The classic car world is riding the crest of a great wave of popularity right now. Never before has there been such public interest in classics. Classic car meets, shows and events are on the increase and there are now an increasing number of tv shows dedicated to the classic car scene. There has also been a big rise in attendances at auctions across the country, with long time enthusiasts being joined by new comers, all hunting for that great classic car find. At the top end of the market prices have been going through the roof over the last few years due to the rising numbers of investments in “blue chip” cars. This has had the effect of pushing prices up across the board, making it much harder for the less affluent enthusiast to get involved. This is where the new Classic Car Auctions (CCA) have stepped in.

CCA’s aim is to sell affordable classics or what they call “Everyman Classics”. Established by the team from Silverstones Auctions, CCA want to bring a renewed energy to the classic car auction scene and make the process of buying and selling a classic, as easy and simple as possible. Six auctions are planned for 2015 with the first kicking off on 3rd March 2015.

One of the first things we liked when we checked out CCA’s web site was the thought that went into it’s design. Here at Take to the Road, we find it very frustrating the way certain auction houses have very poorly designed websites and put in zero to little effort when listing a car on their site. As enthusiasts and prospective buyers, when we are searching for a car we want to know as much information as possible. That means details on important items such as mileage, mot, service history, photographs etc. This is where CCA have excelled with their online lot design. Each lot is broken down into a series of very helpful sections which clearly describe the car on offer. Each listing starts with an introduction from CCA and includes a points score which is linked to a Condition Report. The car is given a star rating, which contributes to the overall points tally of the report. Cars can score a maximum of 135 points which covers the following:

• Exterior
• Interior
• Engine
• Transmission
• Running Gear
• Electrics
• Vehicle History

The star rating is a really nice touch and is a quick way of seeing how well a car scores, giving you an indication of it’s over all condition. We really like this.

Added to this, the very helpful Lot Details section means that you can tell the make and model of the car, it’s year of registration including the number, mileage, engine size, and the mot expiry. So at a glance, you can quickly scan the cars details and find out exactly what you need to know. It’s all very simple really but this is how it should be done. We actually find it a refreshing approach and coupled with a clean and crisp well designed website, Classic Car Auctions will definitely be the auction house to watch in 2015.

Our pick from the March Auction – 1972 Opel GT 1.9 estimate £10,500 – £11,500

We couldn’t really do a feature on CCA and not have a look at one of the cars on offer. Of the 43 lots submitted for the March auction, the 1972 Opel GT stands out for us. We’ve always had a soft spot for the German marques 1970’s sports car. It combined Corvette like looks with a hint of Ferrari and thanks to great handling and a 1.9ltr engine, it proved to be a very capable GT car. The model on offer from ACA is a 1972 Conrero tribute car that scores 75/135 according to the Condition Report. It’s said to have been restored over a six year period costing £21,000. The mechanical upgrades list sounds impressive and should make this a very quick racer. The report mentions that the interior needs attention which is evident from the photos. However the bulk of the hard work has been done and it wouldn’t take much to finish this car off. We just love the look of the Opel GT. They are a very rare sight on UK roads, fun to drive and are real head turners. It will be interesting to see how much this one goes for.

Click here to visit Classic Car Auctions website.