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00:00On sale this week.
00:07Sunbeam Alpine. What a car. It's going to make a right car, isn't it?
00:11We don't know where the key for this car is.
00:13I'm hoping it's in here, but I've not been able to get in because of all this other stuff that's in here.
00:181983, damn this day, the sovereign.
00:21I know a lot of people are not going to like this and not going to agree with me, but motor dealers will.
00:26And we used to say an XJ6 is the best driving car on the road.
00:30It's the Aviva GT. Complete time warp. An unbelievably rewarding project for someone.
00:36Well, it says it all, isn't it? Owned by the current owner for 36 years. They are. You can tell straight away.
00:41I thought I'd do this for a living, didn't I, really?
00:43Mercedes Unimog. Here we go. Drove one of these as a kid.
00:47Got fond memories. I love them to bits. I think they're brilliant.
00:50You've driven up from Macclesfield this morning. I have.
00:53What's the journey like? Look at your cruise control.
00:55No, you've just got to have a big right foot.
00:59The Matthewsons, a dynasty of classic car auctioneers.
01:0455. The joys of an auction.
01:07Most people will go to a sale with something in mind, but come away with something different.
01:11The fun is the chase. We'll have a look and we'll advise you from there.
01:14You just don't know what's on the end of the phone, what you're going to find when you open them doors.
01:19This is a family's love affair with motors that have lived a life.
01:23Testing, testing.
01:25Most people will buy a car because they can relate to it.
01:28Maybe a car that dad had. You're selling dreams.
01:30Right, here we go.
01:31This sort of comes to us all. You get to an age, you get to a time in life, you've somehow run out of free time.
01:39You're definitely run out of enthusiasm and energy, I can assure you that.
01:42And too many vehicles then start to become a liability. Not a pleasure, a liability.
01:45So consequently, there are times that you just have to have a clear out.
01:48We've just got a couple of bikes to get out from up there. I think there's four or five to come down, I think.
01:54And they went up on that old pallet there. So they'll come down on that old pallet there, won't they?
01:57Yeah.
01:58So they'll come down on that old pallet there, won't they?
02:00Yeah.
02:01Yeah.
02:02Yeah.
02:03Yeah.
02:04Yeah.
02:05Yeah.
02:06Yeah.
02:07Yeah.
02:08Yeah.
02:09Yeah.
02:10Yeah.
02:11Yeah.
02:12Yeah.
02:13Yeah.
02:14Pallet there.
02:16Fancy grip system on the bottom of the ladder.
02:19It's a bit of gaffer tape that's nearly rubbed off.
02:22With a firm grip on health and safety,
02:24it's time for Derek to let go of the past.
02:27Yeah, you hang on to her.
02:30Gonna be forward a bit more yet, just to clear this.
02:34It is a big decision for guys like us, you know?
02:36It's a bit like selling one of the kids, you know?
02:39You have to think about it a bit first.
02:41Couldn't be easier, could it, really?
02:43It turns out that I think we've added up as 43, I think, all told.
02:47And they're gonna go.
02:48I mean, I haven't had me leg over one for five years, I should think.
02:52And I'm not over keen on the big, heavy ones anymore.
02:55For that reason, they're too big and they're too heavy.
02:58Shut up, dog.
03:00A mate of mine said, yeah, he said,
03:02you always feel better when you've got rid of a load of stuff.
03:04He said, it's a bit like constipation.
03:06He said, you know, you have a good clear out,
03:08and the next morning you feel different altogether.
03:11He's got a point, hasn't he?
03:13There's a 250 Peugeot, which is a really unusual little bike,
03:16a little four-stroke, which I fell in love with a long time ago and bought.
03:19Gerda Forts, rigid back end, real period 1930s machine,
03:23and a Peugeot, quite rare.
03:25Aerial arrow there, a golden arrow.
03:27Got a right hand of our grips as well.
03:29Look, red grips, as it should have, and all the rest of it.
03:31They're the bike we wanted as a kid.
03:33When I was 13, 14-year-old,
03:35and the 16-year-olds were riding around on one of them,
03:38we thought, we're going to have one of them.
03:40Oh, man.
03:41There were so many old pre-war and just post-war British bikes
03:45running about in London, of course, everywhere.
03:48Every street had a load of them.
03:49When you saw one of them, you thought,
03:51oh, this is like a spaceship, modern technology there.
03:54That thing there, that area, I've got no interest in it whatsoever,
03:57personally, I don't know why I've got it.
03:59But it's the era that I quite like.
04:01It's a BSA.
04:02It's an old version of an Empire Star, I believe.
04:05So it's sad to see that go, really.
04:07You do create an attachment to them, you do,
04:10because there's a story behind every one.
04:12And that's the sad bit, that it's almost like an end of an era.
04:16You've got to move on, and all eras come to an end.
04:18All good things come to an end.
04:21And I've got to face it,
04:22that my collection and bike collection days are over.
04:26Simple as that.
04:35Tomorrow, I've got a little road trip again.
04:37Who's going?
04:38Me and Rodders.
04:40What?
04:41I don't know.
04:42Charlie.
04:45So tomorrow, myself and...
04:47myself and Charles are going out to Northampton,
04:50where we're going to extract a Sunbeam Alpine and a Daimler Double Six,
04:55that have been in the garage for some time.
04:57So that one's a bit tricky, because I did street view it,
05:00and I'm not sure we can get the lorry in the drive.
05:02It's tight.
05:03So we'll be off by somewhere between five and half past tomorrow.
