Whilst the idea of having classic car style and character with modernised mechanicals and better reliability is all the rage these days among 'restomod' and custom car builders, the practice is in fact far from new. During the 1970s and ‘80s there were small companies offering specialist cars with 1930s-inspired looks over new or much more recent hardware, and Beauford is one of them. 

Based in Stoke-on-Trent, they sold cars in kit form for owners to assemble at home. Initially using Ford Cortina suspension before switching to Sierra parts when the latter model was launched, a Beauford is a fibreglass main body over a ladder chassis with a choice of several different engines to fit.

The example you see here is powered by a two-litre Nissan ‘L20’ straight-six, an engine platform used extensively in Nissan’s saloons ranging from the Cedric taxi to the Skyline 2000 and even appearing in the original Japanese-market Fairlady Z sports car (export-market cars had the larger 2.4-litre ‘L24’, hence the name 240Z elsewhere). As such, it offers a splendid combination of perfectly balanced smoothness and Japanese reliability, whether you use the car to parade slowly with newlyweds in the back – as is often the way with Beaufords – or want to take it touring regardless of marital status.

Simple to look after, reliable and endlessly characterful, it will make even regular driving feel like a special event.

The Beauford body is fibreglass in the main, with metal alloy bonnet and door panels. All of it has aged very well, including the two-tone paintwork that better highlights the flowing lines of the wheel arch flares and running boards. The doors are not limited in their movement, meaning they can fold all the way back to better allow ingress and egress for, say, someone in a big white dress. Only the kerbside rear door hinges show any sign of corrosion – something most of the body is impervious to anyway – and even the metal side-opening double bonnet remains in excellent condition. This straight-six powered Beauford does without the four dummy exhaust pipes you sometimes see poking out of the bonnet on these cars, which is a win for fans of authenticity, while the front fenders carry a spare wire wheel each, all in superb condition.

For sunny days, the roof, secured by poppers from the B-pillar backwards, can be un-popped and folded all the way back, leaving only a covering over the driver and front passenger for a ‘landaulet’ configuration. Stored in the wooden box above the rear bumper is a leather tonneau cover with a sunburst motif stitched into it to visually bring the point home. The convertible roof is unblemished, taut and folds up onto the back just as it should.

The seller notes that currently the car doesn’t lock, which hasn’t been a problem while it has been stored in a secure warehouse but would be worth fixing for peace of mind.

In a car like this, the rear is the place to start when considering the interior. A cream-coloured leather love seat beckons you in, while your feet sink into shag pile carpet so thick and fluffy it feels like you should take your shoes off. Attached to the backrest on the front seats is a wooden rack for a complimentary bottle of champagne and a pair of glasses in which to enjoy it. Underneath the fluffy floor mats, the maroon carpeting looks practically untouched. The cream-coloured door cards, topped in wood veneer, don’t let the side down either.

Up front, the carpets are in no worse condition, protected as they are from shoes by some more practical aftermarket floor mats than the shag pile in the back. The chauffeur is given the vintage presentation as well thanks to a wood-rimmed Moto-Lita steering wheel and wood-veneer dashboard – oh and storage of essentials is achieved by a stuck-on wicker basket to complete the charming look. The front two seats are trimmed the same as the rears, although the driver’s seat is just starting to lose its shape a little bit around the door-side portion of the squab. The headlining on the front of the roof remains taut but shows a line of discolouration across it. Fundamentally though, the interior is in fine shape all around.

Bidders should note that the speedometer is not currently working. The seller has traced the problem to the magnetic, propshaft-directed system itself rather than the Smiths gauge on the dash.  All other interior functions are reported to be in good order

The ’82 Beauford qualifies for MOT exemption, but its use by the seller as a wedding car for their business means that it has had to have a valid MOT anyway, so its condition has been routinely checked throughout the current ownership. The history details by the car’s accompanying paperwork paints the picture of a car that has wanted for very little throughout its life, which given that it has hardly covered 20,000 miles in 41 years and is generally driven gently and smoothly when newlyweds are in the back, makes a fair amount of sense.

During its time in the seller’s care it has only needed minor parts like wiper blades and a hot air blower replacing, although the most recent MOT advises about minor wear to the front suspension bushes. Out on the road, the seller reports that the car drives like a dream, running smooth and never kicking up a fuss. The twin horns also do a fine job of getting people out of the way!