Classics on the Common is the UK’s biggest mid-week car show. Anything goes at this eclectic event, from Fords to Ferraris, and nearly 1,000 classics and supercars are on display.

The show is also right on the doorstep of Motoring Research in Harpenden, Hertfordshire so – with the mercury edging towards the mid-30s – we left the cool of our air-conditioned office to find the fastest, rarest and quirkiest cars. Join us for a guided tour.

A pony and a bug

This photo captures the diversity of Classics on Common. On the left is a perfectly preserved 1966 Ford Mustang, the American Dream in chrome and steel. On the right, a roof-chopped Volkswagen Beetle with wire wheels, cycle wings and custom suspension. Both look brilliant fun in the sun.

Opel and fruity

Here’s a rarity. The Monza was a coupe version of the Opel/Vauxhall Senator saloon, with svelte styling and – in flagship GSE guide – Recaro seats, a digital dashboard and a limited-slip differential. Power comes from a 3.0-litre straight-six, which serves up 180hp and 0-60mph in 8.9 seconds.

Classics and supercars basking in the summer sun☀️#classicsonthecommon #harpendenclassics pic.twitter.com/KeLPFfcqpS

— Motoring Research (@Editorial_MR) July 24, 2019

Baby shark

Remember when BMWs looked good? If you’re appalled by gigantic grilles and outtamyway coupe SUVs, this classic ‘E21’ 3 Series is a welcome tonic. Its slender pillars and shark-nose grille are sporty, elegant and understated. This range-topping 323i packs a fuel-injected 140hp 2.3-litre six.

Things that make you go Mmmm…

A little showier, but this BMW certainly fits the ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’ brief. The original ‘E30’ M3 is a true homologation special; a road car built to meet Touring Car racing requirements. Its four-cylinder engine makes a modest 200hp (or thereabouts, depending on spec), but its beautifully balanced chassis is the headline act. Also, any car with box-flared wheelarches gets a huge thumbs-up from us.

Prancing horse power

Super saloons don’t come more subtle – or indeed special – than the Lancia Thema 8.32. Beneath that boxy bonnet is a genuine Ferrari V8, shared with the 308 and Mondial. With 215hp, it will blast to 62mph in 7.2 seconds and reach 149mph, all while cosseting its passengers in Alcantara-lined luxury. Cooler than a prancing horse? We reckon so.

Reach for the Skyline

We’ve only driven the ‘R32’ Nissan Skyline GT-R in the virtual world – on Gran Turismo, of course – but the real thing is infinitely cooler. Its turbocharged engine was limited to 280hp by the Japanese ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ of the time, but could be tuned beyond 1,000hp. No wonder it was nicknamed ‘Godzilla’.

God bless America

The new C8 is the Corvette on everyone’s lips at the moment, but this C1 is the genesis of the fibreglass American hero. Launched in 1953, it originally came with a straight-six engine. The small block (and big block) V8s came later, as did the iconic ‘Sting Ray’ name and styling for the C2. From humble beginnings…

Manic in the middle

Displayed by our friends at Bell Sports and Classic, this incredible Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer borrows its engine from a 512 BB LM racer. You can tell it’s no standard 512 by the König bodywork and engine snorkels feeding the 12 individual trumpets for the flat-12 engine. Watch out on those width-restrictors, though.

Fire up the Quattro

There’s a certain spit, warble and whoosh that can only mean one thing: there are Audi Quattros in our midst. Short of wheelbase and squat of stance, these compact coupes were immortalised on rally stages by the likes of Hannu Mikkola, Stig Blomqvist and Walter Röhrl. The Quattro changed rallying forever, thanks to four-wheel-drive and five-pot turbo power.

Drop those doors

The BMW Z1 is one of the rarest and most undervalued modern classics. It’s more famous for its doors than being the first of the BMW Z-car breed. Speaking of those doors, no, they’re not missing: they drop vertically downwards into the sills. Its engine and many other parts are shared with the contemporary ‘E30’ 325i.

Flying Lotus

The Daily Mail newspaper famously called for the Vauxhall Lotus Carlton to be banned, saying its 176mph top speed was too high for Britain’s roads. The outwardly-subtle saloon could keep pace with a Ferrari Testarossa, and just 950 were made. Ironically, its 382hp output is bettered by several hot hatchbacks today.

Lighter than light

The Lotus Elan inspired Mazda to make the MX-5. It’s the quintessential lightweight sports car, with looks as dainty as its size suggests. With a Lotus twin-cam ‘big valve’ engine, it packed up to 126hp – quite enough in a fibreglass machine weighing 600kg. This Elan wears the iconic colours of the 1969 Gold Leaf Lotus 49 F1 racer.

