‘Farinas are suddenly back in fashion’

ASTON MARTIN DB7

One of the joys of the classic car scene is the regular plot twists that it throws at us. For years, possibly decades, the ageing membership of the Cambridge-oxford Owners Club has worried about the future for their cars. ‘There are no young enthusiasts for them.’ ‘Who’s going to want them when we’re gone?’ And prices for all the various BMC Farinas have remained depressed – until now that is.

In what seems like the blink of an auctioneer’s gavel, people want Farinas again. Prices have jumped over recent times – you’ll need at least five grand for a half decent one now, more if it has a fancy MG, Riley or Wolseley badge and grille. Auction houses no longer secretly wince when asked to sell one, and dealers are even placing wanted ads for them in the classifieds. When that happens you really know that the game is on. So where have all these new buyers come from? Some of it has to be the market waking up to what good value they are as classics for family days out, in comparison to pretty much anything else. Easy to live with, too, with basic hammer-and-screwdriver grade mechanics.

But I wonder if some of these new and enthusiastic buyers of BMC Farinas aren’t those kids who grew up watching vast numbers of them being battered to death on banger tracks. Identifying with something that later produces nostalgic twinges has come from much stranger sources. All we know for sure is that BMC Farinas once again have a following and what looks like a healthy future. Which can only be a good thing.

‘Fancy MG, Riley or Wolseley models are very popular today’

XJ-S 3.6 was clean and well presented, but the selling price of £7700 was still a surprise.

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