05:07Did you know that, Charlie?
05:08Yeah, I did.
05:09Oh, did you?
05:10Yeah, yeah.
05:11With an early start, we've got to get the truck prepped.
05:15So you can drive it in the yard?
05:16Yes.
05:17You can't drive it on the road because you're not holding up.
05:19Yes.
05:21And I'm not a capable enough driver, John.
05:24Even though you're some sort of world rally champion.
05:27No!
05:28Wrong person, that's Colin McRae.
05:30I have a lot of memories of this car when I was very young.
05:42Because if you ever saw another Sunbeam Alpine,
05:44you always used to flash your lights.
05:45I remember that quite vividly.
05:48In Northampton, Richard McGill is preparing to say farewell
05:52to two rather different cars.
05:55A 1960 Sunbeam Alpine
05:57and a 1983 Daimler Sovereign.
06:00Both belong to his late father,
06:02an aircraft engineer who dabbled in antique dealing.
06:07He was an engineer on Comet's VC-10s.
06:10He ended up as a flight engineer on 747 Jumbos.
06:14The flight engineer is the person who basically controls the engines.
06:18They don't exist anymore, it's just a computer these days,
06:21but he was one of the last generation of human flight engineers.
06:27Did your dad tend to collect?
06:30Yes.
06:31When I opened the boot of the Daimler,
06:33there was a 19th century Japanese doll's house in parts,
06:37in boxes there, which I had to kind of assemble,
06:39which was rather ridiculous.
06:41My dad bought the Alpine, I think probably in about 1970.
06:48It's never been out of the garage since about 1973, I'm afraid,
06:51which is why it's in the state it's in here, which is rather dusty
06:54and the tyre's very flat to the ground.
06:57As you can see, it's got a hard top, but the hard top comes off.
07:00When we were out in it, it was always with the hard top off
07:02and the soft top down.
07:04It was always sunny days.
07:05It always came with a hard top.
07:07I think these on their own are quite valuable, I think.
07:09Quite rare, obviously, because most sunbeams, you see,
07:11will just have the soft top.
07:13I think this is probably quite hard to make a new one.
07:15My dad really loved it.
07:17I suppose one of the first kind of things he bought for sheer pleasure,
07:20really, when he was an engineer.
07:22The Roots Group's answer to the MGA and the MGB,
07:28the Alpine was known for its rally car speeds and stylish good looks,
07:33with a wrap-around windscreen, wind-up windows,
07:36retractable hood and plush interior.
07:40Styled by the Americans and characterised by a pair of flashy fins,
07:44this was all about the aesthetic, not the aerodynamics.
07:48The Alpine was unlikely to blast you into orbit,
07:51but roof down, this nifty two-seater would require a headscarf and hat.
07:57But before Bond put Aston Martin on screen,
08:00007's vehicle of choice was a Lakewood Blue Sunbeam Alpine Series 2,
08:05driven by Sean Connery and Dr No on location in Jamaica
08:08and sealing its 60s Brit-style legacy.
08:16If you look inside the car, there's the remains of a second engine,
08:20so I'm guessing there's that kind of issue.
08:23I suspect it may have been that it just, you know,
08:26he'd found a problem with it and then it just never got fixed.
08:29We've got, I think, a gearbox here.
08:33I think that's a gear stick there. All sorts of stuff.
08:39We've also got another window from the back, the same as this.
08:42We don't know where the key for this car is.
08:44I'm hoping it's in here, but I've not been able to get in
08:46because of all this other stuff that's in here.
08:48The Daimler's got keys, the Sunbeam we're not sure,
08:51so hopefully once we're in here and we're clearing this stuff out,
08:54it'll be in the ignition.
08:56I suppose the Daimler's a more niche thing
09:00because it's not got that sexy-cool aspect of the Jaguar.
09:03I suppose it's kind of like a Jaguar minus the sex appeal, I guess.
09:06It's got this really, really pristine Connelly leather in it
09:09and this beautiful walnut dash.
09:12It's nice seeing kind of analogue dashboards these days
09:15with so many different dials.
09:17We're not heavy on dials in cars these days.
09:20It's got quite an early computer in,
09:22but all it really would do is tell you
09:24how many miles per gallon you were doing,
09:26and it was really scary
09:27because the most you ever got was about 12,
09:29but quite often you'd be seeing it doing
09:31and you'd be doing four miles per gallon, six miles per gallon.
09:34It's a 4.2.
09:36I suppose it's a lot bigger than most cars these days.
09:38With the Daimler, I don't think it'll make a lot.
09:41I mean, people were sort of suggesting like 500 to 1,000.
09:44That's, you know, it's not to be sneezed at.
09:46The Alpine, although they're an old car,
09:49and, you know, they're very attractive,
09:51they don't hold super value,
09:53so I suspect with that, you know,
09:55maybe 2,500, 3,000.
09:57I think even when it's done up,
09:59it's not going to be worth a ton of money,
10:01but hopefully somebody will love it.
10:03It's going to be a challenge today.
10:05The street outside is quite narrow.
10:07The driveway is quite narrow down the bottom,
10:10so I'm anticipating we could have a few problems.
10:13The tyres are flat to the ground on both cars.
10:16Hopefully they'll take some air
10:17and we'll be able to pull them out, but we'll see.
10:19It's going to be a bit of an adventure, I think.
10:21It's going to be a bit of an adventure, I think.
10:37Can you parallel park them?
10:39Oh, I'm loving this, it's brilliant.
10:43Look out the window.
10:44Which window?
