***** This thread is now closed, please CLICK HERE to go to Volume 17 *****
Unusual vehicles one stop shop...
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 25 Jun 12 at 01:02
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In the middle of Esher I joined at the back of a queue of stationary vehicles.
The car in front was a Smart car with a large sign in its back window "Long Vehicle"
I smiled at the sense of humour. When the traffic moved off it became apparent that the Smart was attached to the medium sized RV ahead of it.
IMO an "On Tow" sign would have been better.
just edited the subject headers of the first few posts as moved from vol 15 to 16.
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 14 Mar 12 at 21:37
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There's a Smart that parks near here occasionally. The letters A R S E, in the same size and font have been added under SMART on the rear.
It makes me smile.
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 14 Mar 12 at 21:36
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Something like this?
tinyurl.com/8yvxw37
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 14 Mar 12 at 21:36
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i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/03/12/article-2114059-12230CCD000005DC-429_964x549.jpg
How on earth did a Dauphine end up there? It is a Dauphine, isn't it?
I can't imagine a car less likely to appeal to Americans.
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 14 Mar 12 at 21:35
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Yes its a Dauphine. The yanks bought shed loads of them because it was pretty, then they realised they all went rotten after the first east coast winter.
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 14 Mar 12 at 21:35
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Forgot to mention, a pristine VelSatis on a 55 plate on the M1 last week, didn't know they were as recent as that.
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 14 Mar 12 at 21:35
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I don't think they were. It could have taken an unfortunate dealer that long to flog it.
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 14 Mar 12 at 21:36
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Yesterday, near Llanwrtyd Wells, a Skoda Estelle Coupe; tatty, faded yellow and being driven quite spiritedly by a lady looking to be well on the wrong side of 70.
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 14 Mar 12 at 21:36
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MG6 parked up in a car-park quite sharp looking really. Owned by MG Car Sales according to the plates
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A MK3 Ford Granada this morning, very big looking even now, guessed the rest of them have rusted away to nothing, very forward looking in its time.
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Mk3? As in jelly mould shape you mean? I had a 2.9 4x4 one of those in Ghia trim. Dark grey. Great car. Tad thirsty.
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Found the Mk3 a tad like a salad dodging sierra.
I am Mk1 man myself
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>> I am Mk1 man myself
What? Like a Neanderthal or something?
:-)
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>> >> I am Mk1 man myself
>>
>>
>> What? Like a Neanderthal or something?
>>
>> :-)
yeah kinda, the model before the tartan skirt and wode makeup wearing one.
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 16 Mar 12 at 18:15
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Spotted a well cared for Austin A35 van this morning. Don't see many of those around.
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Peugeot 605 on a N-plate this afternoon joining the A14. Looked like a low-spec one and was tatty in the way all old french cars are.
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well at 16 years old its allowed to be a bit tatty.
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Yesterday on A5 in Northants two seperate Ford Consul - Capris.
tinyurl.com/6rr7y6x
Both in a fetching aquamarine.
One parked up outside John's Motors at Foster's Booth (always a good spotting place) and the second running south from Weedon towards Towcester.
The garage's resident Lotus Cortina was also out in their yard.
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Last Friday, M25 just outside the rush hour peak, a pre war Bentley Speed 6, driven by someone who was impersonating Biggles.
It was however the way it was being driven, 80mph, generally bullying people out of the way, sometime with the aid of a raucous blast of claxon. I followed it in the light blue oily smelling haze it trailed behind, windows open stereo off to revel in the roar of the engine and whine of gears. (no not the lancers!!!)
Last edited by: Zero on Sun 25 Mar 12 at 09:44
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A handful of interesting cars jostling for position with the weekend bikers in Leyburn market square in North Yorkshire this afternoon.
An 'F' reg XJS HSE convertible parked next to a tidy-looking G-reg Mustang hardtop.
A 61-reg Porsche Cayman crept past, as did what I think was a newish Maserati convertible.
The driver dropped the hood while the car was in motion, presumably because he can.
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M6 northbound this aver ( see I can cut it with the yoof )
A Sikh on a superbike, no helmet but with a pair of Raybans in black to match his turban. Good man !
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>> M6 northbound this aver ( see I can cut it with the yoof )
>>
>> A Sikh on a superbike, no helmet but with a pair of Raybans in black
>> to match his turban. Good man !
>>
Probably the Turbanator out on a mission.
Good lad....you do see a few more Asian guys on bikes now, fewer Afro-Caribs.
Rarely see either group camping or caravanning. I asked me mate Ali about this and he said, in respect to his lot, that Sundays were ' family ' days. I guess thats why there are lots of Asians on the motorways at weekend.
