Shite Taxis (Sorry no pics!)

[garycox]

Hi I didn't really think this was threadworthy (and I was probably right...) but seeing this...

...on another thread (and having a few beers) has inspired me to do it anyway...

 

On my way back from Glastonbury I travelled via Salisbury, where I spotted the oldest minicab I've seen for ages... As you've probably guessed it was a Volvo 200 series, a silver D reg saloon to be precise(ish). We were both travelling too fast to get a picture but I wonder if anyone from that area has seen it or knows any more about it? Seemed in good nick, with no signwriting, just a white 'TAXI' sign on the roof.

 

From the fact it was plain with just the sign on the roof I initially thought it could just be some sort of show car or prop but before I passed through the area I spotted a couple of Mondeos or Vectras or some other generic minicab things which had the same signs and plain bodywork.

 

Has anyone seen any other shite cabs? There's probably a few fairly old FX4's knocking around London, but anything over about 10 years old is rarely seen as a minicab... If that Volvo's been a taxi for 20 odd years it must have an intergalactic mileage too...

[mk2_craig]

Probably the oldest cab on the island at the moment is a circa 1993 Cavalier hatch. I miss the days of Hyundai Stellars, Pug 505s, and random 1970s J-tat that covered far too few miles annually to really be earning a proper living.

[Cavcraft]

Father Ted may have seen it on his travels, there was a Citroen BX estate being used as a taxi in Blackpool a couple of years back. Looked quite tidy too to be fair.

[Milford Cubicle]

In Inverness there's a K-reg Sierra, and an M-reg Subaru Legacy being used as taxis.I've tried to get a rid in both, but ended up in some dullard late model Mondeo instead.

[andrew e]

Round here taxi's must be under 3 years old to go on the rank, they can stay as long as there liscened - which means very little tat apart from the semi retired Sierra LX on a K plate - must have be a cab for at least 13 years now

[Torsten2001]

Last time I was in York, about 2 years ago I saw an N reg (1975) Merc W114 touting for trade, anyone up there confirm this?

[MrRegieRitmo]

Can't think of anything particularly old around here. Usually an assortment of Mondeos & Vectras of various ages, the oldest being 90s MkII Mondeos & MkI Vectras. One of the local cab companies actually has some rather luxurious cabs, there's a BMW 7 Series, one of the last of the good looking ones from the late 90s / early 00s. The other week I got a ride in a Merc E Class, the one before the current one. Quite impressed, seemed very spacious & the leather seats were nice & soft, the most comfortable I had sat in!

[Milford Cubicle]

Last time I was in York, about 2 years ago I saw an N reg (1975) Merc W114 touting for trade, anyone up there confirm this?

Was it some kind of novelty taxi?

[Torsten2001]

not at all, it was in a rank and looking good, then after the show it was seen whizzing past POB!

[garethj]

Most of the taxis in sunny Bedfordshire are Toyota Avensis, the dealer must have taken so many sales he's probably a tax exile in Barbados by now.

 

Where I work in London there are real taxis. Loads of the TX1s and newer but a surprising number of LTI Fairways and even lots of Metrocabs too. Surely the Metrocab must be shite contender?

[Spottedlaurel]

There was still a Farina doing business in Cambridge in the early '90s. Otherwise Laurels were favoured there.In Attleborough here there was an S-plate-ish (suffix!) Volvo 245 still working back in 2001 or so, now retired I assume.Volvos were popular in Ipswich, I wonder if because the cars used to come into there and the importers sold them cheaply.

[mk2_craig]

Surely the Metrocab must be shite contender?

Defunct manufacturer, parts bin special, proportionately rare, GRP body. Yup, I reckon

[r.welfare]

Round here there is a 10yr licence. Majority are Mk1 Octavia non-turbo diesels, boggo spec in white or red, with some white Superbs in the mix - mmm!Down towards the West Country in Wiltshire where I have been working, the stuff seems to be older, plenty of Mk1 406s in evidence.Most interesting I found was in Munich - as you probably know, all taxis in Germany are a lovely beige colour, but I was lucky enough to get a new S-Class off the airport rank, which the driver then took up to 200kph on the motorway into the city!