10:45Office window.
10:47Back in Pickering,
10:48it's not just full-sized classics turning heads.
10:51Sometimes the tiniest wheels create the biggest thrill.
10:55Oh, with you.
10:57Oh, that's reverse.
10:58Oh!
10:59Oh!
11:00Oh!
11:01Oh!
11:02Oh!
11:03Oh, yours is faster.
11:04Oh, no!
11:05I didn't want to crash into you.
11:07This has got, like, loads of power.
11:10I don't know why.
11:11I know!
11:12My bad.
11:13Grandad, do you want the rides?
11:14You're in the back.
11:15I love it.
11:16Speed bump.
11:17Wee!
11:18Iris, come here.
11:19Oh, no, straight off.
11:20That was really good.
11:21I mean, me and Emily are going to take these home, I think.
11:23Might take us a while.
11:24How long do you think?
11:25Fifteen miles home, isn't it?
11:26Yeah.
11:27At about...
11:2810 miles an hour.
11:2910 miles an hour.
11:30Yeah!
11:31gonna take these home I think might take us a while how long do you think 15
11:36miles home isn't it yeah about 10 miles an hour
11:50as the old saying goes we're as muck as brass and taking pride of place in the
11:56showroom is a barn find Vauxhall Viva it's the first time I've looked at this
12:01rare bit of kit this bags of potential those of you are perhaps a little bit
12:06more observant will notice that there's some irradiator missing apparently that
12:09is in the boot is it that's quite clean in there look at all this look still got
12:13stickers on there I tell you what someone spent some money on this no it says it
12:18all done it owned by the current owner for 36 years they are you can tell
12:21straight away it underwent an extensive expensive restoration between the 80s
12:25and 90s there you go I would do this for a living didn't I really oh this will do
12:30all right this what a proper little car it takes a fair bit to impress me I wouldn't
12:35tell I've seen it all but I've seen a fair bit and normally speaking I'm
12:38disappointed because people's descriptions of the cars tend to be they get a little
12:43bit romantic with them don't they and they get a bit personal with them and and
12:46then you grow old with them and you tend to forget what is actually out there and
12:51available I tell you what what a proper little car I know she wants some paint
12:55that she's all she's on but it's only surface stuff and it's nothing major is
12:58it honestly I think it's worth first impressions I may be way out and even
13:02even looked at the guide I'll have a look at the guide after I've opened my
13:05mouth I think 20 gram but the current owner doesn't have diva demands for his
13:11Viva and has set the guide at half that price 8 to 10 really I'm amazed oh well
13:22we'll see who's near on the day weren't we I've just opened me big mouth and said
13:2520 overnight do you know what 8 to 10 thousand pound there should be an orderly
13:29queue of people waiting to see this car you wait I reckon that'll be a bit of a
13:32sleeper that well put it this way if that comes at eight grand it's going in my
13:35garage we're all gonna be lined up are we right anyone got a grand everyone's
13:41hands gonna go aren't they everyone in the production crew all the office staff
13:45all the guys that come in and girls who come in on the telephones the rest of it
13:48even if they're not remotely interested in beavers if they've got any savvy
13:51they're all gonna go whoa aren't they yeah yeah
13:56father and son duo Paul and Charlie have arrived in Northampton to collect the
14:07Sunbeam Alpine and the Daimler that belonged to Richard's father hello hello
14:13right mate well we're in that was the hard bit so how long they've been stood then
14:17right that's been there since 1973 no yep that's been there since about 2002 a long
14:25time we might have some sticky breaks in a I would imagine so I'm hoping we can
14:33just pull it straight out straight on we might have to go this side and try and
14:37pull it away from the wall seeing how they're gonna get it out is gonna be
14:41interesting because that's that's been what I've been more worried about than
14:44anything I suppose is how you actually do it
14:47how are you getting it son there's an engine and a gearbox oh yeah it's busy in
14:54there in it it is just hold it this way as it slides despite the flat tires and
15:00sticky brakes the Sunbeam finally sees well Sunbeams for the first time in 52 years
15:06yeah looks really good bit of weekend work yeah but I either gonna put them on again Charlie I know what
15:23they're doing don't they amazing these are British Airways light crew shirts probably from the 1980s I would imagine all empty
15:34I think to say it's been in there longer than he's been alive
15:44it's not horrendous it's not quite mini Cooper s rotten when you sell it does it go looking like this covered in dust it'll sort of depend really on how much of that's left on it by the time I get back you know yeah that one will probably be better left like that yeah just as it is as a project yeah yeah the sovereign per
15:50perhaps that might be beneficial to have a wash while getting the Sunbeam out was a doddle there was an unfortunate
15:57casualty he just destroyed the table I made it would work when I was twelve twelve years old when I made that
16:03that was a doddle there was an unfortunate casualty he just destroyed the table I made it woodwork when I was twelve twelve years old when I made that
16:12is that right yeah with what's left of the sentimental table safely stowed it's time for the potentially dramatic daimler departure is this going to be tricky because it's a daimler departure
16:27why is this going to be tricky because it's a daimler double six
16:42because you were too high and it's going to bottom out because you know how low they are they're definitely not a compressor in there
16:48I have a sort basically I'm not going to name any names but Derek took the compressor out so we've got to load it with flat tires
16:57but obviously with flat tires it's an inch and a half two inch lower than it should be what we're trying to do is make that back of the lorry as low as we can
17:06for less of an angle so that will go on there without bottoming out
17:12It is free actually
17:15Yeah yeah
17:16Straighten up
17:19Yeah
17:24I think that's about your lot mate I don't think I want to be any more
17:27the most interest I think is going to be caused by the sunbeam
17:31the old daimler's lovely but as we all know not massive money
17:35because it's the easier one to do of course
17:37but the more valuable one at the end of the day is the sunbeam
17:40a couple of grand a piece I would have thought
17:42I don't think the daimler's going to do any more shame in it because it's a nice old car
17:45and I don't think the sunbeam's going to do any more either to be honest
17:48It's crazy seeing the car sort of hanging up in the air like that
17:52We haven't got any low bridges have we?
