Top Ten Winter-Proof Classics

Winter is coming. With the leaves turning brown, nights drawing in, and cold weather heading our way, the classic motoring season is nearing an end. Or is it? As we all know, classic cars benefit from regular exercise; they do no good to stand around for extended periods.

However, the fact remains that not all classics are suitable for year-round use. Rust is your greatest enemy, and a British winter brings damp, mud, and worst of all, salt. It may provide much-needed traction, but gritting lorries have shortened the life of many a car by speeding the onset of corrosion. So put that Alfasud away!

You’re probably not going to want a traditional sports car either. Sure, a quick spin out in a British convertible on a bright frosty morning with Smiths heater running, tonneau tightly fastened, and bobble hat firmly ensconced on head, is one of life’s simple pleasures. However, the fact remains that the typical UK winter is mainly dark and soggy, so something a tad more sensible is probably in order. With this criterion in mind, we’ve put together this list of our Top Ten Winter-Proof Classics.

1) Audi Quattro

The Audi Quattro made its debut in rallying in 1981, changing the sport forever. Jensen had experimented with the ‘Ferguson Formula’ during the late 1960s, but Audi was the first manufacturer to make people take notice of permanent four-wheel drive in a performance car. Almost overnight, rear-wheel drive was practically redundant in WRC. This success on the rally stage, particularly on gravel and snow, translated to strong sales in road cars.

The Quattro system was derived from the Volkswagen Type 131 Iltis, and development trials were carried out in the deep snows of Finland. One of the few pre-traction control cars you can trust to take care of you in even the slipperiest of conditions, the Quattro featured three differentials, of which the centre and rear could both be locked manually.

Beautifully built and genuinely reliable, it’s no small wonder Audi Quattros make superb winter-proof classics.

2) Volvo 240

The Swedes know a thing or two about preparing for cold weather. The Volvo 240 is a case in point. Affordable, simple to maintain, safe, durable and practical, 240s are ideal no-nonsense winter-proof classics. They may not be particularly quick or glamorous, but these old Volvos will put up with just about anything you can throw at them. Their unabashedly brick-like silhouette has earned the 240 a cult following; it’s the car that’s most synonymous with the Volvo brand. Over 2.8 million were built between 1974 and 1993, with many still in use on the roads today.

The 240 series set new safety standards by introducing crumple zones, reinforced door beams, and three-point seatbelts for all occupants. Late examples, including the basic Torslanda, featured vastly improved corrosion protection with numerous panels galvanised. If your Christmas plans involve lugging friends, family and presents on visits your relatives, a Volvo 240 is the obvious choice.

3) Volkswagen Beetle

“Have you ever wondered how the man who drives a snowplough drives to the snowplough?” Well, according to the old TV commercial, he drives a Volkswagen.

With its weight biased over the driven wheels, the Volkswagen Beetle is astoundingly good off-road. Still a fixture of trials events, Baja racing, and forming the basis for the legendary beach buggy, Volkswagen Beetles certainly have what it takes to handle a British winter.

During the Second World War, the German Wehrmacht proved that the rear-wheel drive, (Beetle-based) Kübelwagen was often better-suited to adverse terrain than the US Willys Jeep. Its flat floorpan slid over mud and snow, while the low overall mass and low-torque engine prevented loss of traction.

Since Beetles are air-cooled, you won’t encounter issues with cracked blocks or radiator leaks caused by the expansion of freezing fluids. Conversely, this can mean the Beetle’s heater can be a bit rubbish, so be sure to keep an extra jumper on the back seat if you do plan to make an air-cooled VW your pick of the winter-proof classics.

4) Land Rover Series

Here at Car & Classic, we like to use classic cars all year round. That’s why several members of our team own Series Land Rovers. It goes without saying that these quintessential British 4x4s possess excellent all-terrain ability, easily capable of taking a British winter in their stride.

With bodywork fashioned from the aluminium alloy “Birmabright”, Land Rovers boast an impressive level of corrosion resistance straight out of the box. “But what about the chassis?!” I hear you cry. Well, galvanised replacements are readily available and increasingly common. Pair that with a galvanised bulkhead and you’ve got a winter-proof Land Rover that’ll shrug off the muddiest and saltiest of roads. Even with the standard mild steel chassis, regular anti-rust treatment and washing after use will go a long way to keeping an old Landy in good shape. Even if you do have a problem, repairs to its simple ladder frame are fairly straightforward.

Don’t lock your Series away for the Winter. Use your Land Rover for its intended purpose and you’ll be amazed at how well it performs.

5) Reliant Scimitar

“Princess Anne had one of tho…” Yeah, we know.

