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Unusual Sightings and associated memories.
Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 20 Jan 11 at 00:39
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Reliant Rialto "H" Reg - 1969/10970 ish IIRC # 40 years old.
The best that can be said was that there was no sign of rust!
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A Mercedes hearse, yesterday.
Not really unusual, but I was driving on the autobahn at around 160km/h and this thing shot past me like I was standing still. It was a W212 E-Class in a sort of matt gunmetal colour.
Left me for dead, it did;-)
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I was following a Reliant Robin the other day. Forgot how slow they are as I nearly rear-ended it after following it out of a T junction. :(
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he would have been frightened of doing a jeremy clarkson in it
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For the biking fraternity amonst us; twice today, both on the way up to Bishops Castle and again on the way back; a mint Kawasaki Z900, in metallic bronze.
Wasn't hanging about either. Loved those big old Kwacks.
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Z1 please. Mmmmm takes me back.
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>>on the way up to Bishops Castle
Oh dear Harleyman. You don't drive one of those Minsterly coaches I always seem to get stuck behind on the A488? Must be one of the most regular services around.
I wouldn't mind but I got stuck behind one once on the A5120 north of Luton. What was that doing there? ;>)
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>> Oh dear Harleyman. You don't drive one of those Minsterly coaches I always seem to
>> get stuck behind on the A488? Must be one of the most regular services around.
>>
I certainly do not. Coaches, no way...... sooner carry cattle. I'm driving this beastie;
tinyurl.com/37chdeo
Tend to use that road to go to Montgomery as it's less prone to mimsers than the alternative A483.
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I see you have a 'go-faster' light bar harleyman:)
I bet it gets used too trying to negotiate a country lane and pick your way into a cluttered farm yard at 6am on a winters morning!
We get criticised for having them in this area but the critics have never had to find a heap of sugar beet in a field in the dark or fog.
I have tipped in your yard too :)
Pat
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Any little blue lights on your washer nozzles? ;>)
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>> I see you have a 'go-faster' light bar harleyman:)
>>
>> I bet it gets used too
The air horns aren't just there for decoration either.... farmers tend to be elusive creatures when there are bags to be unloaded, and that pair will wake the dead! ;-)
You're right about the light-bar Pat, absolute god-send on narrow back lanes. And of course for reminding brain-dead cage drivers that they've left their rear fogs on. ;-)
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That just reminded me. I saw one of those Only Fools and Horses Reliant Regal vans the other day in Corby.
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dumped at the gates of the recycling centre and tip on the Stamford road?
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No Zero, that's one of the skips. Understandable mistake. ;-)
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>>A Chrysler 300c hearse near Chichester. ( no not the estate vesion of the saloon))
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..A Chrysler 300c hearse near Chichester...
I suppose plumbers deserve as a good a send off as anybody else.
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I saw a Honda CR-Z today, looked like a Scirocco/Honda Insight hybrid lookswise and quite striking - Im assuming this would be a grey import? It looked very current, DRLs, the whole bit.
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Nope - full blown "legal" Honda UK
www.honda.co.uk/cars/cr-z/
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It does look the business in the flesh, especially driven by a pretty young lady like this one was.
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Possibly the last trip for an old warrior. Sadly seen on the southbound hard shoulder of the M6 today just south of J17.
A Rover 3500 SD1 Vitesse in silver. Front end badly mashed. Must have failed to stop before connecting with something. Shame, it looked pretty well kept otherwise.
I had one as a company car many years ago. Ludicrously fast thing in its day.
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I swear that is my old Rover that I bought from plod and had sprayed (low bake) Arctic white, I had the engine totally rebuilt at vast expense by a specialist re-conditioner.
I bought another one a few years later, that light leafy N. Yorkshire green colour,
it had SD1 and boy did it shift :)
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>> Rover died after this car....
Tend to agree with that. I owned a 2000TC for a while, wasn't till I owned a BMW 5-series many years later that I felt I was driving anything with as much "class".
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Oh I don't know. My 827 was resurrected from the dead two or three times in the couple of years I had it...........
:-)
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They ought to get at least £3,000 for that P6 3500: the pictures suggest that it's sound and it's on sale in Dorking with a Surrey registration, so there's a sporting chance that the 60,000 mileage is genuine.
