Video Vault – Christmas Day Classic Car Marathon

Hopefully as you read this, you have opened all your presents (did you get anything that we suggested?) and you’ll also be full of turkey and mince pies. If you’re looking at this first thing in the morning, hopefully you have all of that to come later in the day. And what a busy day it will be. But don’t get bogged down in the stress of it all. Soon, it’ll be the afternoon, the sun will be going down and it’ll be time to chill out in front of the telly. Probably while you think about having a turkey sandwich, because let’s face it, you’re going to be eating turkey for the next week. Going back to the telly, rather than watching repeats, or the same old Christmas specials, how about a video or five from us here at Car & Classic?

We’ve made the odd video in the past, and as 2022 rolls into view, we plan to make a lot more. In fact, 2022 is going to be a very busy year for video. Until we get going with that though, enjoy what we’ve done in the past. There are barn finds, farm finds, old vans and even some rare supercars. Something to hopefully whet every motoring whistle. We hope you enjoy, and from all of us here at Car & Classic, we wish you a merry Christmas and the happiest of New Years.

1) Triumph Barn Finds

In our most recent video, we were granted access to a frankly staggering collection of cars and parts. In fact, while the six cars were indeed excellent, it was the parts that stole the show. The owner, passionate about Triumph cars, has amassed tens of thousands of new old stock parts. Steering wheels, grilles, new dashboard wood kits, gauges, mechanical parts, panels, the list goes on. It is a true treasure trove of parts, and proof that genuine, real deal barn finds are indeed out there.

2) The Lotus Carlton

No need to get dirt under your fingernails for this one. This magnificent Lotus Carlton was mint. Now sold via our auction platform, we spent a day with this motoring icon so we could better understand just what made it so special. Our man on the ground, Alex Goy, wrestled with the turbocharged beast and had a whale of a time doing so. We’re really proud of this one, as the presenting and the camerawork are top notch. To get to show the world a glorious Lotus Carlton? Well, that’s priceless.

3) Farm Find Transit

Back to the forgotten stuff now, and something with a Ford badge at that. In the Jaguar video (below) our man Chris and presenter, Jonny Smith, found an old Mk2 Ford Transit being reclaimed by the weeds. There was no way the lads could forget about such a thing though, and so a few months later they went back to dig it out. Not only that, they also got the old 2.5DI engine running, if only for a moment. The Transit has now been sold and is being restored, but only because we dug it out and saved it!

4) Farm Find Jaguar 

There wasn’t really an objective for this one. We knew there was a Jaguar there, a Mk7 or Mk8, but we didn’t know what sort of state it was in. It was quite literally parked up over forty years ago, and had been left on the same remote farm ever since. Untouched completely, no vandals, nobody nicking parts. Just left, to return to the earth. We went along to dig it out (the farm was being cleared) and in doing so, went on a historical journey of just what happens to a car over forty years. It was a wreck, of course. And it’ll never live again. But under the failing body and mouldy trim, the chassis and engine were not as bad as you might think.

5) Bullitt Mustang 

When Ford‘s press office sent us a brand new Bullitt Mustang to play with, there was no way we were going to pass up the opportunity to slide into Steve McQueen’s shoes. Though instead of San Francisco we had Avonmouth, just around the back of the water treatment facility. And we didn’t have a Dodge Charger, but we did have a GT86, so make a film we did. And of course, we reviewed the car. And what a car. Sure, it’s modern now, but this V8 bruiser with its green paint, Recaro seats, auto throttle blips and line lock is definitely going to be a classic one day. Brilliant, brilliant car.