We’re looking back on the past 12 months of ups and downs across our collective fleet of classics, and handing out some prizes to this year’s big winners (and losers)
THE BEST NEW PURCHASE
This one was hotly contested. There have been several new additions to the fleet this year, two of which also feature, albeit for different awards.
Richard McCann fulfilled a lifelong ambition to own an Aston Martin V8, while Andy Talbot scratched an itch that saw him become the proud owner of an American-spec Volkswagen Type 181 ‘Thing’. His wasn’t the only VW making an appearance in these pages for the first time, though, with Content Editor James Peene introducing not one but two Beetles.
Then there was the 100 Avant that Audi connoisseur Keith Adams welcomed to the fleet. However, there could be only one winner here, not necessarily because it is exceptional – although, that said, it is a very nice example – but for what its owner has done with it since he bought it. No classic on our collective fleet has had as busier year with quite so many highlights as Jesse’s MG Midget.
Since purchasing his Inca Yellow 1500 in Anglia Car Auctions’ January sale, Jesse has taken his baby sports car on track during the Silverstone Festival, down to the New Forest, up to the Lake District and even found time to tackle the London to Brighton Classic Car Run. And aside from that one time when he forgot to fill it up with petrol (we’ve all been there) it’s taken every one of its many adventures in its stride. We can’t wait to see what the pair get up to next year.
THE BEST ADVENTURE
Not every car that the CCW team collectively owns is a classic. Some of us have dailies that are only a few years old while others are a bit more borderline. Take Jesse’s third-generation Suzuki Jimny, for example; now 15 years old and definitely out of production, is it nevertheless old enough to be considered a classic? In short, yes, especially after its 850-mile round epic to transport Jesse and Managing Editor James Sadlier to this year’s L
