 made to mark the millionth Morris Minor — lilac, white leather, and deeply specialist. Sam wins her bet when it sells for £12,600.
• The '69 Pontiac Firebird — A first-generation Pontiac with a full photographic restoration file on a known shunt. Big V8 energy, but it narrowly misses its guide at £19,125.
• The Daimler Sovereign 4.2 — A Juniper Green Series II coupé dripping in atmosphere — but a tough market means it comes in under estimate at £17,437.
• Frank's Jensen Healey Restomod — Frank from Pegasus Classics built his Jensen Healey from two wrecks and found a Rover V8 on a sheep farm for £350. He's fitting the cylinder head live at the show — but wisely trailering it home.
• Anthony Kersley on the Rover SD1 — Returning guest and Channel 4 Handcuffed star Anthony Kersley makes the passionate case that the Rover SD1 is a world-beater undone by industrial politics — and still extraordinary value today.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• Why the Morris Minor 1 Million is a deeply specialist buy — and who's actually likely to be bidding
• How declared saleroom notices work and why auction house transparency protects everyone
• Why the Rover SD1 is one of Britain's most underrated classics — and exactly what to look for when buying one
• How to build a Jensen Healey restomod on a genuine shoestring (£350 Rover V8 optional but recommended)
• Why the classic car demographic shift is quietly changing which cars are considered cool again
• There is no such thing as a cheap Rolls-Royce — but an SZ Series Spirit at £10–15k might be the last great bargain in prestige classics

KEY QUESTIONS

Can you predict auction hammer prices with any real accuracy?

Sometimes — Sam and Richie get a few right and call a few badly wrong. The market for specialist cars like the Morris Minor 1 Million is particularly hard to read because buyer pools are small, emotionally driven, and often invisible until the gavel falls.

Should a saleroom notice put you off bidding?

Not necessarily — but it will move the price. Transparency at auction is a positive for everyone. A declared fault protects both buyer and seller from post-sale disputes, as seen with both the Hillman Hunter Restomod and the Lancia Beta Montecarlo Spider, both of which stalled under estimate because of declared gearbox issues.

Is the Rover SD1 finally having its moment?

Anthony Kersley thinks it absolutely should be. The very best examples are touching £35k but cost £50–70k to restore properly — and most serious owners simply won't sell. A presentable driver can still be found for around £15k, representing genuine value for a car that was genuinely ahead of its time.

A NOD TO

• Richie Barnett — Market Editor, Classic Car Weekly
• Frank, Pegasus Classics — Jensen Owners Club stand, NEC
• Anthony Kersley — Auto Couture / star of Channel 4 Handcuffed (Episode 1 available now; Part 2 coming soon)
• Iconic Auctioneers — Classic car auction at the NEC
• The NEC Classic Car & Restora

Join Sam Grange Bailey (The Old Car Lady) for Part 1 of her conversation with James Harding from Chops Garage, a modern car dealer with a classic car soul. This episode is a must-listen for anyone who's ever dreamed of jacking in the corporate 9-to-5 to follow their passion. James tells the story of how, at 38, he walked away from a career as a national sales manager to start fixing and selling Fiat 500s from a rented garage bay.

James gives a brutally honest insight into the realities of being a modern car dealer, from the public's "Del Boy" perception to the nightmare of consumer law. He explains why he'd rather sell a simple £4,000 Hyundai i10 than a complex modern car with a razor-thin margin and huge potential repair bills. It's a fascinating look at the pressures and pitfalls of the modern motor trade.

Featured Stories

The Corporate Burnout - How zoning out in board meetings thinking about welding an MGB made him realise he had to quit his sales manager job.

The Leap of Faith - With a £12k payout and his wife's encouragement, he swapped his suit for a boiler suit and started his own car business.

The Fiat 500 Years - Started by buying crash-damaged Fiat 500s from Copart and doing them up himself.

The Silver Shadow Saga - Recounts the story of selling a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow to a buyer who spent an entire day inspecting it in a boiler suit, only to then demand an independent inspection.

