{"id":7997,"date":"2020-10-28T09:00:12","date_gmt":"2020-10-28T09:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/?p=7997"},"modified":"2024-09-12T10:19:53","modified_gmt":"2024-09-12T09:19:53","slug":"wizard-sports-classic-a-magnet-for-modern-classics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wizard-sports-classic-a-magnet-for-modern-classics\/","title":{"rendered":"Wizard Sports & Classic – A Magnet For Modern Classics"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pulling onto the farm\/industrial plot on the outskirts of Manchester Airport, we first wonder if we\u2019re in the right place. There are some buildings, some shrubbery, but not a lot else. We call Richard Foulkes, the owner and founder of Wizard Sports & Classic<\/a> at which point he emerges out of nowhere and enthusiastically directs us to his HQ, an unassuming building that at first glance seems like nothing more than a modern outbuilding for the surrounding, more obvious businesses.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Wizard,<\/p>\n

But as well we all know, the United Kingdom\u2019s classic car industry is full of places like this. Places you\u2019ve driven past three hundred times all while being none the wiser. These businesses usually don\u2019t need to shout about what they do from the roadside, not least because we live in a digital age where cars are bought and sold via the likes of Car & Classic. But even that digital showroom isn\u2019t the be all, end all. You need to have a solid reputation, and you need to have genuine, to the core enthusiasm for the cars. Happily, that\u2019s exactly what Richard has.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Life wasn\u2019t always about cars though, at least not professionally. Richard was in fact a chartered surveyor. It might not have been the dream, but it did gain him some access to it. He was able to buy a small group of cars, and live out his vehicular dreams. And then things, well, they snowballed a little.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Wizard,<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was never really a plan as such\u201d explains Richard. \u201cWizard sort of came around by accident due to having to take on a larger unit to store my own cars. It was a sort of, circumstantial coincidence!\u201d And with the larger unit, that\u2019s where things started to grow. You know how it goes, a mate of a mate, can they just store this, do you know anyone who has that, it\u2019s the way of cars. Cars beget more cars. Soon, Richard was doing enough deals to jump into Wizard fully and make it his actual job. Talk about living the dream.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m now able to focus on the cars that I know and love, the cars I enjoyed when I was a lad, the poster cars that I wanted when I was a kid and the \u2018dream company cars\u2019 I always wanted but perhaps didn\u2019t have the time or space for back when they were new! I\u2019m not the only one with these tastes, as is shown by the direction the market is heading. We all like to buy our dad\u2019s old cars, and for many of us now, they\u2019re cars of the \u201870s, \u201880s and \u201890s.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Wizard,<\/a><\/p>\n

But how has the landscape been? The classic car market is a busy, often changing place. \u201cIt\u2019s been incredible and dynamic\u201d says Richard, with his captivating enthusiasm. \u201cThe \u2018modern classic\u2019 has continued its meteoric rise as people move to more reliable and dependable cars to use for fun. The market changes and grows as time moves on, and tastes develop and trends occur. It\u2019s been a great fun industry to operate in, and it\u2019s only getting better.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And what have some of the highlights been, we ask? \u201cIt\u2019s so hard to choose, but I\u2019ll always have a major soft spot for BMW and Porsche models that come through, with the recent ALPINA and M Cars ranking pretty highly. Also, you can\u2019t mention Wizard without mentioning the Clio Williams or 106 Rallye (Wizard had <\/span>three<\/span><\/i> of the former in stock recently – Ed) and those two are right up there as well. Both are cars that can give you more fun than a supercar, with the same size grin, but for a fraction of the cost!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Wizard,<\/p>\n

What about any hot tips of cars to watch? What does Richard suggest we all keep an eye on? He ponders, and then comes up with some interesting insight. \u201cThe Jeep Cherokee XJ<\/a> has stormed into the picture in recent months, so that one deserves a mention. An early Saab 99 Turbo, Volvos of the \u201880\/90s are such a nice place to be and are finding a dedicated following, but only coming from long-term cherished ownership examples.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnything cherished with good history is worth investing in. If there\u2019s a car your dad had, that\u2019s now thin on the ground, then one of those\u2026 whatever it might be, that\u2019s the way the market works, we buy our dad\u2019s old cars!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Wizard,<\/p>\n

\u201cOther than your dad\u2019s car, keep an eye on the MK1 Audi TT, special edition Range Rovers and anything boxy. But keep an open mind about anything that\u2019s clean, tidy and looked after. No matter how clever you might think you are, we can\u2019t always predict which cars are going to rocket and which ones are going to stagnate.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, there is the digital side of things. Many classic car outlets are bafflingly hesitant to embrace the digital world, seeing it as a necessary evil rather than a brilliant, exciting tool. Of course, Richard and Wizard are very much in the latter camp. \u201cWe\u2019ve always been keen on posting photos of what we consider interesting, irrespective of price. It\u2019s grounded in passion. We want to share what we love, so Instagram and Facebook are just a means to share the enthusiasm we have for the cars. We\u2019ve got a small (but growing) team of enthusiasts and tech savvy people working with us, and that passion and genuine interest shines through. We just love cars and bikes so if we have something to say, we want you to hear it!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Have a look at the impressive stock at Wizard Sports & Classic.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pulling onto the farm\/industrial plot on the outskirts of Manchester Airport, we first wonder if we\u2019re in the right place. There are some buildings, some shrubbery, but not a lot…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":8002,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[819],"tags":[15,45,963,13,11,61,2406,363,14,214,16,2407,122,2405,2403,2404],"yoast_head":"\nWizard Sports & Classic - A Magnet For Modern Classics<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Head to the outskirts of Manchester Airport, you\u2019ll find a unit full of all manner of wonderful machinery that you can own. 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