Cars You Never See Anymore

[SpookyFrank]

When we had a Civic, it looked like this
View attachment 443624

Pretty much any car model that's been around that long, the then - now comparison shows a pretty sorry state of affairs. The modern Golf is relatively inoffensive compared to the rest of its class, but compared to the mk1 it's an absolute pig.

 

[hash tag]

Note steering wheel lock. Which, well if anyone did want to steal this, they could just pick it up and carry it off.

They would have to fight their way through the jungle.

 

[Griff]

Saw a Nissan Cube yesterday. Always happy to see one of them. The one time in motoring history someone decided to make a sensible choice about the geometry of a car's internal space instead of a stupid choice about how to make a car the right kind of ugly to fit in with what everyone else does.

I mean really, which is uglier? The Nissan cube...

View attachment 443611

...or the ubiquitous, socially acceptable but objectively foul Honda Civic:

View attachment 443614

Worked with a bloke years ago who had a Cube and a Figaro. He was a right cunt. Can't see either without him popping into my head.

 

[hash tag]

Worked with a bloke years ago who had a Cube and a Figaro. He was a right cunt. Can't see either without him popping into my head.

The choice of cars says it all.

 

[waxoyl]

Old tidy rover

 

[Happy Tree]

In my mind police cars are still all Rovers

 

[SpookyFrank]

Old tidy roverView attachment 443681

Had a look on autotrader the other day. In a 100 mile radius there was exactly one Rover for sale. Haven't seen any of the late 90's models on the road for donkey's years, although that's probably more because nobody bought them in the first place than because they've all broken down.

 

[waxoyl]

In my mind police cars are still all Rovers

Same for me filth vehicles

 

[PTK]

I saw a Morris Minor 1000 in a supermarker car park today.
I know little about cars, but observing said motor caused a pang of nostalgia to infuse my mind.

 

[rubbershoes]

Had a look on autotrader the other day. In a 100 mile radius there was exactly one Rover for sale. Haven't seen any of the late 90's models on the road for donkey's years, although that's probably more because nobody bought them in the first place than because they've all broken down.

I once bought a City Rover as a punishment. It had no redeeming features

 

[Jennaonthebeach]

I should go out more on a Sunday.

I saw this very car today - a Bugatti inspired car by Teal - i was heading towards Dover just behind it. Apparently the current owner lives in Folkestone. I even found his name online.



Also saw a red Ford Escort estate, mark one - broken down on the side of the road. A VW Golf MK 1 and MK 2 in convoy, driving just behind me, coming into Dover, behind the Bugatti style car, and a pristine Morris Minor near Ramsgate.

 

[hash tag]

I should go out more on a Sunday - vintage cars every where - is it a Kent thing?

A Sunday thing?
It was German day at Brooklands today.
There are regular car meets at the Three Chimneys at Biddenden.
There was racing at Brands today. There might be more meetings around.

 

[Elpenor]

A Sunday thing?
It was German day at Brooklands today.
There are regular car meets at the Three Chimneys at Biddenden.
There was racing at Brands today. There might be more meetings around.

Also at the Dering Arms in Pluckley

 

[hash tag]

In my mind police cars are still all Rovers

Proper Noddy car

 

[Jennaonthebeach]

.

 

[Aladdin]

Spotted this...its for sale locally. It's absolutely stunning.
Rover p4 100 1962.
Would love to have one.

 

[Dogsauce]

This lives near me.

 

[hash tag]

This lives near me.

View attachment 444741

Sort after classics now.

 

[dessiato]

This lives near me.

View attachment 444741

They were very good little cars. Not especially fast in a straight line but didn't need to slow down for corners.

 

[steeplejack]

Skopje still has a high number of Zastavas, despite the factory closing sixteen years ago this month.

Zastava's licence-built Fiat 500, the Zastava Fića, changes hands for high prices now if in good shape or after thorough renovation. The later Fiat 128 / Zastava 101 copies (Stojadin or Keč) are worth only a few hundred euros now. There's a boffin somewhere who also converts old Fića models to electric power.









I love this last photo of a re-sprayeed gold Fića against a giant bus- the Chinese-built Yutong Citymaster, which is a crude copy of the Routemaster and the standard Skopje red bus now.

 

[nogojones]

I've just stumbled across this BBC doc from 1993 all about company cars. It's absolutely compelling - as one of the YouTube comments puts it, "it's like Spinal Tap with sales reps".

This is amazing!

 

[plurker]

This lives near me.

View attachment 444741

This is lovely, but for something so obviously well-looked after it pains me they haven't spent £30 on a badge for the bonnet.
My Saab badges only last about 18 months befre fogging over, but still - I always replace. Such a tiny detail but makes a huge difference.

 

[dessiato]

This is lovely, but for something so obviously well-looked after it pains me they haven't spent £30 on a badge for the bonnet.
My Saab badges only last about 18 months befre fogging over, but still - I always replace. Such a tiny detail but makes a huge difference.

IIRC the bonnet badge was a Bertone badge, they've become very rare.

 

[20Bees]

Monthly classic car meet on the village green this evening seems to have a good turnout. It’s opposite the pub (who marshal the parking), the weekly chippy and street food vans are also welcomed to set up outside the pub.

There was a kerfuffle a few months ago, the parish council define “classic” as over 40 years old and anything else, the modified, or American, over-height, over-loud etc, were supposed to park further down the green. Someone evidently refused to move along and the road through the village was thus gridlocked for an “unacceptable” length of time. Words were had and the (then) marshals quit. The next monthly meet was suspended but the main impact must have been on the pub’s takings.

I’m dog-sitting and it’s dark or I’d have got some photos.

 

[mx wcfc]

This is not a 1953 convertible Cadillac.

This is President Tito’s 1953 convertible Cadillac.

 

[hash tag]

Ostentatious? Vulgar? What a beauty, they don't make em like this anymore

 

[blairsh]

Not a Wraith is it? Older or newer? Driven a couple briefly, mid 40'sofferings, smelt like a church inside.

 

[Saul Goodman]

Ostentatious? Vulgar? What a beauty, they don't make em like this anymore
View attachment 446175View attachment 446174

It's hard to imagine that every panel on that car was shaped by hand. Imagine handing someone an English wheel and a planishing hammer these days, and asking them to do that.

 

[hash tag]

Not a Wraith is it? Older or newer? Driven a couple briefly, mid 40'sofferings, smelt like a church inside.

It's from 1949 and yes, it's a silver Raith.

It's hard to imagine that every panel on that car was shaped by hand. Imagine handing someone an English wheel and a planishing hammer these days, and asking them to do that.

That's the worry when it comes to lots of heritage stuff. The skills are still out there, just but will there be enough interest from future generations to keep it going?

 

[marty21]

View attachment 444728

Spotted this...its for sale locally. It's absolutely stunning.
Rover p4 100 1962.
Would love to have one.

My dad had one in the 70s, it meant I could sit in the front with mum & dad , as I was the oldest kid.