The Daily Vroom

Chris Harris and Car & Classic

If you’ve been watching the UK auction space closely, and we certainly have, you may have noticed a quietly intriguing development: Chris Harris has teamed up with Car & Classic.

Yes, that Chris Harris. Former Top Gear host, racing driver, YouTube OG, and longtime face of The Collecting Cars Podcast. The same Chris Harris who, up until mid-2023, was arguably Collecting Cars' most visible public asset, the voice of the platform, the one driving buzz with high-profile guests and sharp takes on the collector car market.

Then, suddenly last June, that relationship was over.

No lengthy goodbye, no transition. Just a short post: “We’ve parted ways.”
The forums lit up. Speculation swirled, was it creative tension? Business conflict? Personal friction? No answers, but plenty of rumors.

And now, in what feels like a subtle counterpunch, Harris has resurfaced, not just with his own podcast, The Car Podcast, but with Car & Classic as a partner.

The partnership hasn't been fully announced yet, but if you download the Car & Classic app, you’ll already see it: “Chris Harris’s Picks” hand-selected listings highlighted by Harris himself. A soft launch, perhaps, but clearly just the beginning.

It’s a smart move. While Collecting Cars and Car & Classic are very different beasts, with Collecting Cars focused on higher-end inventory and international reach (UK, Europe, Australia), and Car & Classic historically leaning more accessible, enthusiast-grade, the competitive tension between them is real.

Car & Classic’s sell-through rates have been strong, and they’ve been featured regularly in our leaderboard. In terms of total cars sold, they often go toe-to-toe with Collecting Cars, if not exceeding them. What they may lack in glitz, they’ve made up for in volume and consistency.

So grabbing Harris, even in a limited role is more than just PR. It’s a play for legitimacy. Personality. Edge. Harris brings eyeballs, trust, and credibility with both old-school collectors and younger enthusiasts alike.

Will he become the full-time face of the platform? Unclear. But this doesn’t feel like a one-off.
There’s probably more coming, whether it’s featured content, deeper curation, or even video.

One thing’s for sure: Car & Classic just became a lot harder to ignore.

We’ll be watching.

Auctions To Keep An Eye On

This one’s dangerous. A stealthy Alpine White E34 Touring stuffed with an E39 M5’s S62 V8 and 6-speed manual, riding on throwing stars and trimmed out in Ultramarine cloth Recaros. No badges, no flexing, just a full-send sleeper with all the right parts and none of the M cosplay.

Nearly 400hp, 6 forward gears, and rear-wheel drive in a long-roof package that still passes for a dad car. That’s a recipe for trouble in the best way.

Yes, it’s at 198k miles. And no, there’s no BAR sticker, so good luck smogging it in California without getting very creative. But the swap was done clean, the seller’s a known enthusiast, and the chassis is built to match the drivetrain, big brakes, dialed suspension, and fresh bushings everywhere.

Interior’s a vibe, too. That Ultramarine + wood combo shouldn’t work… but it really does.

This is the kind of listing that stops you mid-scroll.

A Fire Engine Red 1955 Gullwing, originally delivered to Lord Terence O’Neill, now offered with no reserve by one of the best in the business. When this seller lists something, you know it’s presented right. And putting this one up no reserve, that takes confidence. I respect the move massively.

This isn’t a filler Gullwing. It’s the real thing. Restored by Scott Grundfor, then refreshed over the last eight years by Don Mertz, with all the right paperwork, factory luggage, matching numbers, and that incredible red plaid interior. The photos speak for themselves.

It’s currently sitting at $1.12M with four days left. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see this climb into the high ones or better. Especially considering a 1956 Gullwing just went for $2 million a few weeks back. That one was cleaner mileage-wise, but this 1955 has the edge on provenance and presence.

This car has history. It has story. And with no reserve, it’s genuinely up for grabs. That almost never happens with a car like this.

One of just 289 built. Single headlights. Fuel-injected V8. And that color combo? Deadly in the best way.

This 1973 Series II is the kind of Aston you rarely see pop up in this condition. Finished in deep blue over black leather with gold-centered wheels, it’s been steadily improved over time, older Aston Workshop resto, fresh respray, new carpets, refurbished wheels, and over £10K in mechanical work in just the past year. Fuel system, electrics, gearbox, suspension, all gone through. Even has Apple CarPlay now, for the brave souls willing to daily it.

This is a seriously sorted example of a car that sits right on the edge of classic and under-the-radar exotic. It’s not a DB5, but that’s the point. This is the one you actually drive.

Compare it to a Dino or a carb’d V8 Vantage and it starts to look like a bit of a steal. Especially given how few Series IIs were built and how many of those haven’t aged well.

If this sneaks through without catching fire in the last few hours, someone’s walking away with a British bruiser that’s ready to enjoy now, not after a year in the shop.