17:55Right
17:57Well I'll shake your hand now
17:58Oh thank you
17:59It's been lovely
18:00We'll be blocking the road again
18:02Cheers boss
18:03Cheers Charlie
18:04Thank you very much
18:05It's the sort of start of the end of an era
18:08quite a strange situation
18:23With the usual variety of lots on display
18:25prospective buyers are taking the browsing business very seriously
18:29What attracts you to it?
18:31I just want a project really
18:33and I'd want some of this fairly easy to do
18:36and this looks like a good candidate
18:38And you don't see many of these knocking around really
18:40That's another attraction for it really you know
18:42Say you were to buy it
18:44what would be the first thing you'd do on it?
18:45I'd get it running
18:46make sure it's pretty safe
18:48and I'd use it
18:49Not get it clean?
18:50Well yeah I'd get it clean as well honestly yeah
18:52The auctions are rattling through
19:03and the dusty old Vauxhall is proving you shouldn't judge a book by its cover
19:09The Viva GT complete time warp
19:12an unbelievably rewarding project for someone
19:1514,000 to 14,000 five
19:1815,000
19:1915,000
19:2015,000 five
19:21Currently at 15,500
19:2316,000
19:2516,000
19:2616,000
19:275
19:2817,000
19:29Pound
19:30Well it looks like four exit tailpipes
19:32That's just so you can lift it up like a wheelbarrow
19:36How rude
19:37How rude
19:3817,500
19:3918,000
19:4018,000
19:41It's 18,000
19:42So that's far surpassed what we thought it would do
19:44I thought it would do 15
19:45I do rate that car though
19:47That's a lot of money for a Viva innit
19:49Are we all finished then?
19:51At 18,000 then for the first
19:5318,000 pound for the second
19:55And a quarter
19:5618,250
19:57Well 18,250
19:58Got it
19:5918,250
20:01Third and last time
20:03Are we all done at 18,250 pound
20:0618,250
20:09Wowzers
20:10There you go
20:11I told you
20:12I like that car
20:13There you go
20:14It just proves it, doesn't it?
20:15Brilliant, well done
20:19Next up
20:20The multi-purpose miniatures
20:22Pumpkin picking
20:24It could be for Dave
20:26Dave's mobility
20:27Dave, do you want this?
20:28It's got your name on it
20:30I know, it's great, isn't it?
20:31You were driving it, weren't you?
20:33Yeah, me and Amy were sat on it
20:35We test drove them
20:37So we know the work
20:38And the batteries are good
20:39We were actually really shocked
20:40At how quickly they went
20:41And they were like
20:42Quite like
20:43They went straight away
20:44The three-inch scale
20:46Sentinel steam wagon
20:47Battery powered lorry with trailer
20:49It's lovely, isn't it?
20:51What a cracking bit of kit
20:52Salmi on
20:53500 pound
20:54I've got
20:55500 pound away
20:56Then 550
20:57600
20:58600
20:59650
21:00700 pound
21:01Third and last time
21:02Provisional keys
21:03700
21:04And as for its party pow
21:06Three-inch scale
21:07Three-inch scale
21:08AEC Matador
21:09Battery powered lorry
21:10With a car
21:11Whereabouts
21:12500
21:13500
21:14500
21:15500
21:16600
21:17600 pound
21:18600 pound
21:19All done then provisionally
21:20600
21:21The offer wasn't accepted
21:22But it went on to sell at the timed auction
21:24For 650 pounds
21:26Jack, you're not Derek
21:40No
21:41Only to be started by Derek
21:43Dare I start it
21:45What's gonna happen?
21:50Isn't Derek looking younger these days?
21:53Younger? Better look
21:55I mean look at him
21:56Leaping out of that car
21:57Like there's no tomorrow
21:58On my knee
21:59Oh God
22:04With his ears burning
22:06Grandad and his knee
22:07Are outside in the yard
22:09Well here we have
22:10XJ6
22:11Daimler version
22:12Top of the shop
22:13Brilliant car
22:14Oh I love them
22:15I just absolutely love
22:16XJ6s
22:18I know a lot of people are not gonna like this
22:21I'm not gonna agree with me
22:22But motor dealers will
22:24And we used to say
22:26An XJ6 is the best driving car on the road
22:29In the 1970s and 80s
22:30No question about it
22:31Nothing drove like an XJ6
22:34Mercedes
22:35Rolls Royce
22:36Don't care what
22:37Nothing drove like these
22:38And what I mean by that
22:39Is that they drive as smooth as a Rolls Royce
22:41They drive as quietly as a Rolls Royce
22:43But they handle better than a Rolls Royce
22:45It's as simple as that
22:46And a Mercedes
22:47You can jazz them about
22:49You can fly about with them
22:50Round the roundabouts
22:51In round the corners
22:52And they're perfect for in London
22:54Because you can jazz them about
22:56They were just lovely
22:57I love them to bits
22:58I'll have another one one day
22:59If I live long enough
23:00To actually use an everyday car
23:02Because I was fortunate
23:03I used these
23:04Four days a week
23:05Going into London
23:06Auctions
23:07The drive home
23:08And the unwinding of your mind
23:10And the relaxation
23:11Was all down to one of these
23:12So I can't speak highly enough
23:14So what did Daimler add to it
23:17To make it such an amazing car?