Utility to luxury

The Range Rover was originally designed to be as utilitarian as any other Land Rover, including a hose-down interior. As it grew older, and two extra doors, it blossomed into a luxury SUV that continues to define the breed. Today, the original is a bona fide classic.

Chairman of the broad

This Renault 5 has some extensive but pretty cool modifications. We’re pretty sure it’s a GT Turbo and it’s got what looks like a Dimma bodykit, including those delicious dished wheels. Finished in liquid yellow, it also has decals from more recent Renault Sport Clio and Megane models. It’s even got a Clio 197 Cup rear wing. A blast from the past.

Mokey dokey

When is a Mini not a Mini? When it’s a Mini Moke. Directly translated, ‘Moke’ is an old term for a donkey. And that pretty much sums up why the Moke exists. Don’t let the lack of armour plating fool you, the Moke was originally earmarked for military service. Although it looks like a post-sale kit car, it was actually designed alongside the normal Mini, as a rival to the Land Rover.

Alfa bravo

How lovely is this original Alfa Romeo GTV 6? That bonnet bulge is needed to clear the 2.5-litre fuel-injected SOHC V6, while its fishnet headrests are pure retro cool. The GTV also won the European Touring Car Championship four years in a row, proving it wasn’t just a pretty face.

Bucking mule

The Ferrari 348 is the least appreciated mid-engined Berlinetta, forever in the shadow of the F355. In recent years, however, it’s become more fashionable – Testarossa side strakes and all. They’re still one of the cheapest Ferraris to buy, which is why they’ve been chosen by resto-modder Evoluto as a base for its upcoming project.

Super ’Stang

Not quite classic, but certainly not common, this Ford Mustang GT500 was one of the last before the current generation came along. It’s a Shelby with a supercharged 5.4-litre V8 pushing out 550hp – still through a live rear axle. In later facelifted configurations, power reached 680hp from a near-bespoke 5.8 V8. Quite potent, then.

Nine six phwoar

Turbocharging transformed the Porsche 911 into a supercar, and never more so than in ‘964’ guise. The last of the rear-wheel-drive Turbos isn’t quite the widowmaker its reputation suggests, but it’s still a handful on wet roads. Thankfully, it’s the hottest day of the year…

Nearly 100 years since the birth of the original company, The Alvis Car Company has extended its range of continuation cars.

Using components stored in crates for over 50 years, two chassis and six body derivates will be built – and five cars are destined for Japan.

Alan Stote, owner of The Alvis Car Company, said: “Our models are, literally, what Alvis would have created had it not halted production for over 50 years.

“The factory had planned to build 150 4.3-litre chassis in 1938. As the site suffered serious damage by bombing in 1940, only 73 chassis were completed, so we will continue that series, with new chassis, built to the original drawings.”

100 percent road-legal

Prior to the Second World War, Alvis was one of the country’s leading car manufacturers. The Coventry-based firm developed a reputation for innovation and quality engineering, producing cars to rival the pre-eminent luxury manufacturers of the time.

Not afraid to push boundaries, Alvis was the first carmaker to design and race a front-wheel-drive model, the first to develop an all-synchromesh gearbox, and the first to start working on a British car with independent front suspension.

Now, using original chassis and engine blocks unused since production stopped in 1968, The Alvis Car Company is extending its Continuation Series.

Unlike some other continuation cars, however, Alvis has worked with the Driver Vehicle and Standards Agency (DVSA) to ensure that its cars are 100 percent road-legal.

It will take 4,000 to 5,000 hours to build each car at the Kenilworth Works service and restoration centre, where the chassis, engine blocks and original components have been stored in crates.

The 3-litre models will be available with a choice of Super Coupe, Cabriolet and Drop Head Coupe body styles, while Bertelli Sports Coupe, Lancefield Concealed Hood and Vanden Plas Tourer bodies are available with the 4.3-litre version.

Options include automatic transmission and power steering on the 3-litre models, with air conditioning, upgraded audio systems and servo-assisted brakes available across the range. A three-year warranty comes as standard.

Turning Japanese

Thanks to fuel injection and modern engine management electronics, the Alvis continuation cars meet legislation in a number of markets, including Japan. 

The Alvis Car Company has signed a deal with Meiji Sangyo to allow the Tokyo-based company to act as its exclusive dealer for the whole of Asia. Meiji Sangyo was the main agent for Alvis in the 1950s.

“It underlines the enduring appeal of our cars that Meiji Sangyo wanted to be our distributor in the Far East. Knowing how quality is appreciated in Japan, our agreement with Meiji Sangyo is a huge recognition of our values,” said Stote.

