When I was a young fellow, I wanted a British Racing Green MGBGT coupe with a Webasto sunroof. I never did get one. I got as far as having a navy blue Spitfire with wires and a chrome bumpered, wire wheeled navy bue Midget but I never got to the MGBGT.
Now, I know they weren't all that great but I just liked them and found myself reflecting on what might be a modern equivalent when I got stuck.
Some might argue that it's any 'warm' hatch but I'm not so sure. There was something much more appealing ( to me anyway ) about the overtly 'sports car' look and feel of those cars and their competitors than the tweaked up versions of everyday cars we get now. Accepting of course that they are all much better things in reality.
There was something intoxicating about the burble of the admittedly weedy engine and the waywardness of the rear grip, the low seating position and the smell of unburnt petrol from a carb fed engine...
Personality maybe is the word I'm searching for. Even if part of that personality was occasionally a stubborn refusal to cooperate in the basic requirement of being usable daily transport.
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BMW 3 series, or a supercharge jobbie on an MX5 (I've seen one and it went well).
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I don't think there is, or ever will be. In my late teens I bought a BRG Spitfire, 4 speed with overdrive on 3rd & 4th. Only 1500cc and handled like a pig. But looking back through rose tinted it was a joy to own. My best friend had a Frogeye Sprite. I never wanted an MG, either Midget or B or BGT, although the gf had a BGT in which she transported her two youngest girls around. The youngest in a Moses basket on the rear parcel shelf. Shock horror. Then a good pal, fresh out of uni and an aspiring architect, bought a Stag. Stanley we called it, and off we went to Monte. Had to be done. Another friend had a GT6. How we laughed.
I think half the fun was not knowing whether we would get to our final destination in the south of France, whereas today in an MX5 it's a given. Uncertainty gave an edge to motoring life in those days, especially when a chum joined us the following year in his 127 Sport which surprisingly made it there and back.
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>> I think half the fun was not knowing whether we would get to our final
>> destination in the south of France, whereas today in an MX5 it's a given. Uncertainty
>> gave an edge to motoring life in those days, especially when a chum joined us
>> the following year in his 127 Sport which surprisingly made it there and back.
>>
Oh yes. For all that we bemoaned the unreliability of such "exotica", even without the rose tint of nostalgia there's no denying that they were more fun, largely because by modern standards they were completely unpredictable; not just in reliability, but such things as handling, grip and braking.
I find the same with my bikes; I'm fortunate to have both modern and classic Harleys, and there's no denying that whilst the modern Sportster will cover journeys that might challenge its older sibling, it ain't nearly as fulfilling unless you ride it like an absolute hooligan, and even then that buzz palls after a while when you start to experience levels of discomfort which you'd gladly put up with on the 1972 model. There is also considerable satisfaction to be gained from turning up at an event on a bike older than most of the people there; I rode the (then) 70 year old WLC to Antwerp and back in November 2012, could have taken the modern one but it wouldn't have been half as much fun even if it probably did take me twice as long.
Off to Bishops Castle tomorrow for our annual Vintage Weekend which I've organised for the last 12 years; I shall be in the company of some rather exotic machinery, pics to follow.
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I don't think cars have personalities anymore, or even substantial differences. Everybody is converging on a small number of "perfect" solutions.
Hence the popularity of "classic" cars.
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When I was at that point one was either a Triumph man on an MG man. I was an MG man, for no better reason than the first reasonable sports car I could afford happened to be an MG.
Loved it though. Cannot for the life of me remember why I sold it.
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The MX-5 is probably the nearest you'll get to an MGB roadster (although it was I think inspired by the original Lotus Elan).
For the MGB GT I think I'd say the VW Scirocco with the 2.0 TSI engine. on the possibly spurious ground that both engines are ones which can inspire affection. (So does the BMW straight-six, but it's pushing it to say that's comparable to the MGB's B-series engine which was very much a four.
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>>>I don't think cars have personalities anymore, or even substantial differences. Everybody is converging on a small number of "perfect" solutions.
Agree. I don't think the feeling many on here have for their old 60s (to pick a popular decade) cars could ever be applied to more modern stuff... for me not even an MX5.
Never much liked sports cars much anyway as I always liked a bit of room and comfort.
So my progression was very swiftly Herald 12/50. VW 1500 Variant, Rover 2000, Rover P6 3500, Citroen DS and so on.
I would say though the current-ish 156 and 525 are like chalk and cheese... perhaps this last 10yrs since their days has seen the final coming together NoFM mentions.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Fri 16 May 14 at 00:37
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BTW found out yesterday next door but two has one just like this in his mum's garage... probably more fun in a less sanitised way than an MX5.
www.barryelysportscars.cloudbasedmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Yellow_Elise_R488_001.jpg
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What about your beloved Westfield, Caterham or Morgan too?
If you really want to go out on a limb Aerial Atom. That last one will reignite the will we won't we get there. The machine will but will the flesh?
None of them will give you the unburned fuel smell though...not like the 60s and 70s when you all had money to burn (or not) in this case.
Last edited by: gmac on Fri 16 May 14 at 06:12
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One of the major difference between when I started driving and now is of course that as a 17/18 year old it was perfectly possible to get reasonably priced insurance on a 'sports' car. Can you begin to imagine what that would cost now on an MX5 ?
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I think I paid about £98 TPF&T on an MG Roadster and I had a horrible driving record.
As you say, it would be in the many 000's now.
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Aged 18, £13 pa TPFT on a Midget. Living in Edinburgh, no naughties. Circa 1976.
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It was more expensive in civilisation.
I seem to remember my Norwich Union unlimited riders policy was around £20, maybe I mis-remember the car premium.
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Current insurance costs for 19yr old daughter with almost 1yr experience are even affecting what Mrs F can drive as we need to have daughter on the insurance when she's back from Uni. Although there are other factors too it was the deciding factor in not keeping the Alfa on for Mrs F and moving her C3 on.
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Fully comp would have been £36 I recall. Couldn't have afforded that.
I guess if you consider it cost a fiver to brim the tank and that might be £50 now or something then even relatively speaking the insurance was cheap.
Fags and beer were do-able too.
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>> Fags and beer were do-able too.
The relative absence of violent civil unrest suggests to me that they still are Humph.
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Renault Wind (pfrrrrp)
Smart Roadster Coupe
Citroen C4 Coupe
Honda CR-Z
Peugeot 207CC
Bit older - Mazda MX-3?
??
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My retirement present to myself is going to be an MX5. Lovely looking car and I don't care if it drives like a pig or not.
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Won't though will it. Supposed to be very neat handlers. Watch the speed cameras though. Some folk get less observant when they retire y'know.
;-)
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Of course the BGT was a coupe, which makes me think the Toyota GT86 is the modern equivalent. Once the boy finishes university, and I don't need such a roomy car, it will be on my shortlist.
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>>My retirement present to myself is going to be an MX5
I understand getting four wheel alignment done by a specialist can transform the handling. They come out of the factory 'to a tolerance'. I notice on my daughter's there's adjustment possible on the rear suspension.
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What's the new one? - swiss tony
