Lonsdale yd41???

[Formula Autos]

4 hours ago, somewhatfoolish said:

 

Indeed, excellent effort in doing the research!👍

Worth a shot. I knew deep down the car was probably long gone, but if I’d found any trace of it I’d have been straight back here with photos, hoping someone could save it.

Sounds like there was no demand for any parts off it even, and that it was probably gone for baling before the turn of the millennium. Maybe no Lonsdale made it into this century?

Someone at the yard was clued up enough about it to put it down as a Lonsdale/Mitsubishi though - they must have had at least a vague idea what it was, and that it had parts that might have been useful on a Galant. Apparently their system was to put the actual make of car first, then what it’s got useful parts for second (e.g. Citroen C1/Peugeot 107/Toyota Aygo). 

[Soundwave]

Even the Galant/Sigma it was based on is down to single figures in this country nowadays, so I imagine parts demand would have been near non-existent.

[Datsuncog]

Can only echo the appreciation for getting down 'n' dirty with some good old-fashioned detectiving - even if the payoff hasn't arrived (yet).

I don't believe I've ever clapped eyes on a UK Lonsdale, and only ever knew of them through my dog-eared copy of the Daily Mail Motor Show Guide 1984. But I'd love to believe there's still one out there somewhere, biding its time.

Saw plenty of Magnas in my time out in Australia, of course, but that's not quite the same thing...

Here, have a pic of the last time I saw a Colt Galant in the wild, back in September 2001 - AYA552S.

If DVLA tax details are correct, this photo was taken during the Colt's last few weeks on the road - the tax wasn't renewed after Sept '01.

23 years old wasn't a bad innings, all things considered.

[Richard_FM]

On 1/26/2023 at 10:40 AM, Dick Longbridge said:

@SoundwaveHow did you work out the registration which is SORN? It looks like it was untaxed when @SambaS checked it in 2013 along with the batch below, so someone has SORNed it since...

Lonsdale 2.0 - A710 SYR - Blue - Date of liability 01 03 1997

Lonsdale 2.6 - DDF 522Y - Brown - Date of liability 01 02 1988

Lonsdale 1.6 - DDF 507Y - Blue - Date of liability 01 12 1992

Lonsdale 2.0 - DDF 508Y - Blue - Date of liability 01 08 1990

Lonsdale 2.0 - DDF 509Y - Brown - Date of liability 01 06 1995

Lonsdale 2.6 - DDF 510Y - Green - Date of liability 01 02 1992

Lonsdale 1.6 - DDF 512Y - Silver - Date of liability 01 07 1990

Lonsdale 2.0 - DDF 519Y - Red - Date of liability 01 07 1992

Lonsdale 2.0 - DDF 520Y - Blue - Date of liability 01 11 1991

Lonsdale 2.6 - DDF 521Y - Brown - Date of liability 01 08 1991

Lonsdale 2.6 - DDF 522Y - Brown - Date of liability 01 02 1988

Lonsdale 1.6 - DDF 532Y - Silver - Date of liability 01 01 1990

Lonsdale 2.6 - DDF 533Y - White - Date of liability 01 10 1990

Lonsdale 2.0 - DDF 565Y - White - Date of liability 01 05 2000

Lonsdale 1.6 - DDF 566Y - Green - Date of liability01 07 1993

Lonsdale 2.6 - DDF 594Y - White - Date of liability 01 03 1996

 

It looks like DDF565Y was the longest lived of these.

DDF522Y only managed 5 years on the road, maybe stolen or involved in an accident?

 

[Reluctant Adult]

[Formula Autos]

9 hours ago, Richard_FM said:

It looks like DDF565Y was the longest lived of these.

DDF522Y only managed 5 years on the road, maybe stolen or involved in an accident?

 

DDF 522Y could easily have been Dale’s car that I’ve been trying to track down. The colour fits from my recollection, the engine size fits from the record the scrapyard had, and I remember it was in very good condition bodily (too good to scrap, so Dale saved it, from what I can remember. Don’t recall seeing primer/anything like replacement panels on it). I also remember it being covered in dust when it first turned up - possibly stored indoors beforehand, which extended its life? Maybe it went off the road in ‘88 with a mechanical issue? Even by that point Lonsdale-specific parts (as opposed to Mitsubishi parts that were interchangeable) might have been hard to come by.
 

We’ll never know now…

[sierraman]

I’m amazed the Mitsubishi owners club can’t shed light on this. 

[LightBulbFun]

16 hours ago, Formula Autos said:

We’ll never know now…

Not if if I have anything to do with it LOL

DDF522Y is registered as an Estate, so its unlikely to be dales car (sadly?) unless the vehicle was registered wrong at some point

 

no scrapped marker however, so regardless of who's car this was, I do wonder if its hiding in a barn somewhere still?  

[Pieman]

One bit of (maybe hopeful) news regarding the marque - having checked the records, I don't believe a Lonsdale has ever been banger raced in the history of the sport.