There’s no word on price, but if you have to ask…

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The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has hit back at reports criticising a decade-low driving test pass rate.

There are claims that the pass rate – which has slumped to 45.8 percent – is due to a new parallel parking manoeuvre, introduced in 2017.

During the driving test, the examiner will ask the learner to perform one of three reversing exercises. Media reports have singled out one specific manoeuvre, the requirement to pull up on the right-hand side of the road, reverse for around two car lengths, and rejoin the traffic.

Rob Harper, chair of the Association of Approved Driving Instructors told The Telegraph: “I think it’s a dangerous manoeuvre and so do many of my members.

“We have had lots of complaints from instructors, learner drivers and from members of the public, who aren’t used to seeing people doing it.”

But the DVSA has slammed the media reports, saying that learner drivers make fewer serious and dangerous faults on the ‘pull up on the right’ manoeuvre compared to other reversing exercises.

The top reasons for failing the driving test are actually failing to look properly at junctions and not using mirrors effectively when changing direction.

‘A lifetime of safe driving’

Mark Winn, DVSA’s chief driving examiner, said: “DVSA’s priority is to help everyone through a lifetime of safe driving.

“Candidates should only attempt their test when they’ve gained a broad range of experience and are ready to drive safely and independently.

“Anyone who fails their driving test has to wait at least 10 working days to take another. This ensures the candidate has time to undergo additional training and improve any faults noted by the examiner before they take their test again.”

The driving test was revamped in December 2017 to “make the test more reflective of real-life driving”.

The DVSA says that it doesn’t recommend that a driver always pulls up on the right; the best practice is to pull up on the left.

“It’s far safer for new drivers to be taught this legal manoeuvre by a driving instructor, rather than leaving it to chance once they’ve passed their test,” it says.

Volkswagen has announced a new digital platform aimed at making the process of buying a new van easier for customers.  

Those that use a van for work everyday are likely to be short on time, and trips to dealerships eat into important business hours. 

The answer is the new Contract Hire Direct service, allowing commercial vehicle customers to deal directly with Volkswagen UK.

The new process will allow buyers to find a van that meets their needs, tailor a finance package, and then apply for contract hire or lease online through the website. 

Volkswagen promises that the deals available from VW Financial Services will prove to be good value, and customisable based upon mileage and customer deposit size.

Even after ordering, there is still no need to actually head to a local Volkswagen Van Centre. Customers can request for their new van or pickup to be delivered directly to their door instead. 

With more than 80 percent of new vehicle customers beginning their research online, extending the process to include actual purchasing is a logical extension. 

Sarah Cox, Head of Marketing for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said: “The typical customer journey has changed and we are excited to be launching this new system via our award-winning website to keep up with the demand.

“As part of our Working With You promise, we’re committed to evolving our services to meet the ever-changing needs and requirements of the modern-day business, and we would expect to see more direct sales options coming on line in future.”

The automotive world has been whipped into a frenzy about the radical new mid-engined 2020 C8 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. 

However, if you are of the firm belief that a Corvette should only be front-engined, then the forthcoming Mecum Harrisburg auction is for you.

More than 1,200 vehicles will cross the block in the epic four day event, held at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex. 

Amongst them are representatives from almost all of the previous classic Corvette generations, including the ones we have picked out below.

1954 C1 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster

What better place to start than with an early example of the first-generation Corvette. With 1954 marking the first full year of ‘Vette production, more than 3,600 rolled off the production line.

Details on this exact car heading for sale are slim. The modest ‘Blue Flame’ inline-six engine and two-speed automatic gearbox, as fitted when new, are both present though. A Polo White exterior is complemented by a red interior, both of which look to be in great condition.

Whilst it may not be the fastest Corvette, an early C1 is where the legend began. 

1957 C1 Chevrolet Corvette Fuelie

If you want your C1 Corvette with an extra dose of performance, this car features the fuel-injected 283-cubic inch V-8 engine with 250 horsepower. It represents one of just 484 ‘Vettes sold in 1957 with the fuelie motor. 

Other technical highlights include the rare four-speed manual transmission, combined with the optional Positraction differential. Wide whitewall rubber, and a hardtop, are also included. 

Painted in distinctive Venetian Red, this C1 forms part of the Todd Werner Collection up for sale in Harrisburg. It should also be noted that this car won was an AACA National Senior Award winner in 2015. 

1967 C2 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible L88

This Corvette is so collectable that Mecum Auctions have produced a special booklet to explain the significance of it. Fame comes from the fact this was the first C2 Corvette to be fitted with the legendary ROP L88 option – meaning the 427-cubic inch V-8 engine lurks beneath the hood. 