And a lot of people would agree with Zero about Rover's downhill slide post-P6: on the whole I do too, and certainly in terms of quality and reliability, for which once Rover had such a good name.
They used to attract very conservative buyers: apparently when the P4 came out in 1949 the Disgusteds of Tunbridge Wells thought that this was the end of civilisation as they knew it - let alone the P6 of 1963. (I can't think why - the P2 and P3, designed in the late 30s, were no oil painting.)
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shouldnt the rover say ermine white on its details?
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I'd like it to be er...MINE, I can tell you.
Lovely car, right engine and box. I may just suggest to swmbo that she cancels the cruise and........................................
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>>shouldnt the rover say ermine white on its details?<<
Dats why I said its my old Dog Bb, it was Zircon blue (ex plod) and I had it resprayed Arctic white.
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Never seen a Dog wiv a stirrer before!
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Saw a Chrysler Alpine recently, pootling along the A65 towards Kendal.
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I remember them. A neighbour in the early 90's had one, a blue 5dr hatchback with faded plastic bumpers and a very rattly engine ( they all were I think ). Well equipped for the time if memory serves.
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" (I can't think why - the P2 and P3, designed in the late 30s, were no oil painting.) "
Oi.. I had a P2 1946 Rover 16 : classic beautiful pre war design..
Pity about the death dealing front doors...
The move to anew factory in Solihull to produce the DS1 was the death of the Rover brand. The quality problems - due to poor build quality - were enormous. Then they introduced the 2300-2600 engines which lunched their cylinder heads and camshafts due to bad design.. that made things worse.
Then the Rover 800 Mark1 had so many quailty problems it made the Mark 1 Mini look a paragon of quality.
And the Mark2 Rover 800 was not much better..
Anyone who kept buying the cars was a nutter in my view...
(I had more than a passing acquaintance with Rover in the late 1970s and the SD1 problems and had 3 800s as an enforced company car -not all at once I hasten to add-:-) .. so I have some experience in the matter - all bad)
Last edited by: madf on Fri 13 Aug 10 at 15:55
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4 yes four lovely pristine Rover P5's travelling together today on A43 Nr Kettering.
As far as i could tell in passing t'other way only 1 coupe which i'm sure i followed one afternoon this week on the way home from work, all cars a credit to their owners.
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the only rover i like and would own
a proper proper british car
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Today, outside my mechanic's garage in North Kensington, an immaculate navy blue C Type Jaguar - a real one - on a trailer ready to have its MoT in the garage next door.
The only Jaguar I really really fancy actually. Pity there are so few of them that they are worth a king's ransom, although there are lots of replicas.
I forgot to look at its brakes - early ones had drums but it was the first car to get discs - but stayed to listen to it when the guy drove it into the garage. Sounded extremely healthy but the noise at just-above-idle revs wasn't all that thrilling. Still, sort of made that part of my day.
:o}
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I saw a blue C Type on the M5in Cornwall heading east last week - it was C suffix but couldn't vouch for its authenticity at that range !
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Earlier today, near Northwich, my first sighting of a BMW X1. Good grief it's ugly. There are some ugly cars about but that one is just abusing the privilege. It's ok for the driver - he doesn't have to look at it.
JH
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I saw one yesterday as well - bit more butch than the 1 Series - but not for me.
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Agreed JH. As for other current models eligible for the Moose of the Year award, I'd certainly shortlist the Skoda Fabia and the VW Scirocco. I find them both as visually offensive as litter.
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oops - I rather like the Scirocco. :-)
JH
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Ach, they're probably alright but my neighbour has one and he's a git so maybe I'm biased.......
:-)
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>> oops - I rather like the Scirocco. :-)
>>
It should be renamed "Who trod on that".
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A red Granada coupe. On the A49 near Acton Bridge.
JH
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I very, very nearly bought a 3.0 auto one of those...
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Did you get your staff to call you "Guv" ? Tell us you did......
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Back to the factory etc etc - it was a bargain (or so it seemed at the time) - someone beat me to it.