We’re sure HRH valued the Scimitar’s rust-immune fibreglass bodywork. It’s certainly the main reason that this quirky car makes our list of winter-proof classics. Late examples of GTEs and GTCs also came with galvanised chassis, greatly improving corrosion-resistance.

With Ford’s Essex V6 under the bonnet, the Scimitar offers an engaging drive and the GTE model boasts impressive practicality thanks to its innovative shooting brake design. They’re still pretty affordable, too.

Look upon the Scimitar not just as a great winter driver, but as a great all-year-round ‘one classic fits all’ solution.

6) Saab 900

The second Swedish car to feature on this list, the Saab 900 is another vehicle purpose-built for colder climes. Front wheel drive is a great choice in situations where traction is paramount, and the Saab 900 was renowned in its day for its sure-footedness, solid build quality and safety. It was also among the earliest cars to offer heated seats, so you’ll not be left shivering. Turbo models are quick, so take care with the loud pedal if you do plan to drive your 900 in adverse conditions.

Rust is the biggest issue. Saab 900s are known to corrode badly in the doors, driveshaft tunnels, front crossmember, sills, jacking points, wheel arches – just about anywhere really… That said, a well-maintained example should last just about as long as most cars from this era. In any case, the other qualities that make the 900 one of the great winter-proof classics should be more than enough reason for it to be included in our top ten.

7) Austin 7

Take a look at the VSCC events calendar and you’ll note owners of vintage cars don’t tend to park them up over winter. The sport of trialling is as synonymous with the British countryside in winter as grouse shooting. Pre-dating the development of the 4×4, manufacturers of regular road cars cared a great deal about off-road performance, and many owners were putting their motor cars to the test in amateur competition as soon as they left the showroom.

The most common pre-war classic you’ll find in any trials event? It has to be the Austin 7.

Hailed as the first modern motorcar, the 7 is thought to have been largely responsible for standardising the pedal arrangement still used today. Its narrow A Frame chassis allowed the car to be small, relatively agile and, therefore, exceedingly drivable even by modern standards.

Ultra-light and fitted with comically narrow tyres, an Austin 7 would skip across snow drifts with impunity. Whether you should, is another matter. As with any car of this age, one needs to take great care and perhaps avoid the nastiest conditions. But, by all means continue to exercise your Austin over the winter months.

8) Citroën 2CV

Want to humble people in their two-ton SUVs? Overtake them in your thirty horsepower Citroën 2CV as they spin their wheels in vain on a cold winter’s morning.

Developed in secret during the Second World War and intended to get French farmers off pony traps and into cars, the 2CV was all about functionality. The sheer simplicity of the France’s “Deux Chevaux” earns it a place on our list. Like the Beetle, the 2CV is air-cooled, and it places the engine over the driven wheels. This coupled with clever suspension and a kerb weight of well under a ton ensures the 2CV is exceedingly capable in low-traction situations.

Fibreglass wings are a common upgrade when the originals inevitably succumb to tin worm, and galvanised chassis are available for those who who choose to make a 2CV their winter warrior.

9) Volkswagen Golf

We can never decide which we prefer. 205 or Golf? But one thing we do know is that only one is truly winter-proof, and it isn’t the Peugeot.

Launched in 1974 as a replacement for the long-lived Beetle, Giugiaro’s Volkswagen Golf holds a strong claim to being the greatest front-wheel drive hatchback of all time. Golfs just work. It’ll start when it’s minus four outside, it’ll drive well no matter the conditions, the heater will work, and there are unlikely to be any nasty surprises when the annual service bill comes around. A Golf is a car you can trust, and there’s a lot to be said for that so far as year-round motoring is concerned.

Rust issues are common, but a well-maintained example will stand the test of time far better than many classics of this vintage thanks to the Golf’s typically Teutonic build quality.

10) Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon

Undoubtably the single most capable car on this list, the Geländewagen’s four-wheel drive system was developed by legendary Austrian firm Steyr Puch. There has arguably never been a more proficient off-roader, so it’ll take the comparatively tame British winter all in its stride.

The G-Wagon project is sometimes credited to the Shah of Iran, who was a significant shareholder in Mercedes-Benz during the early ‘70s. Testing was performed in the German coalfields, the Sahara Desert, and within the Arctic Circle. Originally built for military and commercial use, the G-Wagon soon gained traction in the civilian market at the same time the Range Rover was also taking off. This was the start of the SUV era. Little did we know how popular this genre of vehicle would become.

For those in search of the ultimate in winter-proof classics, the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon is practically unbeatable.