Well maybe.
To qualify as a British sports car, you have to picture a cad with a flat cap and moustache climbing out of it, with a lecherous "Well Helllooooooo" Think Terry Thomas or Leslie Philips.
The fact Emma Peel climbed out of that Lotus, and twiggy had one, says it all.
Dont get me wrong, the lotus was an astonishingly good handler and great fun, but that means its not a british sports car, which should be rather unruly and a bit of a scruffy handler.
|
There are some classic Telegraph rubbish links on that page. Best of all is one that tries to challenge the evidence that young male drivers take the most risks by quoting a BTP survey of drivers who jump lights at level crossings.
Incidentally, does anyone really want to settle the question of the best British sports car? Isn't the point of enduring debates that they, well, endure? I mean, I know the answer to the one about the chicken and the egg, but I'd hate to spoil it for the rest of you.
|
>> answer to the one about the chicken and the egg, but I'd hate to spoil
>> it for the rest of you.
I am still astounded that we are discussing the birth of creation, the early proof of darwin theories, but roads and traffic were already in existence.
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 10 Jun 11 at 10:20
|
>>Dont get me wrong, the lotus was an astonishingly good handler and great fun, but that means its not a british sports car, which should be rather unruly and a bit of a scruffy handler<<
A bit like Lud and I then :-D
|
I've not driven enough of them to know.
The one I always liked was the Triumph TR6 with overdrive on third and top.
Unlike the 2500 PI saloon which had the overdrive switch on the gearstick, the TR6 had a thin stalk on the column.
Last edited by: Iffy on Fri 10 Jun 11 at 10:41
|
I've worked on & driven most of those jam jars (- TVR & XK) inc. TR4/5/6/7/8 etc., etc., etc.
The Lucas mechanical PI in the 2500 used to drive me clean round the bend :)
|
...The Lucas mechanical PI in the 2500 used to drive me clean round the bend :)...
It was great if you got a good one, but if it went wrong, it was a pig to fix.
|
>>It was great if you got a good one, but if it went wrong, it was a pig to fix<<
It's amazing to think some are still rolling, I wonder what they do about spares & repairs?
|
...I wonder what they do about spares & repairs?...
The good ones - which is all that will be left by now - probably don't need much of either.
|
>>The good ones - which is all that will be left by now - probably don't need much of either<<
But they will Iffy - if they needed new pumps in the 80's when I was working on them, they'll require those and more now I'll wager.
|
The headline says '10 of the best', not 'the 10 best'.
I think the number plate on that horrible example of the E Type says it all.
And I never could figure out what people see in Austin Healey 3000s. Noisy, no ground clearance, uncomfortable, etc, etc. The original Healey 100 was nice though.
And I didn't like the DB5 much at all. My pal let me drive his (for an article) all of 21 years ago - and he still owns it. Even back then he said I could say what I liked about it as long as I didn't talk about what it was worth.
Last edited by: Mike Hannon on Fri 10 Jun 11 at 10:49
|
>> Dont get me wrong, the lotus was an astonishingly good handler and great fun, but
>> that means its not a british sports car, which should be rather unruly and a
>> bit of a scruffy handler.
Bit harsh Zero, we're centre of the universe when it comes to engineering handling into cars. Lotus, McLaren, Williams, even historically, tyrell, toleman etc.
|
>> Bit harsh Zero, we're centre of the universe when it comes to engineering handling into
>> cars. Lotus, McLaren, Williams, even historically, tyrell, toleman etc.
I dont see any, Williams, Toleman, Tryell road going sports cars.
All of those cars mentioned in the OP, except the lotus, were scruffy handlers that would bite your head off.
|
|
A Ford Focus would thrash the backside off all of them, especially the Focus sportier models.
|
>> A Ford Focus would thrash the backside off all of them, especially the Focus sportier
>> models.
>>
Not a fair comparison, really
A bit like this www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmQ450ctKJs
|
>>Not a fair comparison, really
A bit like this www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmQ450ctKJs<<
That's a helluva way to beat the fraffic jams!
|
>> A Ford Focus would thrash the backside off all of them, especially the Focus sportier
>> models.
I think we can even kind of lay claim to the Focus - the lead on the "control-blade" rear suspension was Welsh and the majority of the team from within Britain's borders, even if they didn't do their sketches and what not here.
|
>> All of those cars mentioned in the OP, except the lotus, were scruffy handlers that would bite your head off.
Except the Lotus, and the other Lotus, and the Morgan, and the MGA, that harmless and pretty tourer (or 'wine gum' as a friend used to call such cars).
I knew someone who was killed driving an Elan, someone else who ruined two lives rolling a DB5 convertible I ask you... I'd been in that Elan quite a few times too.
They are all scruffy handlers when they go overcentre. And Jack the Lad will push his luck or forget what he's doing for a crucial moment or two. .
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Fri 10 Jun 11 at 13:44
|
This'll get the juices flowing. - Zero