Each to his own, of course.
Ted
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Fair do ! Saw a little Daf 33 out for an evening last night - glorious empty roads on Anglesey - a good ride.
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I was driving through our village and saw an oncoming Roller. It was one of the brand new Ghosts, bright blue with silver bonnet. An absolute stunner, I almost flashed the lights to wave. I see Bentleys every now and again around these parts but that's the first sighting in Warsaw. Put a big smile on my face.
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Reliant Fox van in red, driven by an eccentric looking fella in his 60's. Rather rare beast.
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>> Reliant Fox van in red, driven by an eccentric looking fella in his 60's. Rather
>> rare beast.
>>
The car or the driver?
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>> an eccentric looking fella in his 60's<<
Sounds like me (almost)
:o}
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An Aston Martin
Cygnet
In a very Aston like pale green colour.
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saw on wednesday tesco car park, rover 75 (p4) circa 1950 in 2 tone garage door green absolute minter
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Saw what must have been a very nice Vauxhall Astra GTE 16v on a G plate - blowy exhaust spoilt it a bit, a good clean and a tweak or to would have made it a very tidy car, seemed rust free...lovely motor that 16v unit.
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Parked next to a Renault 4 the other day. Had the plastic grill so I guess a late 80s model, and presumably the last production car to be fitted with sliding front door windows. Red paintwork had been baked matt, but rust free indicating it had spent most of its life somewhere warm and sunny.
Very strange proportions compared with today's cars. Narrow and relatively short, but very high. Most shocking thing though were the panel gaps. I reckon the gap between the front and rear door on both sides was about 3cm.
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A soft top Metro, or was it a Rover 100, in Helensburgh today.
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C plate Mini Moke went past as I came out of the village Co-Op just now; haven't seen one in years.
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BMW 6 Gran Coupe. First one I've seen which is strange as they build them here. Very very nice. Made a spectacular noise as it went past me, suggesting something V8 with lots and lots of horses. Anyone know where I can sell a kidney?
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An hour or so on local roads then A5199/A428/A5 with the Lad helming the 'lingo (test before too long) revealed the following:
Ford Consul Corsair en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Corsair (looked as though it was in daily use)
Several MGA/MGB/MGB-GT (club run I suspect)
Jensen Interceptor (on a trailer)
And parked outside the Heart of the Shires shopping place around half a dozen Triumph Stags.
Quite a few unidentified interwar or just post war sit up and beg type saloons too - guess the spring summer meet season is getting under way.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sun 22 Apr 12 at 16:27
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In Ireland a beautifully rendered Rover (SD1) Hearse - class.
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>>In Ireland a beautifully rendered Rover (SD1) Hearse - class<<
No pic, what a shame.
I was at a funeral in Yorkshire when I saw a matched hearse and following car that were stretched Jaguar XFs. That would do for me...
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...No pic, what a shame...
Here's an estate, and a couple more SD1 oddities:
www.roversd1.nl/sd1web/gallery3.html
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>>I saw a matched hearse and following car that were stretched Jaguar XFs. That would do for me...
I was at a funeral last week. Big jag hearse and a matching simple stretched jag attendedl
www.flickr.com/photos/wyliefox/6833730986/
E Type hearse ???
dayerses.com/jaguar-hearse.html
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What a dreadful looking Jaguar. Nothing like the sleek one I saw. Is that what the trade calls a double-decker?
I still like the old SD1, in spite of having owned a couple and going through the usual grief. It was a lovely motor to drive. I saw one mouldering away in a roadside parking space in Menton last winter and mentally assessed what it might need...
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Went to the Dutch bulbfields last week. Near Den Haag overtook a fully speced vintage Camaro towing a caravan. Not a good combination!
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A Fiat X1/9. Unfortunately it was behaving in typical 70s Fiat fashion, and was being towed by an AA Transit.
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Went past one of the Santana Land-Rover derivatives this morning. Fairly recent one by the look of it with a 2.8TD according to the badge. Was RHD as well.
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A rather tatty but serviceable looking Hinda Civic dating from 1976 in Chester today.....Humph, yes we did do Cheshire Oaks (but only a surgical strike) and only because it's over the road from the Touratech place.....(hugely desirable shiny German motorcycle kit)
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Trying to wind me up tonight? What with you and "that place" and AshT and "those" cars !!
One took coffee in Selfridges in Oxford St today oneself.
