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Lazy spotters thread


HillmanImp

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I find myself on Malta again with camera in hand and nothing better to do than spot, so here's some odds and sods that seem favoured by a small island climate...

 

Jeez - I remember a mate at college having one of these in that bronze colour as his daily drive in 1985. It was an old car then...

 

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Most of Malta is rural and there's some right old opportunities for Serengheti-safari style spotting...

 

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and of course rural means 4WD, but not necessarily big, or tough, or indeed, desirable...

 

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Some prefer to forgo the designs of the 80s, 70s, and even 60s and go for something even more basic. I might have snapped this before on my previous visit, but now I know it moves too - I saw it bear its owner away from work at the end of the day...

 

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And now for something much more recent... was someone saying they saw one of these badged neither as Toyota or AM? I saw two of these here with the different bonnet badge, and one with the same Toyota badge up front as was to be found on the boot on all three - I don't know what Toyota are trying to achieve...

 

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But most of the chod is to be found in town, including some models that I don't think made it to the UK on the basis that they're badly saloon-ized versions of hatchbacks, so I give you...

 

The Toyota Platz

 

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the Kia Avella

 

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One of those models knocked out so cheaply, Kia chose not to bother having some badges made up, instead choosing a vinyl lettering scheme to denote it. Nice...

 

...and the Toyota Belta

 

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...which isn't

 

Let's draw a veil over these grimnesses and move on to some old favourites (sic) and some even older examples that I note are being shown lots of love on the beige atm...

 

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There is of course a burgeoning trade in silly exhausts here, but also I suspect some make-do-and-mend involving olive drab paint found in Nissen huts on derelict RAF bases... there's no other excuse for this sort of thing...

 

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On the subject of offensive exhorsts, can anyone tell me if expanding builders foam would change the noise that these.... no, never mind, I'll do some testing....

 

And finally, just to emphasise the influence that the Italians exert on Malta, I leave you with two examples of pure class...

 

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Ciao ciao!

 

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Iirc, there were signs that they had had their own scrappage scheme not long before my first visit (2014?...) but there's still loads of old rammel about. Lots of the usual continental stuff, Renault and Fiat, mostly, and all the Asian makes are well represented now. Europe's premium brands don't do so well - very few VAG products, Mercs are only seen as taxis and there's just a smattering of Citroens. Ford did well with all marks of Escort and Fiesta, but almost nothing else. Small Rovers sold well here, R8s being almost common.

 

It occurred to me yesterday that I hadn't seen a single Ovlov, new or old, this visit and possibly not on previous visits, but a quick google showed there is a main dealer on the island, they must just be astoundingly unsuccessful. But the Volvo.com.mt website is currently trying to sell vulvos on the basis that they're inspired by Swedish winters - it shows snowy tundra in every pic. Malta does not get much snow (7 times since 1858 according to records) so I can see their USP is not working here.

 

No, they were all Toyota badged at the back - I thought I had snapped the tailgate too to prove it, but I can't find such a pic on the SD card...

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How great does this thing look???? (That's a rhetorical question, obvs, it looks flippin' great).

An early boggo Favorit, especially in a colour like that, perfectly straddles the line between weird Soviet 'non specific car' and modern Western family car look. If they hadn't been sold here I would find that unimaginably exotic and mysterious. Where can I get one?

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Great colour too, not sure we had that option over here. Not been to Malta for many years now but there was a fair amount of British stuff assembled locally. On my first trip in 1996 I managed to fill an 80 slot photo album just with Triumph 1300s and several more with other stuff. Lots of them were in colours not available here, just what the Maltese had lying around I think. Many seemed to be various shades of beige, perfect for blending into the largely sandstone environment as seen above.

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I have extra respect for these after sort of owning one - i.e. I bought it as a cheap run around for a family friend and it ended up being passed around other members of the family until some joyriding teenage spunkstains piled into it and bent the floorpan beyond the point of economic repair. I recon it would still be going otherwise. It was the most uninspiring stormcloud/battleship grey colour imaginable but this was obviously the best rust protection that money could buy a corrupt oppressive regime could come up with. Yes, I'd have another one to tool around in locally and generally abuse with gay abandon.

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Anyone like Omegas? Yes I know you do. These are all on my delivery.

 

Firstly a diesel on 1971 J plate. This is owned by an elderly couple and always garaged unless it's just about to go out as seen here.

 

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This belongs to the local gardener. Rear seats permanently folded and full of gardening paraphernalia. Fair play to him for using a 2.5 V6 auto as a van.

 

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This is a V6 saloon and also belongs to above gardener. Only seems to be used for special occasions as they also have a Volvo V40 for everyday use. It seems a little extravagant to keep it for such little use but if you like it, why not?

 

 

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Another one being used as a van! This pops up on my delivery sporadically. This is an MV6 which apparently is a thing. I'd never heard of them but they are 3.0 V6s and just in case you weren't sure the number plate says so too. Seems a rather extravagant van.

 

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Stuff from around N.W Kent in the last week or two.

 

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Sevenoaks.

 

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Same colour as the salt bin,again Sevenoaks.

 

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Up in Biggin Hill.It says gti on the door but DVLA say its a 1.6 auto and its last mot failure sheet is well grim.

 

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Parked up in a side road in Meopham. GT four Celica,these are serious money nowdays compared to the bog standard ones.

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OK the more interesting stuff.

 

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This shogun has been parked up for years in a cul de sac in Swanley.the story goes that its owner rented his house out to tenents but left this outside to spite his old neighbours.

 

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With tired but honest paint this Mustang was parked outside ECP in Strood for added despair.

 

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This Jag has been sat untouched outside this house in Dartford for a couple of years,its on a H plate and is kept company by a couple of Morris Minors.

 

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This beauty is unloved outside a house in Barnhurst.got to love the owners sense of humour.

 

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Driving a Vauxhall can be an underwhelming experience so forgeting you own it for three years is quite understandable..

In Bexley (i guess its something to do with a deceased estate as the house its outside of is being renovated by a local builder.

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