23:19Oh nothing
23:20Nothing
23:21It was cosmetic only
23:22Cosmetic
23:23Silly things
23:24You know better trim
23:25Slightly different grille and emblems
23:26And very little difference at all
23:27The rumour as it
23:28That when it came to Mark II Jags
23:30I can't speak for XJs
23:31Guys used to tell me
23:32That they'd pick about
23:33Every one in ten
23:35Mark IIs off the line
23:36And turn it into a Daimler
23:37And they then refined them
23:39And they added on the Daimler extras
23:41And they became a Daimler
23:42But the same car
23:43It's alright
23:44Nice straight car
23:45Yeah as soon as it came in
23:46I thought that's a real honest level car
23:47Look how nice and straight
23:49Door skins are
23:50Lovely
23:51I mean this could be 18 months old
23:52You know it's great
23:53Interiors lovely
23:54Bit of wear on the driver's seat
23:56Beautiful dashboard
23:57Oh to die for isn't it?
23:59Yeah it's got 07
24:00It's probably been around the clock
24:01107,000
24:02You wouldn't have thought so
24:03Would you really?
24:04But all this is all the same
24:05So it makes no difference
24:06Whether you buy a Jag or a Daimler
24:07But I could live with this car
24:09The more I look round it
24:10It'll make a lovely car
24:11Just see a speckling on the chrome
24:12Look
24:13It'll come off
24:14Look it's coming off
24:15I've got rough fingers
24:16Look
24:17Look
24:18I've got fingers like a bit of wild wool
24:19Look
24:20There it is
24:21If it was all cleaned up and presented
24:23As nice as it could be
24:24I think the motor could fetch
24:26Somewhere between four and five grand
24:28As it at the moment
24:29I think it's going to offer around the three grand mark
24:31Three to four
24:32Make a cracking car that
24:41Rumbling into Pickering HQ
24:42Is Mick Newton's Teutonic Titan
24:47Morning
24:48Morning
24:49How are you Paul?
24:50Alright
24:51I'm going down memory lane aren't I?
24:52I used to
24:53In my youth
24:54Long time ago
24:56Not as long as mine
24:57No it ain't as long as yours
24:59I used one
25:00A fair bit
25:01Up at Langdale
25:02I spent hours and hours and hours in it
25:04Running around the woods and stuff
25:05Did you?
25:06I spent hours in it this morning getting up here
25:07Did you?
25:08Where have you come from?
25:09Cheshire, Macclesfield
25:10Have you?
25:11Yeah and now I'm ready for a sleep
25:12Yeah you'll be fed up with it aren't you?
25:13Yeah I am
25:14Might be cheap now then
25:15Oh Christ man
25:18Yeah
25:19What's it do with that? 45?
25:20It's come up with 64 at 45
25:23How long we had it then Mick?
25:24About two years I think
25:26So what have you been doing with it then?
25:27I've always liked them
25:28To fund it
25:29Two tractors had to go
25:31Yeah
25:32And a series 3 long wheelbase Land Rover
25:34But it's a bit heavy for my ground really
25:36So it's just been a toy?
25:37It's been a toy
25:38Yeah
25:39But now I've got to cash the toy in
25:40How are we valuing it Mick?
25:42I think we'll discuss that later
25:43Oh will we?
25:44Yeah
25:45Will you calm down?
25:46Yeah
25:47And had a cup of tea no doubt
25:48Yeah black leave the bag in
25:49Well I think it's grand
25:50Good
25:51Well I think we ought to get the kettle on
25:52When I'm sat down you'll have to tell me how much it is won't you?
25:54Yeah that's right
25:55Yeah
25:56Definitely
25:57Alright
25:58Do you have sugar?
25:59No no
26:00No sugar
26:01Looking inside
26:02I don't think I've ever seen one of these before
26:04It looks fairly basic
26:06Yeah they are basic
26:07They're a bit heavy going yeah
26:08But it is quite old
26:09It's not like a modern thing is it?
26:11What do they drive like?
26:13Very heavy
26:14But good fun
26:15You don't see them everyday do you?
26:16You certainly do
26:18You've come up from Macclesfield this morning
26:20I have
26:21What's the journey like?
26:22Any cruise control isn't there?
26:23Cruise control?
26:24No you've just got to have a big right foot
26:26No cruise control I'm afraid no
26:29No electric windows
26:30No electric windows?
26:32Not yet
26:33Somebody will convert it perhaps
26:35We've gone right off it with no electric windows
26:37Hey
26:38Oh bloody hell
26:39Yeah
26:40Well
26:41Well you're here now aren't you?
26:43You've got a cup of tea near me
26:44Oh that'll do
26:47Over a cuppa
26:48An estimate of between 15 and 16 thousand is agreed
26:52Are you going to miss it?
26:53Yeah I probably will actually yeah
26:55Yeah
26:56And I've got to go home on the damn bus
26:57Because I've lost my train pass
26:59And my wife can't come and pick me up
27:01Because she's looking after our grandchildren today
27:04So I've got to find my own way home
27:06It's going to be a long day for you isn't it?
