A forecourt TF that was one of our cheapie offers has found a very enthusiastic new owner. He has carpeted his garage in readiness for it, but we have also worked out a scheme of work to tidy the car up before he takes it home. As well as enjoying it himself, the new owner wants his adult son and daughter to be able to share in the fun when they visit, and so we have fitted a better hood for him along with a softer suspension set-up. Now we are sorting out a few minor bodywork issues which should leave it looking very sharp indeed.

Currently not looking quite so sharp is a Midget in the workshop with accident damage, but despite the frost and ice we have been having recently, this damage was caused during a track incident rather than on the road. We thought initially that the structure of the Midget might have been twisted by the impact, but we are now hopeful that the damage – though extensive – was limited to the outer panels and we can return it to fighting form sooner rather than later.

There has been a lot of talk in the press recently about people cutting back on their expenditure, and for obvious reasons. We do occasionally see the negative results of this economising, whether it is clogged oil filters from skipping services or MOT failures for safety-related problems. We know it can be tough, but we really would urge owners not to cut back too much because a neglected car is likely to be an unsafe car.

Talking of cutting back, we often hear customers wondering whether the classic car market has gone particularly quiet because of the current economic squeeze. We don't think that is the case because although cars may be taking longer to sell, that is just a seasonable shift and as soon as spring arrives, people's thoughts will return to classic motoring and the cars will start to sell. We've got a beautiful early Midget in the showroom for example, but we are not expecting to find a new owner for that until the weather warms up and the sun is shining. We will be sad to see the Midget go, but we can't wait to leave winter behind.