What You'll Learn

How a childhood memory of a Citroën CX 25 GTI in France sparked a lifelong obsession with cars.

Why he believes the public's perception of car dealers is completely at odds with the reality of consumer law.

How the VAT margin scheme can leave dealers with a huge tax bill even if they make no real profit on a car.

Why he refuses to do distance sales after getting badly burned.

Why he thinks simpler, older-tech modern cars (like the Hyundai i10) are a safer bet for dealers than complex, feature-laden new models.

Key Questions

Is it possible to make a living selling cheap cars?James argues that while the margins are smaller, the risk is far lower. He focuses on simple cars that are built like older models (cable clutch, timing chain) which are cheap and easy to fix, avoiding the huge repair bills associated with modern complex cars.

How has consumer law affected the motor trade?James and Sam discuss how the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which applies the same rules to a 60-year-old classic as a new TV, puts immense pressure on dealers. The 30-day right to reject and the assumption of a fault being present at the point of sale for up to six months makes selling used cars, especially older ones, a minefield.

A Nod to

Chops Garage on YouTube - Where James documents his life as a car dealer.

Mad Mike from Wales - A classic car dealer who pre-filters customers by telling them his cars were "shit when they were new".

Get in touch

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Produced By Worth A Listen Productions

Join Sam Grange Bailey (The Old Car Lady) for her conversation with Anthony Kearsley, a well-known classic car collector, star of Channel 4's 'Handcuffed', and owner of Auto Couture. This episode charts Anthony's incredible journey from selling Austin Maestros in the Lake District to dealing with the rich and famous at Jack Barclay in London.

Anthony shares hilarious and often unbelievable stories from his early days, including blowing up a customer's Metro, accidentally selling a Fiat X1/9 to a 17-year-old with no finance checks, and getting sacked for being "no good" at the job. We hear how his grandmother saved the day, landing him a new job at a BMW dealership and setting him on a path that would eventually lead to Seattle, where he famously sold Bill Gates an Audi instead of a Porsche 911!

Featured Stories

The Austin Maestro Launch - Started his career on the launch night of the Maestro in 1983.

The Blown-Up Metro - Mistook a customer's car for a demonstrator and thrashed it to Preston and back, blowing the engine.

The £3.5m Handshake - Shook on a deal to buy a Honda dealership for £3.5m with only £100k in the bank.

The £50k Rolls-Royce Cushions - A famous client complained her new Rolls-Royce Seraph seats were too hard. After two attempts and £50,000 spent on softer stuffing, Anthony finally told her what "hard" really was.

What You'll Learn

How a childhood spent selling imaginary cars in his uncle's Citroën dealership set the stage for a life in the motor trade.

Why having assets doesn't mean you have cash.

What it was like working in the US motor trade in the 90s (pure Pendle system).

How he turned down the Starbucks franchise for the UK in 1989.

Why he was ostracised by colleagues when he joined the Rolls-Royce division.

Key Questions

What was it like selling cars in the 1980s? It was a different world. Strict sales territories meant you couldn't sell to someone outside your area without permission. Cars were going up in value, and the launch of a new model like the Austin Maestro was a huge event. There was a real ceremony to the August 1st registration change.

Who were some of your most memorable customers at Jack Barclay? Shirley Bassey, Cilla Black (hard work!), Princess Margaret (horrendous), the Dalai Lama (who asked for a taxi), and Julio Iglesias. Anthony learned that with very powerful people, you must stand up to them and not be starstruck.

A Nod to

Pilkington's of Bolton - His family's BL, Peugeot & Citroën dealership.

Rayrigg Motors - His first job selling Austin Rover.

Bateman BMW Windermere - His second job, where he fell in love with BMWs.

Jack Barclay, London - Where his Rolls-Royce & Bentley career took off.

Auto Couture - His current business: autocouture.co.uk.

Get in Touch

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Join Sam Grange Bailey (The Old Car Lady) for Part 2 of her conversation with Simon Hope, co-founder of H&H Classic Auctions. This episode centres on one of the most interesting stories in recent classic car auction history: the sale of Richard Colton's Ferrari 250 GT SWB and 275 GTB with proceeds to the RNLI, raising £10 million in a single sale for the charity. Simon also shares his thoughts on auction transparency, how to buy at auction like a dealer, and his exciting new venture Hope Classics.