27:08It is yeah
27:09You're alright we'll have a beer when we get back
27:19While Paul's been reacquainted with an old friend
27:22Another arrival turns out to be a buddy of Derrick's
27:26I love them
27:27I used to love these when I was a lad like
27:28And the reason I loved them is because we couldn't afford to deal in MGBs
27:31They were too dear
27:32But we could afford to deal in Alpines
27:34So they were a second rate cheaper sports car
27:37Do you know what they've remained that way all the way through right till now
27:40And it's such a shame because they're a lovely car to drive
27:43This is the last one with the high fins which I like
27:46When they went on to the next model they cut the fins down
27:49They were noticeably lower down
27:50Not so prominent as this
27:52Which actually went down very very well
27:54When a few years later they do the facelift model
27:58It's even better
27:59It would appear
28:00People like it more
28:01You know
28:02They go out and buy it because it's the current model
28:04But now
28:05Now
28:06We all want the high fins again
28:07Just about all American cars in the 50s, 60s and early 70s had fins
28:12And of course we did didn't we
28:13You know
28:14The PA Cresters, the Zephyrs and Zodiacs and all the rest of it
28:17We all had fins
28:18There was a craze in actual fact
28:19In the mid late 50s
28:21If something like a Mark 1 Zephyr or Zodiac
28:24Which didn't actually have fins, it was rounded off
28:26You could buy fins to stick on
28:28And loads of people did
28:31And to be honest they look pretty good
28:33I can see them now
28:34Dress them up
28:35Quite a bit of partage in there
28:36Yeah
28:37Yeah we got a fair bit
28:38Yeah there's a pair of carburetors in there I can see
28:40Manifold and what have you
28:42I can only assume it's all there
28:44I'd love to get stuck into this
28:45This is my sort of thing
28:46This is a retirement project
28:48But I've got so many of them
28:49I can't ever take any more
28:51But oh yeah this is
28:52It's an easy job isn't it
28:53It's a dead straight forward easy job
28:55Nice car, got a lot of potential this car
28:57Who is going to buy this car?
28:59Almost certainly someone who had one in the 70s
29:03It could even go as much as four
29:05But I somehow doubt it
29:06I think it'd be around the three grand mark
29:08So there you go
29:09Got the makings of a nice car
29:13Sunbeam Alpine
29:14What a car
29:15It's going to make a right car this isn't it
29:17Here we go then
29:182700 quid we've got
29:192800 pound on sale and going 29
29:22Lovely project that
29:233000 pound the one to have
29:253500 and going and sold
29:27Then are you all done then?
29:28Buckingall
29:3037s and Albans
29:31Back to the north and the south here
29:33Going on Will
29:343700 pounds
29:36St. Albans winning at the moment
29:374000 pound 41
29:394100
29:40St. Albans
29:414200
29:42Gould
29:43On sale then and going
29:444700 going to St. Albans
29:464800
29:484800
29:494900
29:50Third and last time St. Albans
29:52Gould
29:53St. Albans
29:54St. Albans again 51
29:565100
29:57Gould you're out
29:595100 sold and gone then
30:015100 are you all done for the first
30:03Second
30:04Third and last time St. Albans
30:065-1
30:07There you go
30:08Well done
30:095-1
30:10The Sunbeam Alpine is off to a novice mechanic in St. Albans
30:13Who's had it on his dream car list
30:151983
30:18Damnest Dame the sovereign
30:19Me and dad picked this up
30:21Came from the same stable as that red alpine
30:24Oh yes
30:25This has been stood since about 2000-ish
30:28They are Charlie and Paul collected it the other day
30:30Then it's a 4.2 there
30:31Where are we going to be on that?
30:32We've got three
30:33We've got four
30:34We've got five
30:35We've got 600 pound bid
30:36700
30:37800 pound at the back
30:38900 on the internet
30:39I saw their will
30:401,000 pound then a bid on the internet then
30:43Jack you're out
30:44Internet's in at 1,000 pound I'm going to sell
30:46That's about its money to be fair
30:481,000 pound
30:491,000 pound and have we all done
30:501,100 pound
30:511,200 pound
30:52Both bids on the net there
30:541,200 on the net
30:551,300 is Jack's telephone
30:571,300
30:581,300
31:011,300 a pound
31:02Not a bad price for it to be fair
31:04To say it's been stood all that time
31:06Looked to be a good order
31:07And when you look underneath
31:08It's rusty and all
31:09There you go
31:10There you go
31:11So that did well
31:12Did well
31:13Pickering land
31:31A place where dreams really can come true
31:34And for Paul a chance to relive his youth
31:37Why are we so fond of them?
31:39Because in my youth
31:41I don't know what I would have been
31:42About 14 I think
31:44And a guy called Andy created the Langdale Quest
31:47Which was the UK's largest off-road site
31:51And he created an off-road driving school centre
31:55In 10,000 acres of Langdale Forest
31:57As he got a little bit more established and bigger
32:00And all the rest of it
32:01He bought a Unimog
32:02And it was something that he always wanted
32:04And I was pleased to say
32:05I was entrusted with it
32:07Not everyone was
32:08And I was very careful with it
32:09And I loved it
32:11You know, you were king of the road
32:12It was a bigger one than this
32:13Put three Jeeps on the back and I was gone
32:15Brilliant
32:16Loved every minute, every hour
32:19Fabulous
32:20And it just sets a seed, doesn't it?
32:22And then, you know, one comes along
32:24And you think, oh
32:25And you probably shouldn't
32:27Because it's probably going to shatter dreams, isn't it?