:-)
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A pristine Range Rover Evoque that looked as if it had never had its wheels off tarmac with a towball fitted. :-)
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Parked by the road at Royan, on France's west coast, a very recent black Jaguar XK of some sort with privacy glass in the back window that made it look as if there was no window there at all. It was there two days and attracting attention each time I saw it.
Apart from those ridiculous vents in the front wings it really did look the business - ie in a class above its own and worth about twice what it actually cost new.
That, of course, is what Jaguar always used to do best...
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Jag always had that knack...hopefully it always will.
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I had a close encounter with an M reg Nissan Sunny today.
Nothing unusual about that of course but, this one was rust free!
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A couple on the A1(M) on my way to the caravan.
An 11-reg Aston Martin four door - very tasty, despite the mucus beige colour.
A 61-reg Hyundai i40 estate, not as tasty, but moderately striking for a mass-produced car.
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Yes I like the I40 Estate at first glance, and thought it striking.
Now having seen a few, I still think its striking, like someone has struck it repeatedly with a machete. There are slash marks all over it.
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I was passing this guy's showroom yesterday in a little town about an hour from me, so I stopped in for a look. He always has wonderful stuff but his prices are, well, eye-watering.
Jammed between everything else in the middle of the showroom was this:
www.novaweb.fr/index.php?option=com_expautos&view=detail&catid=1&markid=0&model=0&id=2654
Not exactly pocket money...
Incidentally, did you know the Italian firm Innocenti not only made their own versions of Minis and Austin Healey Sprites, I have now seen with my own eyes the Innocenti Regent - a 1.3 Allegro!
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Nice one Michael, if I had Lud's sort of money etc., etc., etc.
;)
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>> I was passing this guy's showroom yesterday in a little town about an hour from
>> me, so I stopped in for a look. He always has wonderful stuff but his
>> prices are, well, eye-watering.
>> Jammed between everything else in the middle of the showroom was this:
>>
>> www.novaweb.fr/index.php?option=com_expautos&view=detail&catid=1&markid=0&model=0&id=2654
>>
>> Not exactly pocket money...
>>
>> Incidentally, did you know the Italian firm Innocenti not only made their own versions of
>> Minis and Austin Healey Sprites, I have now seen with my own eyes the Innocenti
>> Regent - a 1.3 Allegro!
>>
Rather like the look of the 69 Merc SL further down the page. Only 2 owners from new, but would have to question there 100% French origin statement :-)
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I now discover that the Italian Allegro - the Innocenti Regent - had a much more accented version of the infamous 'quartic' steering wheel. I found it perfectly acceptable on the Allegro I (briefly) owned and a very good thing on the Rover SD1s I had.
Interestingly, the Italians seemed to have called it a 'squircle'!
Never heard that one...
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There was a souped-up version of the Messerschmitt with four wheels that could do 90. But even that is yet another car I wouldn't want even if I had Lud's money. Or any other Heinkel or Isetta come to that. They were ingenious but horrible, with lawn-mower engines. The 2CV is a proper car, but not those things. They are modern 'cyclecars'. There's a new generation appearing now, much of it battery or hybrid powered.
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While walking in the North Downs today I came across a 1970s American RV with Gulf and John Player Norton livery.
Found a picture on the internet here - www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=1143220
A very strange beast with no front doors on either side, only entry was through door half way down the side.
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By coincidence, this morning I saw a BMW Isetta bubblecar, but the four-wheel version with the two back wheels very close together. I wonder why they did that? Some tax advantage perhaps?
My next-door neighbour is riding shotgun today in a Dyane on the London-Brighton 2CV run, setting off from the Ace Cafe.
Chacun a son gout...
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A MK3 Ford Cortina in a bright yellow as well as very unusual (if not rare) Triumph Herald estate in a sort of blue -late model on a J plate....nice. Also saw a very large tractor just outside Betws y Coed, the driver having taken a junction too sharply and rolled the trailer onto its side - the front of the VLT was clawing the air - looked expensively damaged. loads of pick ups parked around with ruddy faced yeomen standing with hands on hips. Somebody would have had to go without supper last night...
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He'll probably have his sheep priveleges denied for at least a month.
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Yesterday. A lovely old coach in North Kent.
A moble bank with a balcony on the back like some USA carriages have.
I cannot find a photo of it.
On Tuesday at Hersham, a pair of gun metal grey new McLarens dawdling along in tandem. I assume on a trip from Woking.
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Driving from Congleton to Macclesfield yesterday am, followed a lovely 1946/7 Rover 16 (or 14 or 20 - cannot tell) for 8 miles driven at c 40-45 mph by an elderly gentleman.
Used to own one as student..
