Classic cars reborn

Welcome to the motoring world of Hugh and Anne Marshall. They like driving – although travelling is probably a more accurate word – and see themselves as "fairly green".

They want a car for local errands and holiday trips to Wales and the West Country. Tomorrow they pick up their new English Setter, a rescue dog that will need to be transported in comfort. He is, after all, their new retirement chum.

It wouldn't be everyone's choice but today they are collecting their 1968 Morris Minor and you'd be hard placed to tell it wasn't straight out of the box. In shiny maroon paint, with fresh chrome on its bumpers and with its exposed ash frame (people used to say it was the only Tudorbethan car on the road in the 1960s) in impeccable condition, it sparkles in the sunlight.

In fact the Marshalls are typical of a growing breed of motorist for whom the conformity of a modern eurobox holds little allure. They ditched their "perfectly adequate" Ford Fusion and bought the refettled Minor for £18,000 – many people would consider this an eye-watering sum for a car that went out of production in 1971 and was still viewed as an old banger until fairly recently, rather than a classic car worth preserving.

But as converts to Charles Ware's philosophy of "durable motoring" (certain older cars should be treated like a house: endlessly repaired and adapted on a planned budget, minimising their impact on pocket and environment) they see the Morris as a sound, eco-investment. At Ware's Morris Minor Centre in Bristol every component has been stripped, rebuilt and, where possible, rust-proofed and re-used. Their Traveller has been adapted for 21st century motoring with servo-assisted brakes, halogen headlamps and a heated rear screen.

They could, had they wanted, have asked the MMC to fit a 1,300cc engine (£2,075), five-speed gearbox (£1,350), satnav connections (£210), and front and rear suspension conversion (£480) making it even more of a match for today's traffic. In fact they're happy with the original 1,098cc unit and four-speed gearbox. "We like the sound it makes, and we don't go fast. There's no point rushing up to the next red traffic light," says Hugh, a former advertising copywriter and civil servant.

Every week, handovers of similarly refurbished old cars are taking place outside family-run businesses the length and breadth of Britain, whether it's urbanite thirtysomethings spending £6,500 on a restored VW Camper for surfing holidays or self-made businessmen parting with the thick end of £300,000 for a comprehensively restored Jaguar E-type.

All are in search of something a little different, a little more rewarding – possibly a little more romantic – than anything a modern car showroom can offer. They're not necessarily interested in getting their hands dirty and restoring an older car themselves; they're happy to pay for an expert to do it for them and, in 2011, there is no shortage of small firms willing to do so, marque specialists and general garages alike.

"There is an upswing in interest in 'modern' classics and it's character that people are after, often mixed with a touch of nostalgia," says Nicholas Froome, whose Brighton-based business specialises in the extremely tough W124-series Mercedes estates of the late 80s/early 90s. Henry Pearman, of Sussex-based Eagle E-Types, adds: "Modern cars are all too similar. Drive a classic and people smile at you. They let you out at junctions instead of blocking you in."

At the Morris Minor Centre they sell 50-60 refurbished models each year, ranging from £6,000 to £23,000 and are constantly hunting for further sad saloons, convertibles and Travellers into which they can breathe fresh life. But as with Trigger's broom on Only Fools and Horses (he insists he's had the same one 20 years even though it's had 17 new heads and 14 new handles) it's hard to tell where vintage ends and modern begins. Such is the extent of the restoration work at Bristol, where there is a rabbit warren of old-fashioned, oily-floored workshops (they still roller on the primer, old-style, before flattening it with obsessive rubbing-down) that sometimes no more than 15 per cent of the car that was wheeled in at one end emerges into a new dawn at the other.

"People sometimes say that only the glass still looks old and with good reason," says Zac Ware who, when he isn't touring as lead guitarist with The Proclaimers, helps his father run the business. "The glass, along with the transmission tunnel, dashboard and roof, is one of the few parts on one of our extensive refurbishments that we don't replace.

"Of course you need to give an older car a bit more attention than a modern one to keep it in good condition," concedes Zac. "But buying one is greener than acquiring a brand new car whose manufacturer will exert an enormous toll on the environment. With a bit of attention you can keep a Morris going virtually forever. It's like a love affair."

WHERE TO BUY RE-BORN CLASSICS

BMW E30 3-series 1983-1990

Where: Old Colonel Cars, Hatfield, Hertfordshire www.oldcolonelcars.co.uk

Cost: £2,500-£7,000

Why you want one: "The E30 has tapped into the interest in retro, particularly the 80s," says owner Andy Miller. "The build quality was great then and they drive well. Some customers had them as company cars and want to re-live the experience."

Mercedes W124 E-class, 1985-1995

Where: W124, Independent Mercedes Estate Specialist www.w124.co.uk

Cost: £5,500-£12,000

Why you want one: "They are the best estate ever made and still drive like a modern car," says restorer and seller Nicholas Froome. "They don't depreciate much and they are classless; you can go to the dump in the morning and the Queen's garden party in the afternoon."

Jaguar E-type

Where: Eagle E-Types, East Sussex www.eaglegb.com

Cost: £75,000-£295,000

Why you want one: Eagle has been in the business for nearly 30 years and ploughs £25,000 of love, expertise and parts into its cars before selling them. Electricals, brakes and more are modernised "sympathetically".

Jensen Interceptor R

Where: Jensen International Automotive, Oxfordshire www.jensen-cars.co.uk

Cost: £117,000 (Supercharged £134,000)

Why you want one: JIA's "modern interpretation" of the British 60s and 70s classic is hand-built from original donor cars that are refurbished and treated to modern specifications including a 6.2-litre, V8 Corvette engine, independent rear suspension and new transmission. "We produce a modern Jensen without compromising on its spirit or heritage," says JIA's Tony Banham.

Volkswagen Type II Camper Van

Where: SouthWestSplitz, Exeter www.southwestsplitz.co.uk

Cost: £6,500-£25,000

Why you want one: "It's mostly middle-aged families," says Gav Harverson, who started trading five years ago. "It's all about summer, outdoors life and fun." Splitz carries out "wheels-up" refurbishments, entirely refettling all bodywork, gearbox, engine, wheels, braking systems and all linings.

Citroën DS (1955-1975)

Where: DS World, London www.dsworldltd.com

Cost: £10,000 for D Special to £20,000 for top-spec Pallas

Why you want one: "It's the aesthetics," says DS World owner Simon Lynes, "although some like the smooth ride and practicality." DS World has shifted from restoration to sourcing cars and says that good examples "are getting harder to come by".