32:29Because, of course, when you're 16
32:31You don't mind being bounced about
32:32And you don't mind the horribleness and uncomfort
32:34And everything else
32:35I'll risk it
32:37With his rose-tinted glasses at the ready
32:39Paul and the Unimog are reacquainted
32:43Oh, look at that
32:45Instant
32:46Right
32:47If I can remember what lever does what
32:49The brakes are like all or nothing
32:52I'm going to warn you now
32:53I'm getting better at them
32:55But they really are
32:56Nothing, nothing, nothing
32:58Than everything
32:59They've got great big long toil springs on them
33:02And they're designed to soak up the bumps
33:04Simple as that
33:05And it does exactly that
33:07Eight-speed box
33:09Not the quickest thing in the world
33:11But loads of gears to play with
33:13And, yeah
33:15There's something about a Unimog
33:16There's just something about them, isn't there?
33:18They're iconic, aren't they?
33:19You know, we have Land Rovers over here
33:21Germans have G-wagons and Unimogs, don't they?
33:25You know, it's absolutely great
33:26It's smashing
33:29We're going to approach two to test, aren't we?
33:31Well, apparently so
33:32Now, we have had monsoon-like conditions
33:35Over the last couple of weeks, really
33:38Certainly over the weekend
33:39It's been really bad
33:41So, I don't know how deep it is
33:42I haven't even looked
33:43But, let's be fair
33:45It's not going to bother us, is it?
33:48Anyway, there she is, look
33:49In a bit of flood
33:52Oh, brilliant
33:54How's it reacting?
33:56Like it wasn't there
33:57It's just like a puddle
33:59That's all
34:00Oh, that was cool
34:01What a treat
34:02I like that
34:03These are your first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seven, eight
34:07And you forget where you are
34:09Because, effectively, you've got four
34:12You've got a four-speed gearbox with two ratios
34:15So, you could soon forget
34:17So, they put a light on for you
34:19You need the light to keep you clued up to where you are, really
34:23Because, you forget what gear you're in
34:25Because, there's too many
34:26Because, there's too many
34:27So, Mercedes, in their wisdom
34:29Put lights on
34:30So, you know what range you're in
34:31Or what line of gear you're in
34:33Oh, we're bounding along
34:35Oh, she's lovely
34:37Is it as good as you remember?
34:38To be honest, kind of
34:40First things first
34:42I would have to do the steering
34:44It's awful
34:45It's just
34:46It's tight
34:47It's actually getting better the more I'm using it
34:49But, it's tight
34:50And, it's
34:51Yeah, it's not nice
34:52It's not nice
34:53So, I would have to do the steering
34:55The rest of it
34:56If I'm honest
34:57Is probably as good
34:59Or better
35:00Than I remember
35:01Gearbox is better
35:02Yeah, I like it
35:03You can go out
35:04You can get muddy
35:05You can go wherever you want
35:07Within reason
35:08They're just
35:09A great big
35:10Clumsy toy, aren't they?
35:12I think she's a lovely old girl
35:14I do
35:15Oh, yeah
35:16It's a Unimog, innit?
35:17I rate the old motor
35:19I think it's brilliant
35:20And, yeah
35:21There's plenty of life
35:22Left in it yet for somebody, innit?
35:23That's the thing
35:24Oh, my lord
35:28Whoa
35:35I've not really been a car person
35:40I used to watch a lot of car programmes
35:42But, I've never really owned one
35:44So, I only started driving during Covid
35:46I was driving my kids' car
35:48We bought them a Fiat Panda to learn to drive
35:50And that's the one that I drove as well
35:52That's all I've ever driven a Fiat Panda
35:54Until I got the MG
35:55He might be late to the starting line
35:57But, Min Eben's new hobby
35:59Has turned into a bit of an addiction
36:01I bought the MG
36:03It's only just over a year ago
36:04Since then I've bought a Triumph GT6
36:07And I've got a Series 3 Land Rover
36:10And then the Sunbeam
36:12So, it's all happened fairly quickly
36:14I think I'm going to have to pause now
36:16While I financially digest what I've done
36:18The purchase price is just the tip of the iceberg
36:21It's just the romance of it
36:23Taking a bar and find
36:24And putting it back on the road
36:26Giving it another 20, 30 years life
36:28Is what I want to do
36:29Needless to say
36:31It's all been a bit of a learning curve
36:34And the hunt for the perfect restoration mechanic
36:37Landed two hours from home
36:39In Kent
36:40With fellow Sunbeam fan
36:42Greg Theophanides
36:43I'm in
36:44Greg
36:45So, what's happening?
36:46Just finished reassembling the engine
36:48And should be about ready to start her off
36:50For the first time
36:51Wow
36:52So, having now looked at the car
36:53It needs a fair chunk of welding doing
36:55It's not terminal by any stretch of the imagination
36:57It is definitely a saveable car
36:59It's going to need outer sills
37:00And some work on the inner sills
37:02One of the outriggers needs some repairs and things
37:04But on the whole it's not terrible
37:06It's certainly seen a lot worse
37:08The inner wheel arch is pretty good
37:10A few little repairs under the back here
37:11But nothing good
37:13Nothing too scary
37:14We're going to try and be as sympathetic as possible
37:17With the restoration
37:18To try and retain as much original paintwork
37:21And details
37:22And parts of the car
37:24And they're only original ones, aren't they?
