There was a distinct lack of Isuzus at the All British Day. I have no idea why, although I did see Duane Degruch there who had his beautiful GT in the car park; I didn't think to take a photo tho!
These are vaguely alphabetical. Check it out!
I've never been THAT enamored with Astons. Over-rated! But the more I looked, the more I liked them. These DB4s are the over-rated ones I was talking about; they're kinda goofy looking and butt-heavy. But who would have thought they'd ever be worth half a million bucks each or more?
- Aston Martin DB4 - red - 01.JPG (244.12 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
Nobody crash a bulldozer into this area!
- Aston Martin DB4 - red and grey examples - 02.jpg (194.18 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
This was my personal favourite out of the Aston Martins, because it looks like a proper muscle car!
This is an early-build Vantage; one of 16 built with a bolt-on bonnet scoop blank...
- Aston Martin Vantage - 1977 - 01 - one of 16 built early flip-tail.JPG (208.41 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
...and a bolt-on rear spoiler. After the first 16 were built, the scoops and spoilers were fully integrated into the body. Bah! Factory bolt-on stuff is awesome; like an A9X!
- Aston Martin Vantage - 1977 - 02.JPG (207.44 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
I wasn't overly interested in this 1988 Virage; the model suffers from that post-classic issue of being too awkward and 90s to be classic, but not modern enough to be truly modern, especially as it's teetering away on those tiny wheels and tyres. THEN I spoke to the owner. This Virage was the fourth 1988 Virage prototype built and the LAST prototype to be sold by Aston Martin; these days, like with any volume manufacturer, the prototypes are crushed for possible liability reasons.
It was also the main press car, the car used in the brochures AND a drive car for Victor Gauntlet, the awesomely-named then-boss of Aston Martin.
The owner also pointed out some major differences between this and regular production car (he also owns the LAST one built!) although he didn't have it there. Here's the prototype car:
- Aston Martin Virage prototype - 1988 - 05.jpg (211.42 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
And here's the a production example for comparison; the main difference is the grille and bumper combo, with the grille surround on the prototype finishing square with the lights and the bumper, while the production item included headlight surrounds.
- Aston Martin Virage prototype - 1988 - 06 - production model comparison.jpg (167.33 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
There were other things, but I forget what they are!
Here's another land crab Austin 1800; not very rare or unusual in classic car circles, but I've got it here for comparison purposes! Read on!
- Austin 1800.JPG (263.71 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
Because HERE is a totally different car, the Austin 3-litre, featuring a (very muchly 2.9 litre, 2912cc) straight six engine mounted longitudinally, rear wheel drive, but strangely, a full set of Austin 1800 doors! This car is for sale in Unique Cars or something for $25,000. A bit rich, although it is pretty rare. I loved it, simply because it was super-rare in Australia and utterly confused.
- Austin 3-litre - 01 - 1 of 9992 made.JPG (295.93 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
I've seen this Austin Champ radio car before; my colleague and I were tasked with finding the "Car of the Show" and we almost chose it because it's super-restored, radios and all.
- Austin Champ radio car - 01.JPG (373.23 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
There were two of these rare Ford Consul Capris at the show; I've only ever seen a handful. I seem to remember reading somewhere they were a dog of a car! They were hard to build and suffered frequent crankshaft (read: catastrophic) failure! But they LOOK amazing!
- Ford Consul Capri - 01.JPG (242.45 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
We never received the Hillman Avenger in Australia, so this one has made it here somehow. I do like the car though; some old-school forum members may remember the thread where we compared the Avenger Tiger's paint scheme with that of a Bellett GTR!
- Hillman Avenger - 01.JPG (267.07 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
This one is not so GTR-like though. Just awesome.
- Hillman Avenger - 02.JPG (223.27 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
This one rocked the establishment a bit; the owner was getting around with massive lobe-rings, trucker cap, cross-tattoo under his eye and massive tattoos up his neck. Many, many monocles were dropped into cups of Earl Grey Tea, let me tell you.
- Hillman Minx - with airbags - 01.JPG (266.26 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
A mate of mine overheard some oldies saying "That's what happens if you don't look after your suspension". I don't think they were kidding. It's awesome, but with a survivor car like that, I just couldn't do it to it...
- Hillman Minx - with airbags - 02.JPG (341.45 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
Don't mind a good Jensen, but I do get bored with the Interceptor (unless it's an AWD/ABS Jensen FF, which I've never seen before ever), so I took some pics of this 541.
- Jensen 541.JPG (261.1 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
The Jowett Javelin is truly a bizarre car, water cooled flat-four nestled deep in the engine bay, the owner told me that it's tradition for Javelin owners to take off their grilles so people can actually FIND the engine! The grille comes off with a pair of thumb-screws, by the way.
- Jowett Javelins with their grilles off.JPG (249.65 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
Access an issue? Drive a Jupiter instead!
- Jowett Jupiter convertible - 01.JPG (297.7 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
We awarded this Lotus Esprit Turbo the Best Vehicle at the show; it was immaculate, ran original paint and look like it rolled off the production line yesterday.
- Lotus Esprit Turbo - 03.JPG (237.19 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
The organisers did query our choice, stating they'd prefer and old car... I mentioned that the Esprit is 24 years old this year, so it's not exactly new!
