lesapandre

That looks great and being a base model is more 'Landrovery' - less to go wrong too. A real survivor. Bravo! Looks real old money - just needs Hunter wellies, a ripped waxed jacked, flat cap and profuse nasal hair to complete the look.

"Ok Alec - I know you want to make a small car... but I think it needs more work..."

WOW. Fantastic museum and not too formal or keeping you away from the vehicle. Super!

And as Switzerland is not in the EU - they can levy what is in effect annual car tax on their roads - flat rate once you have one - one trip or many. Well travelled that Maestro - lived in SoF and annual trips in Switzerland. Beats driving to Tesco in Purley.

Imperfect stock control in the old days - Rootes had a massive store of obsolete parts going back years at one time - more of a 'make and mend do' on a lot of old car designs also meant manufacturers supplied a lot of repair materials that would not get sent out today, stuff sitting for years in dealers and overseas particularly with distributors.

I only accept camembert (none of yr new fangled twix) I jest. Yes very happy to... BL Rover had a big following in France. Lots of the later cars still about or in barns.

I'll keep looking at French car shows. There are BL Maestro and Montegos in France - more of the former. Not valued so any NOS parts won't be pricey.

Can I have details @Saabnut. PM maybe. 🥂

Politics aside - though it always comes back to that...'the will of the people' - and all that... There are certain crucial technologies which I think they will want to test so a cut off definition at the introduction of cat's and air bags in general use? May be way before. We are up the 1984 vehicles already. Be done on trumped-up 'safety' or 'pollution' grounds...or 'fairness' to increase revenue Labour pulled the rolling VED exemption last time... They won't abolish what has gone already.

Greenwich - London's only car manufacturer I think. Site now a block of flats.

**Pedant Alert** The Packard 200 write-up is a bit inaccurate... That 200 body was not retained by Packard until 1956 - it went out of production in 1954 and was superceded by a new heavily revised body until 1956. The Packard 200 was made until 1956 - it's name went in 1952 but afterwards it continued and was instead named Clipper until 1956 - using the revised body after 1954. Packard production did not then cease finally until 1958 - although by then they were just badge-engineered Studebaker's. Packard had ceased being an independent company by October 1954 when it had merged with Studebaker. After 1958 the joint company only made Studebakers because Packard sales were so poor. Great cars. Sad story. Killed off by Cadillac's success and the 1950's price-war between GM, Ford and Chrysler. But thanks for posting the really great pictures and write-up - it looks a super place to visit.

The only thing I'd add is it may be worth getting something in the Historic Taxation Class - certainly not needing road tax payments and being self-responsible for the safety of a vehicle has it's advantages - with increased ULEZ type situations being exempt is a good thing too. My hunch is at some point the rolling exemption will be stopped. Worth getting in early?

Wow. I must keep my eyes peeled in France for NOS BL and Ford parts. I'd no idea they were now so sought after and ££. Anyone after a classic car could not go far wrong with a Mercedes W124. Parts will be fine. Personally next time I'd go for a pre-WW2 car. Some amazing stuff about. 1924 Lanchester anyone? 3.3 OHC 6 - so not totally neanderthal. Top speed of the car was variously quoted between 66 mph and 75 mph - not unfeasibly unusable then. https://richardedmonds.atgportals.net/auctions/8823/ibri10099/lot-details/df9970ec-0b16-4c28-8936-b1100005cf05 Purchase price originally £87,000 in today's money. Bidding starts at £12,000. Arguably as good a car as a 1924 Rolls. A real 'Chit Chitty Bang Bang' car - I don't expect it flies though. Loads of Pre-War cars about because that generation of old car enthusiasts has alas died off. A whole different motoring world. And whilst these things do rust and fall apart you are not wrestling with decaying pressed steel monocoques. The Post-War Riley RM cars are very nice too. Not insanely pricey.

Bravo lateral thinking... You might want to check that emergency foot brake sometime under 'controlled' conditions - ie in a big car park with a gentle tow or push - these are super-heavyweight cars... and worth checking carefully the thing is actually working. Getting the handbrake in tip-top condition wd help if you can. I've had a Shad' and the XJ6 which are both virtually unbrakeable with engine stopped IMHO. Starter motor is going to be some standard item. Not the battery with not enough go?

"However, in contrast, values of 80s and early 90s motors such as performance Fords and Vauxhalls (and various Jap) have gone through the roof and don't seem to be slowing down." The thing about a lot of this stuff is that it is very nice to drive - absolute hooligan cars some of them...😁 cars I remember fondly, Mitsubishi Starion Turbo and Datsun 280ZX Turbo etc...

Yes. It will be very patchy what's available. I bought my Nissan Cedric recently in France which is very rust free. Was about 50% less than UK prices (if I could find one). There are lot of leaky sheds but equally there are quite a lot of underground apartment parking lots and very nice homes with big dry garages. My Cedric was sold and kept in Paris in underground parking all its life. Just takes some looking.

Here in France quite a few cheaper Capri for import. On LeBonCoin ATM here is a selection of the cheaper. Not a common car but they are about for sale. No idea how 'firm' the market is but these may be open to offers. So cars are about. 6700€ - 1.3 2000€ - 1.7GT 2400€ - 1.7GT 7000€ - 2.0Ghia

Did this get cleared up? Is it a modified Falcon body?

Not so tough this one: https://maximummini.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-cars-of-douglas-glover-1.html?m=1

It's unlikely a car of that era so well made would be scrapped at the time. Cars were expensive and hard to come by - people tended to hang on to them and reuse. We'd not entered the current disposable society. Unless it's a factory prototype scrappage. As the 'cars you didn't know about' thread shows there are many many unknowns. This looks a 1-off too!

Interestingly the car we are looking at appears to have a bench seat? Lifted out of something. That would reinforce the economy car idea - 3 seater idea. Other things to note: It's skillfully done - the doors have internal door hinges and recessed door handles - crude kit cars often had easy to fit external hinges - and internal door latches only. Except the bonnet which has been very crudely modified - which might mean there has been an engine swap for something taller. I wonder if it is a development mule of some kind or a factory apprentice piece?

Opperman developed a hard top economy car in Borehamwood Herts. Factory was on the A1 - site now a Morrisons. But again fibreglass and a bit different design - 3 wheels; they were principally tractor manufacturers: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opperman They built the Opperman Motocart: https://www.tamarvintagetractors.co.uk/post/the-opperman-motocart-our-farming-heritage

Is that the pulley for chain or even belt drive fwd? Some weird lash-up? Or could the car have been cord-start like a lawnmower? No radiator could mean air-cooled hence the big cooling scoop? Some motorbike engine maybe.