[Volksy]

I fondly remember everytime i used to go to Spain and arrive in the airport as a kid, (My fossils had a place out there) driving my Dad potty by selecting the taxi we were going to get from the rank, even if we had to wait! I always chose Seat 131's, or the Renault 21 saloon when it first came out. Spanish ones were all white with a red diagonal stripe on the door, not work recreating up here as Bradford has the same design.But I remember sometimes our spanish freinds would pick us up, and they always ran Uber-tat, Renault 12 TS estates, Renault 18 Diesels, Lancia Thema Estates etc.

[MrRegieRitmo]

Spanish ones were all white with a red diagonal stripe on the door

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TAXI-SEAT-1430-MADRID-1973-ALTAYA-1-43_W0QQitemZ310063182255QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item310063182255&_trkparms=72%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C65%3A12&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14I like Barcelona Taxis best.....http://shop.ebay.co.uk/items/__taxi-barcelona_W0QQ_nkwZtaxiQ20barcelonaQQ_verZ4?_sargn=-1%26saslc%3D2&fsradio2=%26LH_PrefLoc%3D1&LH_SubLocation=1&_fspt=0&_sadis=200&_fpos=&_fcsfc=0We went there back in December 01 & they had all sorts of taxis, mostly hatchbacks, all black with yellow doors. The one I can picture best is a Talbot Horizon in that colour scheme, it looked quite good!

[Torsten2001]

I remember the first time I arrived in New York in about 1988 the cab I got from JFK was a Peugeot 504 with quad headlights, there were still some Checkers on the road then too!

[55bloke]

Somewhere in the dim recesses of my ancient brain, I'm sure I heard that there was a roaring trade in dropping diesels into Renner 25s (Don't think the factory deisel version was ever sold over here) in South Wales a few years ago, to make ultra comfy, reliable, spacious and economical taxis.

[fiatdaft]

55bloke,i wanna see that avatar in full size!

[55bloke]

Gud, innit!!

[fiatdaft]

aye ! just a big bit!

[pompei]

I can remember arriving inMalta in the 1990's and the nearest taxi was a Zephyr 4 Sadly, I was on a package, and was obliged to get on the tourbus

[j-j]

99.9% of all minicabs here a Skoda Octavias like there's no other option.I was in GSF parts a few weeks back and they even had a 'mini cab deal' going on: guess what... Octavia filters and brakes.... Me mate and I got a minicab to a wedding reception last Saturday and the cabby was a mate of a mate and he was supposed to spin us a line about what out mutual friend was up to behind everyone's back as a laff, but my icebreaker of "how come all cabbies have Skoda Octavias"? ruined his show it just threw him off - no one asks them that.

[Karmann Ghiaman]

j-j!

 

Mansfield, Notts has Skoda Octavias too, which seem to sort of go with the town (and its late football club).

 

Surely the worst choice of taxicabs in the world must be Mexico City's VW Beetles?

 

 

Note extra security & lack of visible registration. It carries hardly any luggage, only has 2 doors and one of the loudest engines known to man.

 

BTW: Mrs KGM & I once hired a minicab in SE London who ran out of petrol in the Gray's Inn Road, about half a mile short of St Pancras. I must have been in a benign mood because he, too, lived to tell the tale.

[simmo]

A couple of years back at Heathrow I saw a Hindi Ambassador in india taxi livery dropping off at T2. It had all the icons and hanging tassles etc, not the black and yellow paint scheme but a sort sand colour possibly with checker stripes but I can't remember for sure, typically I was cameraless at the time. I am sure it had uk plates but never seen it since (work at LHR) has anyone spotted this?

[MrRegieRitmo]

55bloke,i wanna see that avatar in full size!

It's interesting how I can see some people's avatars from work but not others!

[MrRegieRitmo]

I can remember arriving inMalta in the 1990's and the nearest taxi was a Zephyr 4 Sadly, I was on a package, and was obliged to get on the tourbus

Can't wait till next month when I get to find out for myself what the taxis are like now!

[simmo]

I was in Malta a couple of years ago and they're mostly mercs W123 and earlier did see a Toyota Crown on Gozo should have some photos somewhere.

[MrRegieRitmo]

That figures, they were in North Cyprus 7 years ago too!

[Torsten2001]

A couple of years back at Heathrow I saw a Hindi Ambassador in india taxi livery dropping off at T2. It had all the icons and hanging tassles etc, not the black and yellow paint scheme but a sort sand colour possibly with checker stripes but I can't remember for sure, typically I was cameraless at the time. I am sure it had uk plates but never seen it since (work at LHR) has anyone spotted this?

That'd be Karma Cabs then!