So besotted with this car is the owner that, when asked if he would sell it for something ULEZ-compliant, Tiffin replied: “I’d just convert it to electric.”
BMW 840Ci
A total of £30,000 has been lavished on this car by devoted owner Lukas Wagel, who has had an affinity with the E31 BMW 8 Series since he first saw one on a seaside holiday during his childhood.
His car, an Individual-spec 840Ci, is almost completely new underneath, with a new engine, new suspension, refurbished alloys and near-perfect rubber seals that on their own cost thousands of pounds. The refurbished 8 was about two years in the making (and seven months’ waiting for parts), and selling it would never cross Wagel’s mind.
Supercharged Mini Mayfair
What was once an “absolute rot-box” (owner’s words) is now a supercharged, 130bhp sub-tonne rocket with all the luxuries you’d expect of a Mayfair. When it was found in a less than favourable condition it had holes in some panels, rust in others and both in most, but every piece has since been replaced or repaired.
And the changes aren’t just skin-deep. The front and rear subframes have been rebuilt and powder-coated, and four-piston brakes are fitted at the front. The engine has been bored out from 1275cc to 1293cc, with a high-lift camshaft upping the power and redline, along with forged pushrods and a supercharger. This means it now sends 130bhp and 125lb ft to the front wheels, which is a fair old helping in a car that weighs, according to its owner, around 700kg.
Lancia Flavia
This Lancia Flavia was found by the owner as a non-runner on eBay, after it had been sitting neglected for years with its engine distinctly absent. Among other issues its paintwork was in disarray, having been resprayed at least six times over its 51-year life.
But the owner, who has had maybe 10 Beta coupés, three Monte Carlos, two Spiders and one Flavia prior to this one, knows Lancias like he knows his dog. So he understood how to make it shine again, giving it a thorough respray in the original colour and an equally thorough interior deep clean.