This one had non original light indicators as well as (working) semaphores. No smoke from engine. Body appeared rust free..
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A Jaguar XJ220 on the track a Goodwood yesterday in the rain. lovely noise though
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Quite a few today - drove to Betws y Coed to meet a biking buddy...on the way saw a good half dozen 1920s style sports cars, two big ones, one a striking yellow looked to my untrained eye like a Bently 3.0 litre....A little Lotus Seven was dwarfed by these sandwiched as it was between us. It seemed a genuine Lotus from the badging when I saw it parked up later.
Also a very well used looking Triumph 2.5 - on a K plate, making it a 72. There was a big video camera strapped in a purpose made bracket mid-windscreen. It was making steady progress, tall, narrow bodied now in between the SUVs and rounded Euro-Boxes.
A White 12 plate Mondeo estate with integrated LEDs....mentioned a few posts ago viz viz the Focus.
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...drove to Betws y Coed to meet a biking buddy...
Drove?
Still raining is it?
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Yes drove. Got what appears to be a Tennis Elbow - it was particularly painful this morning, so figured dragging a big bike about wouldn't help, it had markedly improved by this afternoon. The weather was quite nice actually and yes, I am an all year round rider and will ride in the rain like I did last weekend ! Got home and cut the grass !
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You could always try motoring bingo - throw all the keys into a bowl and jump in or on which device fits the key you pull out.
Probably best to leave the mower key on the hook.
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>> Yes drove. Got what appears to be a Tennis Elbow - it was particularly painful
>> this morning, so figured dragging a big bike about wouldn't help.
Most go us use the engine and ride it, yours broke?
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Would it be too much of a fish in a barrel thing to connect owning three BMWs to having one sore arm?
:-))
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Tennis elbow or golfer's elbow can be improved greatly by simple physiotherapy. Instructions are available on-line.
Trust me, I know!
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The good Scottish doctor may have a view ! All rather irritating never had any real aches and pains, but this has been quite persistent. At one point I thought it might be motorcycle related but still persists despite taking a week's break from that - I bought some Tubagrip in Ireland which eased it somewhat. Zero, it's lugging 229 Kg of German metal around whilst parking that caused me to baulk at taking it today - went out yesterday....
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>> Yes drove. Got what appears to be a Tennis Elbow - it was particularly painful
>> this morning, so figured dragging a big bike about wouldn't help,
And the bike could lead to more problems...
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2137471/Henry-Wolf-sues-BMW-hour-motorcycle-ride-leaves-year-erection.html
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1935 Morris 8 outside a preserved and restored 1850 pumping station. The car had a sliding head which I thought was unusual for a car of that age. It also had two spare wheels and a luggage box mounted on a rack at the rear.
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Brighton yesterday in the glorious sunshine, hundreds of MGs of all shapes and sizes and only one broke down - an unusual sight? Lots of American muscle cars, every Japanese super bike ever made and a mint tangerine orange Laverda Jota. Only went on a whim but new parking prices mean it is £10 for 3 hours street parking, think I'll take the bikes next time and park out of town.
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"Only went on a whim but new parking prices mean it is £10 for 3 hours street parking, think I'll take the bikes next time and park out of town."
Presumably down to the loony Green council who once they have driven all the visitors (& the money they would have spent) away will be wondering why the town is going the same way as some of the other seaside places being discussed in another thread !
Last edited by: Skip on Mon 14 May 12 at 09:23
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Saw a Nissan Stagea this morning, at first glance I thought it was a Volvo estate. Spotted at a transport cafe while munching a bacon roll. :-)
Last edited by: Old Navy on Mon 14 May 12 at 12:26
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>Saw a Nissan Stagea this morning, at first glance I thought it was a Volvo estate. Spotted at a transport cafe while munching a bacon roll. :-) <
That's darned clever. How do they get it to do that? ;-)
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Lovely old P4 Rover in a two colour off white/green scheme.
Uncle had one in the mid sixties after a small win on the Pools. Remember the walnut dash and leather upholstery as very different to the chrome/paint/plastic in Dad's Victor Estate.
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More AM Cygnets. One locally, near Esher, with a personal number plate and three S/h in a line at HWM Motors - AM dealer - at Walton on Thames.
( I know its cheating as they are on a dealers site.)
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My tyre man turned up at the garage with his latest purchase......
....a Mazda Proceed Levante 2 litre TD automatic.....now, that's got to be unusual.
It's mint, as well.....1995 N plater.