37:26So, that'll be the challenge
37:27Doors themselves
37:28They need some adjustment, as you can see
37:30But they are solid
37:33They don't appear to be full of filler
37:35Which is nice to see
37:36It saves a lot of messing around
37:38It's better than I thought
37:39It's not bad
37:40It's not bad
37:41So, yeah
37:42This is all good news
37:43The main structure is pretty sound
37:46Yeah
37:47Brilliant
37:48The last time this engine fired
37:50Donny Osmond was flying high in the charts
37:55Ready?
37:56Let's do it
37:5752 years later
37:59And with some expert fettling
38:01Three, two, one
38:06Wow
38:08Oh, listen to that
38:09I like it
38:12I like it
38:13I like it a lot
38:14No knocking
38:15No tapping
38:16No nasty noises
38:17Sounds great
38:18It's not often you get people
38:20That are as interested as men
38:22In the actual workings of the car
38:23You know
38:24A lot of people just want
38:25The finished product
38:26Whereas he seems to want to be
38:28Deeply involved in the whole process
38:30And that's great
38:31I wish more customers were like that
38:33Can't wait
38:34I can't wait
38:35I'm learning a lot
38:37And I'm learning a lot from you Greg
38:38This is a pleasure to me
38:39Brilliant
38:40It's fantastic
38:50It's auction day
38:51And Derek's still banging on about his motorbikes
38:541928 Peugeot 250 motorbike
38:57It's a Griffin
38:58Rare bit of kick this one
38:592,100 pound provisional
39:01Thank you
39:02Thank you
39:0768 Aerial Arrow
39:08Third and last time
39:092,400
39:151937 BSA 250
39:17Lovely little machine
39:19Super little machine that one
39:20Going
39:212,600
39:22Mercedes Unimog
39:23Here we go
39:24Drove one of these as a kid
39:25Got fond memories
39:26I love them to bits
39:27I think they're brilliant
39:28We have got
39:2910,000
39:3010,500
39:3111,000 pound bid
39:32Here with me
39:3311,250
39:3411,500
39:3511,250
39:3611,500
39:3711,250
39:3811,500
39:3911,500
39:4011,500
39:4111,500
39:4211,500
39:43For the third and last time
39:4411,500
39:46Provisional
39:4712,500
39:48A deal is done
39:49And the Unimog
39:50sells for 12,000 pounds
39:56I've never actually been in the car
39:58Because all the test runs Tim has done
40:00I've ended up being on the end of the telephone
40:02In case of a breakdown
40:03And having to go out and help push
40:06So I've just watched it going in and out of the driveway
40:09And up and down the road
40:10In rural Bedfordshire
40:12Pauline Nola is getting ready for a moment she's been waiting for
40:16A whole two years wait as it turns out
40:20Along with husband Tim
40:21They'll be taking the Vauxhall Viva GT
40:24Out for Pauline's first spin
40:27It is an exciting day for me, yes
40:29I'm hoping it doesn't break down
40:31And I'm sure it'll be absolutely fine
40:33Interesting to see how fast it can go actually
40:36Because I believe it's quite a quick car
40:39Off we go
40:40Your first ever drive in a Viva GT
40:43Yeah
40:44Wow, it really accelerates well
40:46Wow
40:49Somebody's lost
40:50Despite being on the lookout for a Magnum
40:53It was the Viva GT that caught Tim's eye
40:56When I first went to Matthewsons to view the car
41:00I met Paul and he said
41:02Ah, that's going to be the car of the auction
41:05It was clear that it was going to make more than the guide price
41:08But it was the car I wanted
41:10I ended up paying just over £18,000 for it
41:14Quite impressed by how smooth it is
41:16And how quiet it is actually for an old car
41:19Some people may say that it wasn't worth anything like that
41:22Especially in view of how much work has had to be done on it
41:27But I made the decision that was the car I wanted to do next
41:30So I just went ahead and bought it, that was it really
41:33And the brakes work
41:35We did take a long while doing the brakes
41:38Leading them and stuff, didn't we?
41:40Tim didn't expect such an extensive rebuild
41:45But along with Pauline's background in electronics engineering
41:49They formed quite a team
41:51Overall, we both enjoy the engineering side of it
41:55I don't think you could do it without the support of your partner
42:00There are many, many long hours spent outside
42:04And it would be thankless if you were doing it alone
42:07Without somebody being there, helping
42:10And taking an interest in what it is you try and do
42:13You're being very nice to me today
42:15Well, it is true though, isn't it?
42:18This is nearly full time
42:20And late into the evenings
42:21It would be lonely
42:22And to be honest, I wouldn't do it
42:24So this is the original Viva DT publicity document
42:28It clearly shows a car exactly like this
42:31In Monaco white with all the detailing
42:33All along I've been trying to recreate
42:36Exactly what this car should look like
42:38It's easy to cut corners
42:40And fit things that people might say
42:42Well, yes, that's of the period
42:44But wherever I can
42:46I'm trying to rebuild the car
42:48To be the same as it would have been
42:50When it left the forecourt originally
42:53Working on it together did have some difficulties
42:56The wiring we've had problems with
42:58We've had problems with the interior
43:01But we've worked through them
43:03And we've got a nice car
43:05It deserves the work being done to it
43:08To preserve it for the future
43:09Because these cars are really, really rare now
43:13Looks like somebody appreciating it
43:15Somebody was hating at the car
43:18That's really good, isn't it?
43:20I tell you, it looks lovely
43:21Everybody loves it
43:22It's nice, people appreciate it
43:24It makes it all worthwhile
43:26Thank you
43:28Thank you
43:30Thank you
43:32Thank you
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