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In the Hot Seat with ...
Nigel Warner

Nigel is a regular contributor to Classic Car Times and self-confessed TVR addict. You can find his restorations featured on the site by visiting the back issues page. Here he shares his experiences and opinions with us.

What was your first car?

My first car was a Grey 1964 Ford Anglia Estate. I bought the car, just after my 17th birthday, for £70 and sold it 2 years later for £100. I learnt to drive and passed my test in it. In the time I owned it I did about 15,000 miles and I only had one thing go wrong whilst driving which was the handbrake cable snapping when stopping on a steep hill. The only thing I had to replace, apart from the normal service items, were 4 tyres.

What is your daily driver?

I don’t have a daily driver as such. Weather permitting I tend to use my classics as far as possible but I do have a 1996 Rover 216si which gets used for nipping down the shops or going to work when the weather is very wet or there’s salt on the roads.

What classic(s) do you currently have?

I have a 1970 TVR Vixen S3 which I have owned for 12 years, a 1975 Reliant Scimitar GTE SE5A which I have owned for 11 years and a 1979 TVR 3000S which I have owned for over 2 years. My favourite of the 3 is the Vixen, I just love its shape and its great fun to drive.

What made you choose the classic(s) you own?

I chose the Vixen because I was given a book when I was 14 which had a picture of a Vixen in it. I fell in love with the shape and promised myself I would own one when I was older. This was rekindled when I saw Roger Moore, as Simon Templer, driving one in an old episode of The Saint in which, I seem to recollect, he was racing against a Marcos. It did however take me 25 years before I managed to get one.

The Scimitar was also bought because of fond memories from my youth. My friends Dad had one and I remember going out in it once and just loving the sound it made. It was also very different from most of the other cars around at the time and I remember thinking of it as cross between a sports car and an estate car.

The 3000S was bought because I wanted a classic convertible TVR, and the earliest being the 3000S, which needed restoring as I was getting withdrawal symptoms. I thought I’d have my work cut out finding one, as I think there are only about 70 in the UK, but luckily one came up for sale only a few weeks after I had started looking which was fairly local and a reasonable price.

Have you ever missed buying a particular classic and lived to regret it?

Not really but back when I was about 20 and was after an MG Midget I saw an ‘E’ Type Jaguar for sale at one of the garages that I went to whilst looking for a Midget . It was priced at £400 but I decided it would be too expensive to run and ended up with an Austin Healey Sprite MKIV a few weeks later.

What would be your dream car?

It would probably be the Ford GT40 as I think it was just such a unique car for it’s time and still looks good today. I also remember being impressed by the way it beat the Ferraris of the time. I also really like the Ferrari 250LM for it’s looks and sound.

What car do you regret parting company with?

None really but I did enjoy my Austin Healey Sprite MKIV probably because it was my first open top sports car. I also miss my Jaguar XJS 5.2 for long distance driving especially on motorways. The XJS is a superb car for a relaxing fast drive but I just didn’t get the enjoyment I get from driving my current 3 classics. I certainly don’t miss having to pay for the petrol I put in it.

What is your favourite run in a classic car?

I don’t really have one but I enjoy driving along any fairly quiet country roads.

How much work on your car(s) do you carry out yourself?

I carry out all the work on my cars myself. I started teaching myself when I had my Anglia as I couldn’t afford for any one else to do the work. I found that I really enjoyed it so I carried on over the years. I’ve restored quite a few cars over the years, as well as the 3 I own at the moment, the first being a Hillman Imp and have done all the work myself. I’m no where near as good as the professionals but I’ve always been happy with the results. I would however take my Rover to a dealer if something needed doing that involved the use of specialist equipment.

What do you carry with you when out in your classic?

I just have some basic things. A screwdriver, pair of pliers, a few spanners a length of wire, spare bulbs and the normal jack etc. You can usually repair most minor problems with basic tools so you can get back home. Of course the best thing is to regularly check things like hoses etc.

Do you get involved in the club scene and why?

I belong to both the TVRCC and the RSSOC. Both these clubs have excellent magazines, put on plenty of events (both for motor sport enthusiasts and people who just like meeting other owners.) Also I believe that most clubs do a good job at helping to keep classics on the road in one way or another. I don’t however go to many events because of lack of spare time but I try and go to local shows the clubs are visiting if free time allows.

Do you take an interest in motor sport, and if so where is your favourite venue(s)/club meetings?

I’m afraid I don’t really enjoy motor sport.

What is your worst memory involving a classic?

It was after buying a Singer Chamois and driving it back from Manchester. It had a recent MOT but on the journey back I thought the seat base was collapsing but I realised after about 100 miles it was the floor getting closer to the road as the floor pan had parted company with the sill and was tearing along the front by the bulkhead.

What is your funniest memory involving a classic car?

Whilst traveling up the A1(M) in my MG Midget with my wife I overtook an old boy driving a Reliant Robin Van, that made Dell Boy’s look good. The next thing I new we were on a downhill section and he came bowling past us like a man possessed. He was hunched over the steering wheel and gave a big grin as he went passed. Unfortunately the downhill section had by now turned into an uphill section and he was loosing speed. The next thing that happened after we had cought up without changing our speed was clouds of blue smoke started coming from his exhaust but he tried to battle on. I can still remember his look of anger in my rear view mirror as we disappeared into the distance. I wonder what happened to him.

What is your most enjoyable moment involving a classic car?

Taking my Vixen on the Norwich Union Classic Car Run was a really good day out driving on good roads, visiting places not open to the Public, e.g. Millbrook proving Ground and ending up driving round Silverstone. The people on the event were very friendly and the whole event was excellent. It’s a shame they no longer run them.

If you won a competition to have the unlimited and unrestricted use of any classic car for a week, what would you choose and why?

It would have to be something rare or exotic that I could never afford like the Ford GT40 or a Lambourghini which I would take to Scotland via the A and B roads in Wales. What more could you ask for, fantastic scenery and a fantastic car on quiet roads. It would also be great to detour to the Isle of Man for a day.

How do you define a classic?

Simple, any car over 10 years old that you have a particular affection for.

What in your opinion is the worst car regarded as a classic and why?

In my opinion it’s the 2CV. My sister has had a few and I can honestly say that it’s the worst car I have ever been in and driven. I know they have a great following but I can’t see why but that’s just my opinion. I hope I haven’t upset too many people.

So what in your view will be a future classic?

One car that I definitely think will be a future classic , if it isn’t already considered as one, is the TVR Griffith. It has such a beautiful retro-classic shape, a superb engine and all from a small car producer that’s still British. Other cars that will be future classics are the Smart cars, Lotus Elise, Vauxhall VX220 and the Mazda MX2.

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