Welcome to ClassicGoods where we aim to make your surfing for your dream vehicle quick and easy. ClassicGoods.com & Classicgoods.co.uk have been predominantly set up as portals for Classic Car’s and Classic Motorcycle enthusiasts, globally. If you are looking for a specific vehicle in or around North America use ClassicGoods.com if you are looking to  Europe use Classicgoods.co.uk  Added, you do not need to register to use these sites nor will you have to wade through endless pages of waffle.

The difference between this site and many others is that we don’t presume. Firstly, we don’t crowd the pages with numerous articles and adverts that are not relevant, secondly, the site is easy to navigate and thirdly, and most importantly, it is here to stay and has been set up to constantly update itself by automatically pulling in all the latest offers, news and events - 24/7.

As for me, my name is Alan and I run this project with my partner, Bernadette, who helps with some of the admin. We reside in the South East of England UK. I have been in the motor industry for more than twenty-five years. As you may appreciate, in that time, I have seen it all with regards to the motor vehicles on our roads, shunt & cuts, brake pads made from wood, tubeless tyres with inner tubes, wheel bearings back to front, bubble gum used as filler and caulking, string accelerator cable, girlfriends hair band used as a throttle return, under sealed cardboard as floor pans…the list goes on and on.

Then there is my pet hate (sorry if it offends, but I am just being truthful), car modifiers, and by this I don’t mean those that have their vehicles converted from petrol to gas, or those that need their vehicle professionally modified so that the vehicle better meets the purpose that they use it for, and indeed those that do modify their own vehicle with parts that have been tested and approved for that ‘specific’ vehicle.

No, I mean those that perhaps get their first car and then immediately go to their local ‘after market’ outlet and buy anything that they take a fancy to or will look good and then proceed to ‘make’ it fit their car, added, their mates then have a go. Most vehicles, at today’s value, cost tens of millions in research and development, then comes along the first time vehicle owner whom decides that they know better than the manufacturer and their very highly qualified engineers and designers, and without any thought or knowledge as to how these self-modifications will affect the overall safety and driveability of the vehicle. 

Over the years I have dealt with many of these type of vehicles and can proudly say that I have influenced many of their owners as to why they should not have done this or that, and then, either they or their parents would readily agree that I put the vehicle back to how it was and / or make it safe. I am convinced that had I not had the opportunity to intervene on some of these vehicles and talk them into putting it right the RTA statistics would be higher, of that, I am certain.

This then brings me onto the classic vehicle and my love affair with them, which is heightened even further when I consider the vehicles I have to deal with day in day out.

My first encounter with what is now a classic vehicle was my dad’s first car when I was seven years old, a 1953 (he got it in 1965) Ford Prefect, 1172 cc Ford Straight-4 side valve, four door, with the internally lit semaphores springing out from the door pillars to signal left and right turns. To this day I can still imagine the smell of the cracked brown leather upholstery and the smooth, glassy feel of the baked on black paint.

After this, and before relenting to a modern car which he was given my dad had a number of what are now classics, such as: MK1 Ford Cortina, Ford Anglia 105E, Ford Zephyr, Ford Zodiac 1V, A35, MK 1 Escort , then, from thereonin, they were modern cars, sadly. Added to this, a short time after entering the motor industry, I was very friendly with a Classic Vehicle dealer which meant I got to work on and drive many classics, Mustangs, Cobra and E-Types to name a few.

There is no denying that there is something very special about classic cars that have either been very well looked after or loveingly restored, their often raw power, the leather upholstery, the gleaming baked on paintwork, excess chrome work and body lines, often excentric, that catch your eye, I cannot help but to be drawn to them and check them out.

Then there is the ……….

Classic Motorcycle. Oh! As a yougster how I longed for a Triumph or an Aerial. I used to watch the ‘Rockers’ as they were then known ride along the main road, one after the other on Triumphs, BSA’s, Aerials, Harley Davidsons, Royal Enfields & Norton Commado’s to name a few. Some were standard and some had been tastefully converted (using tried and tested parts – threse guys were fanatical about their bikes – added, as you got yo know these guys they were usually from an engineering / mechanical background and perfectly compentent in mechanical repair and modifying ) with Ape- hangers or to early type choppers, Oh! And loads of chrome.

However, although I was not old enough to have a motorbike of my own I actually ended up finding myself in the next best position. My dad knew a guy at the end of our road who, as a hobby, used to restore old motorcycles (mainly pre-war and upto the mid fifties), his name was Len.

Len had two very large sheds in his back garden and a large lock up garage. His garden then backed onto a wide twitten. Len didn’t make known to many about his collection and his hobby so I was, somewhat, priveledged. Believe me when I say that these three, large rooms if you like, were the absolute ‘Aladins Cave’ of the Motorcycling world. The two large sheds were full, top to bottom, with old motorbikes and spare parts, some new but mainly used that he had collected over many years. The large garage was where he did his work and stored the current completed and uncompleted motorcycles.  After getting to know Len for a while he finally revealed to me the bikes that were completely restored, nine in all. As he removed the canvas coverings I could not believe my eyes. These once old battered and rusty heaps were now in pristine showroom condition. There were Triumphs, Aerial, Norton and Enfield. Len started them up, individualy, as he did every week or so, they all started on the button and the sounds were amazing.

Some two years later I got a call from Len, he advised that he had now reached retirement age and was giving up his hobby and had contacted a company who had agreed a price on all the bikes and all the spares, however, for me he had kept one bike out of the equation, a Norton Commando, electric start 750cc on a featherbed frame. This bike was immaculate in every sense and was offered at a price lower than the company he had contacted would pay. However, at the time I had just married and my partner was expecting so I was not in a position to purchase at the time and had to decline. That regret has always remained.

In 1990 I had to have a major back operation and since then have found it very uncomfortable to ride bikes or drive classic cars and have had to give in to the modern day car with its ergonomic designs. However, over the years I have derived a lot of pleasure still from the Classic world by viewing instead of doing.

We hope the above has not bored you to much but it gives a little insight into me and were my interest in Classic Cars and Motorbikes comes from.

As time goes on we will alter the sight as neccesary to accommodate all but in order to do that we welcome your input, So please let us know by email if there is anything that you would like added, but bearing in mind that we are trying to keep the sight as clean, crisp and specific as possible with easy to use navigation.

Regards

Alan & Berni