Simon explains how he won the Ferrari pitch against Bonhams, why he waived his commission, and how the sale transformed the Ferrari short wheelbase market overnight. We also discuss historic racing, why the people you race with matter more than the car, and how to get into single seater racing without getting a bum steer.

Featured Stories

The RNLI Ferrari Sale - Ferrari 250 GT SWB sold for £6.6m, 275 GTB for £1.9m, nearly £10m to the RNLI

Lotus 49 at Buxton - Valued at £250k when rivals said £50-100k, sold for £367,000

The Man Who Bought Blind - NCA dealer who stood with his back to the car and bid with one hand

The Jacket That Lost the Job - Simon wore a flamboyant striped jacket to a pitch and lost the consignment

What You'll Learn

How Simon pitched against Bonhams and won the RNLI Ferrari consignment

Why he waived commission on £10m worth of cars

How the Ferrari SWB sale changed the market overnight for comparable cars

Why auction records are useful but dangerous if used as the only reference

How to buy at auction with three prices in mind

Why a car's file and history can be 50% of its value

How to get into historic racing without being taken advantage of

What Hope Classics offers and how Simon can help buyers and sellers

Key Questions

How do you value a classic car for auction?

History and file are as important as the car itself. Sam works with three prices: the best she can get with the wind behind him, what she'd be happy with, and the minimum she needs to get out. Always factor in buyer's premium before bidding. Never rely solely on auction records as a price guide because condition, color, and provenance can swing values dramatically.

What is Hope Classics?

Simon's new venture at hopeclassics.co.uk offers free advice on which auction house to use for your particular car. He can also help buyers find specific cars, especially rare single seaters and historic race cars. His time is chargeable for more detailed consultancy, but the initial guidance is free.

What's the secret to getting into historic racing?

Choose the people you race with carefully. The team looking after your car should be the best available regardless of whether you like them. But the people you spend the day with, share the dinners and drinks with, and experience the whole event with, they need to be the right fit. Networking into the right circles first is essential.

A Nod to

Richard Colton - Owner of the RNLI Ferrari collectionRNLI - Received nearly £10m, the largest single donation in their historyDK Engineering - Sold a comparable Ferrari the same day the Colton car hammeredAdam Singer - Bought the Bentley 3-litre at Buxton, did the Peking to Paris with SimonHope Classics - hopeclassics.co.uk

Get in Touch

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#SimonHope #HHClassics #Ferrari250GT #RNLI #HopeClassics #HistoricRacing #ClassicCarAuctions #PekingToParis #Lotus49 #TheOldCarLady #ClassicCarMarket

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Join Sam Grange Bailey (The Old Car Lady) for Part 1 of an in-depth conversation with Simon Hope, one of the Hs behind H&H Classic Auctions. With over 40 years in the auction world, Simon shares stories from his auctioneering career that started in the late 1980s, including setting up H&H with Mark Hamilton in 1993 and hammering a 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB for £6.6 million in 2015 (still a world record for a steel short wheelbase).

This episode explores how Simon went from buying antiques at 12 years old to running one of the UK's most respected classic car auction houses. We discuss consumer protection laws for classic cars, MOT exemptions, auction fees, and why you want an ascending or descending market but never a plateau. Simon explains why dealers are essential to auction houses, the importance of lot order, and his philosophy: "People buy from people."

What You'll Learn

• How Simon started auctioneering at 12 buying antique job lots
• Why he walked into car auctions after running salvage auctions
• Setting up Hamptons first classic car auction in November 1989
• The 1989 market crash and Japanese buyers committing harakiri
• Why H&H started with 5% buyer and seller fees (revolutionary at the time)
• Finding Buxton Pavilion Gardens for £8 for four days
• Why auction houses prefer ascending or descending markets, never plateaus
• The importance of 80% sell-through rates vs industry standard 40%
• Why consumer protection laws don't work for 60-year-old classics
• Should classic cars have mandatory safety checks?