Ted
Last edited by: Ted on Fri 25 May 12 at 23:00
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Two Audi R8 - a white hard top giving it beans in the A55 crossing Britannia bridge a very dramatic yooowwwwl, and a soft-top one in a very alluring flat green with the black panels....very very urban. Class.
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Lots of rag-tops in the City today with the tops down...as they should be.
Voyeurs paradise today in Piccadilly with all the young women.
Stunning blonde waiting at the tram stop next to me today..... sun bronzed, summery short dress.....then you looked down and saw she had gladiator sandals up to the knee...blechhhh.
Ted
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>>
>> Lots of rag-tops in the City today with the tops down...as they should be.
>> Voyeurs paradise today in Piccadilly with all the young women.
The B provided a similar vantage round London yesterday. Mind you, so did sitting in the sandwich bar at lunchtime.......
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...so did sitting in the sandwich bar at lunchtime...
When I was living in London, the Evening Standard did a picture spread of fit looking women having their lunch in Golden Square, Soho.
I doubt many people read the words, but they were by the fashion writer along the lines of how to look good in the hot weather.
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A big old Caddilac with fins parked in The Old London Road, Kingston near the famous red phone boxes.
Seeing it parked by the kerb amongst the Euroboxes, it looked a staggering size.
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Three on the A55 today - A very large red 1960s Pontiac - glorious sounding engine in the Conwy tunnel - he was giving it beans as well. A dog running between lane 2 and the reservation, I braked, mirrored I saw the dog bolt across lane 1, but a switched on driver in a Porsche was already braking and hazards going. And a Porsche PanAmerican looking glorious in white towing a Caravan FFS.
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Saw a Tesla Roadster yesterday. Seen about 4 or 5 up to now which surprised me 'til I discovered there is actually a Tesla dealer not far from here. They're a bit clunky looking to me in real life, like a Lotus Elise with a dodgy facelift.
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>> Saw a Tesla Roadster yesterday. Seen about 4 or 5 up to now which surprised
>> me 'til I discovered there is actually a Tesla dealer not far from here. They're
>> a bit clunky looking to me in real life, like a Lotus Elise with a
>> dodgy facelift.
>>
I was struck by the irony at the weekend as I overtook one on the A2 just north of Maastricht airport............while driving a Prius.
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Followed an early model Moggy Minor out of the village this morning. Old enough to have a small rear window and only red lights at back. Seen before, think it belongs to one of the school keepers at The Lad's comprehensive.
As it turned into school gate out popped a dinky little trafficator. Just an arm with dim orange light at the end; how quaint!!
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I was in a little mountain town in the southern Auvergne the other day - Riom-es-Montagnes. Around the corner from the old-fashioned hotel was a long-disused filling station and showroom. I rubbed a gap in the layer of dust coating the showroom window because I thought I saw a familiar shape inside. Et voila - an obviously derelict but tidy looking Rover SD1 2600, the same gold colour as the one of which I have fond memories. Probably left to die when its camshaft or head gasket failed.
Last edited by: Webmaster on Sat 2 Jun 12 at 00:08
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Driving towards Oradour-sur-Glane yesterday, feeling quite euphoric because a woman in the supermarket car park looked at (the side view of) the Prelude and said 'quelle belle voiture', when I saw a very familiar shape coming the other way.
To my surprise, no less than three Morris 1000s went past. I've never seen one in France before, that I remember.
The only - rather unlikely - reason I could think of for their presence was the annual 'sport et collection' weekend, an annual nice couple of days of voyeurism and racing at the little-known but excellent Circuit de Val de Vienne, about threequarters of an hour away.
All the Moggies were French LHD as far as I could see and one was on local plates. They were followed closely by a very tasty-looking recent Jaguar XK, identical to the one owned by the guy from whom I bought the Beast. He did say he might want to buy it back after three years...
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I had to look this one up after seeing it yesterday, in Wilmslow.
After some googling of 'tortoise badge' it turned out to be a....
Gordon Keeble! One of only 99 made, if Wikipeadia is to be trusted.
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Wilmslow !....You must have Lud's money !
Ted
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Just about fit Lud's dosh in there, Doggy.
Ted
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I don't live in Wilmslow, Ted - and definitely don't have Lud's money!
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Reliant Scimitar or should that be a Scimitar Reliant ;-}
Very well preserved in navy blue. Another credit to John's Motors at Fosters Booth - once Reliant dealers IIRC.
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This was parked on the drive of one of the houses I just walked past with the dog:
www.flickr.com/photos/28439790@N03/7304539348/
Didn't look as if it was in 'storage', although I suppose it might have been to a weekend meet of some sort.
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Unusual Sightings - Volume 16 - henry k
