The real world masterpieces

John Simister gets under the skin of six classics that are now officially ‘historic’

Whoever decided that drivers should have either practicality or performance clearly lacked vision. For much of its existence the estate car or stationwagon was just a practical workhorse. Aside from o

The exquisitely detailed 1927 Rolls-Royce ‘Phantom of Love’ captured Best in Show at the Concours of Elegance, held at Hampton Court Palace from 5-7 September. Commissioned by Woolworth’s financial di

Price new: From £18,950 Price now: £16,000-25,000 Engine: 1.8-litre, four-cylinder petrol Gearbox: Fivespeed manual Power/torque: 118bhp/165Nm 0-60mph: 5.8 seconds Top speed: 126mph HAD Lotus not come

BMW’s reincarnation of the storied Mini hatchback is the ideal choice for any savvy shopper on the hunt for a fun, warmed-up supermini. Fine handling, precise steering and a torquey 1.6-litre engine c

Alfasud designer Giorgetto Giugiaro was given carte blanche by Volkswagen to design the Golf, the Italian chosen because he’d studied manufacturing methods. The car entered production with minimal cha