Key Questions

Should classic cars be exempt from MOTs?

Simon believes most classic car owners are responsible and check their cars regularly. The people who'd abuse the system aren't following the law anyway. He MOTs his Rolls-Royce Silver Shadows every 2-3 years for structural integrity because his kids ride in them, but it doesn't need to be an official MOT certificate.

Do consumer protection laws work for classic cars?

"Total bloody nonsense bollocks." Treating a 60-year-old Cadillac the same as a Currys fridge freezer doesn't work. The laws protect buyers from bad sellers, but bad sellers will be bad anyway. Good sellers get caught in the crossfire. Classic cars need ring-fenced consumer protection that protects both buyer and seller.

Why do auction houses prefer moving markets?

"Earn on the turn." Whether prices go up or down, auctions facilitate transactions. On a plateau, if a car's worth £20k, you can't get £22k plus premium because five dealers have it at £20k. Descending markets bring more cars (people offloading) but lower commissions. Ascending markets are numerically better, but both work better than stagnant.

A Nod to

H&H Classic Auctions

National Car Auctions

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Join Sam Grange Bailey (The Old Car Lady) for a special auction episode recorded on Friday 13th February 2026, predicting results for Manor Park Classics' sale the following day.

Sam goes through her shortlist from a dealer's perspective, estimating hammer prices, then reveals actual results with insights from Jim Gregory (Sales Director at Manor Park Classics) and Richy Barnett (Markets Editor for Classic Car Weekly).

This episode explores where the classic car market is heading in 2026. From a £5,750 Rover P6 V8 to a £10,350 Jaguar XJS that smashed estimates, Sam analyses what sold, what didn't, and why. We discuss the death of E-Type values, the rise of modern classics (1980s-2000s), and whether XK8s will leapfrog XJS as the affordable Jaguar.

Featured Cars & Results

• Rover P6 3500 V8 (1972) - Mexico brown, single family ownership, sold £5,750
• Triumph TR7 Drophead (1981) - 30k miles, hammered £6,400
• TVR S2 (1989) - British Racing Green, sold £6,900
• Bentley Arnage Red Label (2000) - 146k miles, £31k service history, bargain at £8,280
• Jaguar XJS 4.0 (1995) - Guided £5.5-6.5k, smashed estimate at £10,350
• Mercedes 560 SEC (1989) - Sold £20,460
• BMW 328i Sport (1998) - Sold £7,590
• Alfa Romeo 156 - Sold £8,500, having a moment

What You'll Learn

• Why service history matters with higher mileage cars and why high mileage cars can be a better bet than low mileage.
• How to spot auction bargains (Bentley Arnage at £8,280)
• Why E-Types have fallen and won't bounce back
• The sweet spot: £7-25k for monthly sales, £50-100k struggling
• Why 1980s-2000s modern classics are the hot decade
• How finance deals put exotic cars everywhere
• Why leggy but maintained cars beat garage queens
• The importance of MOTs even on exempt cars

Key Questions

What's hot and what's not in 2026?

Hot: Modern classics (1980s-2000s BMWs, Japanese cars), Porsche Boxsters/Caymans, XJS straight-sixes, TR7s, Alfa 156s. Not: Pre-war to 1950s British cars, E-Types fallen and won't recover, £50-100k cars struggling. The market shifted from cash buyers to finance deals making exotics accessible to everyone.

Are XJS values finally rising?

Yes! The £10,350 XJS (guided £5.5-6.5k) proves the market is waking up. Jim Gregory and Richie Barnett agree they're having a moment. Question: will XK8s leapfrog them as the affordable Jaguar, or will XJS become the E-Type successor?

What makes a good auction buy?

Single-family ownership, full service history, current MOT (even if exempt), regular use, original spec, right colors. Avoid: cars needing recommissioning, anecdotal mileage, wrong colors (beige Mercedes 190E didn't sell despite being perfect), high estimates leaving no trade margin.

A Nod to

Manor Park Classics Runcorn Cheshire

Jim Gregory and Richy Barnett.

Get in Touch

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