Casually rated with an output of 430 horsepower, the L88 was a thinly disguised racing engine, with the true performance estimated to be much higher. It made this particular car the perfect foundation for Tony DeLorenzo to go sports car racing.

DeLorenzo would go on to become one of the most successful Corvette racers, and won the 1967 SCCA National D Production Championship with this car. In later years it has won countless show awards, and stands as a serious piece of Corvette history.  

1969 C3 Chevrolet Corvette Baldwin Motion Phase III GT

One of just ten created by Motion Performance, this ultra-rare C3 also features an, albeit modified, 427-cubic inch engine under the customized bodywork.

The black and gold color scheme, recessed headlights, and even Shelby-esque air scoops made this a distinctive machine. Aggressive side-exit exhausts complete the visual overhaul, with a black interior also part of the package. 

Featured on the cover of ‘Supercar Magazine’ in 1970, this ‘Vette has also appeared in a book documenting the history of Baldwin-Motion. As part of the Todd Werner Collection, a host of important documents – including the NCRS Shipping Data Report – come with the car.  

1978 C3 Chevrolet Corvette Pace Car Edition

With more than 6,500 built, the 1978 Limited Edition Pace Car replica accounted for a sizeable percentage of Corvette production that year. But few will have covered the miniscule mileage that this example has clocked up in four decades. 

Just 48 miles have rolled beneath the original Goodyear GT tires, whilst the passenger window still wears the original sales sticker and EPA information. It means the Indy 500 decals look like new, and that the silver leather trim appears untouched.

Chevrolet loaded the Pace Car Edition with options, including air conditioning, power windows, and an AM/FM radio featuring an eight-track tape player. Whoever buys this example is likely to place it into storage, preserving the incredible low mileage. 

1987 C4 Chevrolet Corvette Callaway Twin Turbo

Callaway Twin Turbo versions of the C4 Corvette have become the stuff of legend, and Mecum Harrisburg features one of just 65 convertible examples sold during 1987. This marked the first year customers could tick the ‘B2K’ option when buying a ‘Vette.

Callaway would then add a pair of turbochargers to the 5.7-liter V-8 engine, boosting output to an impressive 345 horsepower. As an official Chevrolet-approved conversion, the factory warranty still remained intact. 

Owned by just one person since new, this Callaway Corvette has covered 17,000 miles. It wears a set of 16-inch Dymag wheels, which were offered solely for the 1987 model year. 

1993 C4 Chevrolet Corvette 40th Anniversary

Never one to miss out on a special edition, Chevrolet celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Corvette in style for 1993. Enter ‘Ruby Red’ paintwork, a matching Ruby Red leather, plus extra emblems attached to the car. 

Although this car appears to be missing the special Ruby Red wheel centers, it does at least represents a Corvette that has been used. A total of 63,000 miles are recorded on the odometer, with this car featuring the 300 horsepower LT1 5.7-liter V-8 engine and automatic transmission.

This 40th Anniversary Corvette could make for a usable collector car, especially given the rising interest in cars from the late 1980s and early 1990s. 

2003 C5 Chevrolet Corvette 50th Anniversary

Jump forward a decade and General Motors had dusted off the birthday celebration playbook for the fifth-generation of the Corvette. Marking a half-century of production was done with ‘Anniversary Red’ paintwork, which looked remarkably similar to the C4’s Ruby Red hue.

The alloy wheels were painted in ‘Warm Nickel Metallic’, whilst the optional magnetic Selective Ride Control suspension also appears on this car. Finished in two-tone shale leather, the interior includes a Heads-Up display and dual-zone climate control.

Producing 350 horsepower, the LS1 5.7-liter V-8 is connected to a six-speed manual transmission. A top speed of 175 mph beckons, and this car has covered some 50,000 miles from new. 

2011 C6 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

We’ve saved the best until last for our selection, and this immaculate 2011 ZR1 is certainly worth waiting for. Despite the massive performance on offer, somehow the owner of this C6 ‘Vette has accumulated a tiny mileage in eight years.

The supercharged LS6 6.2-liter V-8 engine offers 638 horsepower, creating the ultimate performance Corvette at the time. A top speed of 205 mph, with 0-60 mph taking just 3.3 seconds. Carbon fiber bodywork, ceramic Brembo brakes, and six-speed manual transmission were all standard. 

When buying this ZR1 the owner picked the $10,000 Premium Package, and also added the optional chrome wheels and Crystal Red Metallic paintwork. It all makes for a deeply desirable sixth-generation Corvette.

The action at Mecum Harrisburg kicks off on Wednesday July 31st, and continues all the way to Saturday August 3rd. We expect there will be plenty of buyers adding a new Corvette to their garage over those four days.