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A mint condition C Reg Cavalier Convertible in the West End of Glasgow yesterday. Roof was down, driven by a guy probably in his 50's.
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Just back from a long weekend in Rome and saw several immaculate 127's. However, I both looked for, and listened for, AlfasSuds, but none to be seen or heard. No car since has replicated that lovely rasping sound....though i stand to be corrected.
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> No
>> car since has replicated that lovely rasping sound...
Nothing to do with the engine.... it's the sound of a herd of hungry tinworms grazing!
Last edited by: Harleyman on Tue 31 Aug 10 at 20:12
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Round and about the New Forest over the weekend. Seemed to be some sort of Triumph outing on (several Stags and a lovely GT6). Also some sort of Beetle/VW Camper get together perhaps.
But the best was on the way home, A31 and M27. A dozen or so vintage commercials including a massive bonneted 'Mack' with silver exhaust stacks, Dutch plates I think. And to complete several more modern vehicles towing trailers of vintage agricultural machinery.
Presumably they'd been round Blandford for the Dorset Steam Rally. Anyone go?
Daughter and b/f travelling a few miles in ahead of reported seeing a few actual steam jobbies being trailed. They'd have created quite a jam on the A31 traveling under their own power!! .
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Mk1 Ford Mustang, in a deep blue colour
It was driving down the M5 on Saturday 28th of august, the car looked like it had just rolled of the production line absoutly stunning.
Driver had the roof down and was clearly enjoying the sun and drive with the roof down - what a lovely car.
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How is this for an unusual pair for the UK spotted within 30 seconds of each other.
Nissan Stagea belonging to one of the mechanics of our local independent garage, I have never seen one before in UK ( or abroad for that matter).
Matra Simca Bagheera actually in our local independent being worked on by the mechanic - the Bagheera had the vilest lime green coloured seats I have seen anywhere on anything.....
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A Renault Wind on the A1(M) near Wetherby in a North Yorkshire.
A Renault what?
That's what I thought.
It's a compact convertible with a glass roof panel which folds into the boot.
www.renault.co.uk/cars/model/windroadster/product.aspx
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Snap! I saw a wind today too. Cute little thing, IMO.
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Seen 2 Citroen SMs in last few days - one somewhere in Wiltshire near Trowbridge today (and going at a fair old rate!) and one on A64 in N Yorkshire a couple of days ago - both gold colour.
Would love one - failing that, a CX turbo would almost do!!
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There are probably more SMs left than CX GTI Turbos.
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Centre of Stockport, lunchtime.
A Ferrari 458 Italia. Registration F458RED. Sounded lovely away from the lights. Didn't catch fire either!
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I saw an expensive looking Mercedes coupe today (may have been a Maclaren, but I couldn't get a good enough look) that bore the registration M1. Which cost more, I wonder...?
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Porsche Panameras. Two of them on consecutive days last week. The first, a white one on Tuesday in Savile Row in central London. The second on the M6 on Wednesday and coincidentally parked near me later at Forton services. This one was black at first glance but on closer inspection was actually a very dark purple.
Now, these have been slated for ugliness in the press and I'd not seen one before other than on TG so expected them to be right mooses but you know what, they were both stunning to my eye. Not beautiful in the way of an Aston or a Maserati but very purposeful looking. Not lardy like a Bentley Continental either.
I liked them, not sure about white as a choice of paint but could imagine it looking very dapper in a dark gunmetal or something.
I probably want one. Not likely to happen in this lifetime though but never mind.
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An Alpine white X1 x drive - just like mine, glad someone else bought one !
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Was he selling posh ice-cream ?
:-)
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Yes - Iced pear parfait, poppy tuille biscuit and pear compote...no cornet though.
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Hmmm, think I saw this in Chesterfield a couple of days ago.Lovely engine sound.
I'm replying about the Ferrari- message seems to be inserted in wrong place.
Last edited by: Glaikit Wee Scunner Snr. {P} on Mon 25 Oct 10 at 12:23
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>> I'm replying about the Ferrari- message seems to be inserted in wrong place.