- Lotus Esprit Turbo - 04.JPG (293.95 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
I took precisely zero photos of the MGs because they're so common, but I had to take some photos of this one;
- MG Midget - Sarah's old car - 10.JPG (265.43 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
This was bought by my wife not long after we got together; she sold off her AE71 Corolla and chased her dream of MG ownership (despite me suggesting a Datsun Fairlady or a Honda S600/S800). She couldn't afford a B, so this Midget was it.
- MG Midget - Sarah's old car - 09.JPG (236.16 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
It was a white car and she really wanted British Racing Green, so she took it to a workshop and looked at the colours. Needless to say, this ISN'T green... but it's a cool colour and she loved it. She just didn't like the things that went wrong with it...snapped accelerator cable, burst radiator, snapped leaf spring, busted clutch (engine out job, too)... you name it!
I met the owner (two owners after Sarah) and asked him if we could put our lad in the car for a photo later when he and Sarah arrived and he agreed, which was really nice of him. I didn't see him when we did the photo, but we had it all pre-approved, I assure you!
- MG Midget - Sarah's old car - 04 - with Sarah and Joseph.JPG (224.4 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
- MG Midget - Sarah's old car - 02 - with Dave and Joseph.JPG (227.25 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
I do love the Morris Marina.
- Morris Marina Super.JPG (280.77 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
How's this Morris Six? I think it might be the grandfather of the Austin 3-litre up there, because I'm certain those doors are from a Morris Minor!
- Morris Six - note Morris Minor doors - 01.JPG (267.71 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
Correct me if I'm wrong, people! Wait, I am wrong; they are Morris Oxford doors (I just looked it up on Wikipedia...)
- Morris Six - note Morris Minor doors - 02.JPG (301.04 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
I remember seeing the odd Reliant Scimitar around; they were Australian-delivered unlike the Robin and Kitten. There were two different models there, the earlier model;
- Reliant Scimitar GTE - 1970 - 01.JPG (294.46 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
...and a less attractive, but still awesome, double-brown 1976 model.
- Reliant Scimitar GTE - 1976 - 01.JPG (204.47 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
- Reliant Scimitar GTE - 1976 - 02.JPG (301.98 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
I have a mate who has just moved from Manchester with one of these; he was most disappointed to find out there will be another one... the same bloody colour!
- Triumph 2500 Estate - 01.JPG (284.07 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
Think Florian rear-quarter glass is weird? This one has an opening section in the rear cargo-area glass!
- Triumph 2500 Estate - 02.JPG (206.34 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
Ok we're getting to some of my favourite cars of the show. Anyone know what this is?
- Vanden Plas 1500 - 01.JPG (249.18 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
If you said, "Austin Allegro" contragulations! You're less wrong than you could have been!
- Vanden Plas 1500 - 02.JPG (283.84 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
This is actually an Vanden Plas 1500, the luxury-spec version of the Allegro! There are two very awesome quotes about the Allegro I have to share; somewhat paraphrasing...
"The Allegro was a better car than the Marina, because the Allegro was a horrible car in a more original way than the Marina."
- Jeremy Clarkson
"It is what I call the 'British Leyland' model – you put a lot of money in at the top, and an Austin Allegro comes out at the bottom"
- Sir Digby Jones
It was quite well appointed; nice dash, for instance:
- Vanden Plas 1500 - 03.JPG (209.16 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
...and how about this rear 'in-flight' table? I pointed out to the owners that if you were important enough to warrant owning a car that you could sit in the back of and use a table in, you could afford a better car than the Allegro-based Vanden Plas! They agreed, but were justifiably proud of this car.
- Vanden Plas 1500 - 04 - in-flight table.JPG (146.14 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
So anyone recognise this:
- Vauxhall Cavalier - estate - 1984 - 01.JPG (182.86 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
Perhaps it's better from this angle:
- Vauxhall Cavalier - estate - 1984 - 02.JPG (280.55 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
The Vauxhall Cavalier was GM Great Britain's version of the GM J-car world car; otherwise known as the Isuzu Aska in Japan and the maligned Holden Camira in Australia!
This wagon 'estate' version had a closer tie with Holden than you'd expect; while each manufacturer built their own local version, the Australian Camira, the Japanese Aska, the German Ascona and the American Chevrolet Cavalier, Chevrolet Monza, Buick Skyhawk, Oldsmobile Firenza, Cadillac Cimarron and Pontiac Sunbird (there are more...), Holden's Camira was the only wagon. I remember reading that Holden had the money to build a coupe or a wagon, and wisely chose the wagon as they figured it would be a volume seller, even if they had to design it themselves.
Obviously Vauxhall thought it was a bit of alright, as this Cavalier features rear panels that were pressed by Holden in Australia and exported. This car has, essentially, come home! Well, the back half at least.
I've been seeing that red Cavalier around for some time, but this Vic club-plated sedan was a total surprise and in excellent condition!
- Vauxhall Cavalier - sedan - 01.JPG (250.61 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
The rear is markedly different to the Camira, but the profile and detail is there, right down to the vents in the c-pillar.
- Vauxhall Cavalier - sedan - 04.JPG (189.41 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
You might notice the rear fog-lights in the estate; they're normally all-white reverse lights in the Aussie wagon.
- Vauxhall Cavalier - sedan and estate - GM J-cars - 02.JPG (236.67 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
- Vauxhall Cavalier - sedan and estate - GM J-cars - 01.JPG (260.4 KiB) Viewed 25747 times
And herein ends the sermon!
Cheers,
Dave
so I better not get one thanks.
still pommy shit 
cause there were sh@!$ loads of them around.