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Cars You Never See Anymore

I don't get the love of ANYTHING with a 2.3 slant engine! I made the mistake of owning a few in my youth, and they were dog shit! Yeah they had a lot of torque but they were dog shit! The worst car purchase I ever made was an Esprit turbo, with an aluminium version of the slant. I used to ubuse my cars, and that one was no different. It lasted a full week before the engine shat itself. Even if it had lasted longer, they constantly pissed oil from the rocker cover gaskets. The engines were dog shit in iron, but much worse in aluminium. They twisted like overcooked spaghetti... Baggashite!
 
I saw one of these beauties in Chelsea yesterday :)

MB_190_SL_am_2006-07-16_%28ret_kl%29.JPG
 
I didn't know where else to post about "halo" cars, a term I have just learnt. What were they thinking? A look at the 10 worst ‘halo’ cars


There is some right dross in there but also some that are unfairly maligned. The Volvo 262C is a magnificent device as long as it has the euro headlights. The XJ220 served the purpose of a halo car very well and boosted the Jaguar brand at a time when it badly needed it. The Cadillac Alante has aged very well I think and the Northstar V8 ones are quite desirable.
 
The Jag 220 was a beautiful car but comes with strings. I think there is only one person able to service them, thats if you can afford one/find one for sale?
 
The Jag 220 was a beautiful car but comes with strings. I think there is only one person able to service them, thats if you can afford one/find one for sale?

Despite the fact that only 250 were ever made there are always plenty for sale. They were the same price as an F50 when they were new and are now worth approximately 10% of an F50...
 
The car at the far end of the road was my father’s. The photo is said to be 1959 but may be earlier. My sister thinks it was a Ford Popular, and he always used a starting handle
View attachment 241951

Possibly built at the Ford Doncaster Plant. It closed in 1963 due to the government’s slow response to Ford demanding the construction of the M18 to connect the plant to the ports of Hull and Immingham and the M1.
Production was moved and increased at Halewood and Dagenham.
Originally Briggs Motor Bodies, Ford bought Briggs out.
A Donny rather than a Dagenham dustbin.
 
Possibly built at the Ford Doncaster Plant. It closed in 1963 due to the government’s slow response to Ford demanding the construction of the M18 to connect the plant to the ports of Hull and Immingham and the M1.
Production was moved and increased at Halewood and Dagenham.
Originally Briggs Motor Bodies, Ford bought Briggs out.
A Donny rather than a Dagenham dustbin.
Thanks, interesting history - my sister now thinks Dad had his Ford Popular well before 1959, when (we’re told) the photo was taken, but the car in the foreground looks even older. I think in 1960 he had a Standard Vanguard estate, with side-hinged rear doors, I was four then and it’s the first car I remember.
 
Thanks, interesting history - my sister now thinks Dad had his Ford Popular well before 1959, when (we’re told) the photo was taken, but the car in the foreground looks even older. I think in 1960 he had a Standard Vanguard estate, with side-hinged rear doors, I was four then and it’s the first car I remember.
Donkey's years ago my parents had an Ensign Standard, reg. YOU 659. A huge solid whale of a car, built about 1957. The name was quickly dropped
because of the image that "Standard" conveyed. I think over the years I have seen just 2 at shows.

1609577400024.png
 
Donkey's years ago my parents had an Ensign Standard, reg. YOU 659. A huge solid whale of a car, built about 1957. The name was quickly dropped
because of the image that "Standard" conveyed. I think over the years I have seen just 2 at shows.

View attachment 246588
Standard bought Triumph and became Standard-Triumph before becoming just Triumph later. They continued in India for a long time after the name disappeared in the UK. I think, but might be wrong, the last car built by Standard in India was a version of the SD1.
 
Thanks, interesting history - my sister now thinks Dad had his Ford Popular well before 1959, when (we’re told) the photo was taken, but the car in the foreground looks even older. I think in 1960 he had a Standard Vanguard estate, with side-hinged rear doors, I was four then and it’s the first car I remember.

According to this, FVX 9 was registered in Essex in early 1938 if that helps.
 
Standard bought Triumph and became Standard-Triumph before becoming just Triumph later. They continued in India for a long time after the name disappeared in the UK. I think, but might be wrong, the last car built by Standard in India was a version of the SD1.

Standard in effect retired their own marque in favour of Triumph, arguably because the Vanguard and most other Standards of the late 40s and early 50s were so bad that the brand was tarnished beyond redemption!
 
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