No, it's in the correct place. Change the thread to "view threaded" and you'll see it's been tagged onto Alastairw's message
www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?t=2350&v=t
(or alternately hover your mouse over the arrow at the start of the subject header)
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 25 Oct 10 at 13:34
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I have subsequently found out that this particular 458 is owned by one of those performance car hire clubs. How do I know? It is the car pictured in their magazine advert.
Last edited by: Alastairw on Mon 25 Oct 10 at 16:30
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Strangely, same thing happened to us last year - do you remember where you were at the time, I'm wondering whether this is not your run-of-the-mill hearse!
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Riley Elf (Mini derivative, circa 1968 I'd guess), light blue and pristine, in Taikoo Shing, Hong Kong today. Must be unbearably hot without A/C and terrifying whilst surrounded by all the monster 4x4s and Mercs but it brought a smile to my face - good luck to whoever was driving it. Surprised it hasn't rotted away in the humid and sea-salt laden atmosphere round here.
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Coming from Haslemere area past Guildford and up the A3 towards London on Saturday evening, after dark, saw a big white vintage-looking tourer a few cars ahead. Looked interesting and unusual, separate wings, sharp-edged bonnet, fuel tank I think slung at the back, and definitely vintage: narrow tyres, cart suspension.
It was going our way. Once on the A3 dual carriageway squirted past the intervening mimsers and past it. This required quite a bit of pressure on the loud pedal and a wander across the edge of strict legality. But of course it was night, there was traffic and I couldn't get a proper look at the front of the radiator cowl. From the side it suggested Railton to me, but the car looked too early to be a Railton. To the extent that I could see it under the circumstances in the mirrors, the front badge wasn't the little squarish lozenge of a Railton either but something with wings. There were two big flexible exhaust pipes stuck out of the nearside of the bonnet, with the tailpipe running down the n/s of the car and inside the rear n/s wheel.
My first thought had been Invicta anyway. It can only have been a recently fettled 4.5 litre because it went like the absolute clappers. It was very well driven. That Meadows unit made a mellow sound too. I swopped places with it four or five times in about twenty miles, trying to get a better look at the front and just enjoying proximity to the thing. After that the mimsers closed in (Westpig will know what I mean) and I let it go. Don't know where it turned off my route but quite close to London.
It had acceleration nearly as good as my car's and was driven at 70-85 (when there was no one in the way) while I was with it. It really did my heart good to see such elegant capable behaviour from a car eighty years old with drum brakes. Lucky owner, and/or driver, and lucky me to have shared the road with it. Herself wasn't terribly interested though, and I think she got a bit bored with my muttered speculations and random facts.
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>>>capable behaviour from a car eighty years old with drum brakes.<<<
I think that I would have stayed behind it, rather than have it tailgating at 85mph!
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I do assure you that no one was 'tailgating' at any point.
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>> Coming from Haslemere area past Guildford and up the A3 towards London on Saturday evening,
>> after dark, saw a big white vintage-looking tourer a few cars ahead.
Probably a Beaufort.........ugh !
Ted
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Factoid - Beaufords have the same doors as original Minis. I worry sometimes about knowing stuff like that.
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...Look - www.beaufordcars.co.uk/images/fielder_car.jpg...
What an ugly car, even the dog's looking the other way.
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>> Probably a Beaufort.........ugh !
I imagine you are joking Ted... but if you aren't, may I remind you of a certain photo containing a car that you should have recognised, and didn't?
:o}
Oh, and by the way, I can disagree once again with iffy and say that as pastiche body designs go, that one isn't what I would call ugly, anyway in the link photo. But I suspect the car is smaller than one might want, therefore a bit ridiculous. Cars that look like that have to be big.
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Tue 26 Oct 10 at 15:53
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Outside the local Italian restaurant, a very shiny black Renault Clio V6. Once I'd explained to SWMBO that it was like my sisters Clio 182, but with the engine in the back seats, she asked ,sensibly, was the luggage boot up front. I doubted that there would be much room up front with radiators etc.. But is there a boot as such?
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Who needs a boot when you're having that much fun?
John
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The other day We went to a craft fair in a little town that, to my surprise, featured a gathering of old - or interesting - vehicles. Among the exhibits was a Citroen Xsara estate that had been converted, by a group of delinquent school pupils according to the poster stuck on it, into a replica of a double decker London bus, using mostly plywood, chipboard and nails. I kid you not. It even had about 20 seats on the top deck, not to mention adverts on the sides. And I didn't even have the phone with me to take a picture.
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Among the other exhibits was a Facel Vega III, the last gasp of this now legendary marque - a pretty little copy of the earlier American V8-powered leviathans with a Volvo B18 under the bonnet.
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Shame you didn't have a camera - the kids must have been watching Summer Holiday or something !
Forgot to mention this in York last Sunday an immaculate Jaguar Xj40 lwb badged as a V12 - sounded pretty good on the tickover and looked pretty impressive as well.
Oh yes and another X1 in Alpine White !
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Austin A40 Somerset (I think).
I only got a brief three-quarter rear-end view, but it had that bloated A35 look and was in that pale, sludgy green they used to do.
I would've thought all this stuff should be tucked away in hibernation now!
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I saw what Im sure was a Barkas B1000, in blue and white on the A508 the other day.
I only know what it was because one of the lads in the classic car mags was running one and I recognised it.
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I saw a Passat GL5 this lunchtime. Looked fairly rust free, and the 5 pot motor sounded healthy.
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Well, well beyond ghastly! Westbound on the M4 near Reading at about 1300 - a Barbie pink Ford KA with a KA personalised numberplate and a very tacky matching pink body kit, spoilers, splitters etc. YUCK!!!!!!!
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A little 125cc motor bike riding along a main road dodging the ice - turned down a narrow country lane - well brave.
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Back in the dim and distant, my ex and I used to organise schoolkids ski races. We used to prep the courses ( flagged gates etc ) early on the mornings of the races. Best tool for the job was a little 125 trailie thing ( Yamaha maybe? ) which kicked around the resort. No one was ever sure who it belonged to. No-one had a bike licence either as far as we knew. We just used to use it to get up the slopes before the lifts started running. One driving, the other sitting on the back with arms full of poles and flags. Taught me a lot about riding bikes I suppose....must get around to doing my test some year.
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A UK '60' registered 2011 Ford Focus on the A21 Sevenoaks bypass yesterday morning.
Saw it coming up behind me at quite a pace and didn't know what it was at first. Disappeared into the distance so wasn't able to have a good look at it. As far as I can tell I don't think they are due to be launched until March/April.
Not sure what to think about the styling at the back. I think I prefer the current model- the new one looks a bit too fussy
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An ambulance doing about 10mph with blue lights on, heading for the local A&E on an unploughed or gritted main road through a foot of snow.
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Wow
A TESLA, at Fairoaks Airport. Didnt realise quite how good looking and sporty they were in the flesh.
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On New Year's Eve, driving the lorry up the A49 to Ludlow; a 1920's Bentley 3-litre, filthy, top down, and being driven hard like it should be!
This one definitely wasn't hibernating!
Last edited by: Harleyman on Sun 2 Jan 11 at 16:55
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We stopped at a hotel near Montpellier on our way to Menton. The manager had THREE circa 1990 Rover 827 coupes. How rare can that be? We had a long chat about the tapping noise you get from a cold Honda V6 and I tried, unsuccessfully, to explain about the Rover`s Return.
Then, this morning, on the esplanade at Menton among the ugly and boring modern Ferraris, a Rover SD1 Vanden Plas!
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They were nice cars in their time - were they hand built and cost around 30k - Off to the Austin-Rover site now for another hour or so !
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Had some very rich customers who had 827 coupes, they seemed to like them as a cheap slice of 'old England'. Cheap being relative of course. they always sold quickly when we did have them in.
I drove a manual 820 Vitesse coupe - that was a beastie, loads of torque steer, totally different character to the cushy 827 auto.
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BMW 760iL in black, looked newish, trundling along at about 40mph on a dual carriageway outside Durham City.
I imagine the owner can afford to go faster only when he's going downhill. :)
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Lada Niva yesterday on Eastern European plates of some description. I know they have a following but still...
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A Rover 820 Coupe in maroon near Caernarfon - a bit battle worn but in one piece and on the pace.
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Unusual Sightings Volume Six - Falkirk Bairn
