Classics on the Common, Harpenden - 31 July 2013

[Wilko220]

Just got back from an enjoyable few hours roaming around the above event in between pints at the Silver Cup inn. I think I saw Barrett's Herald but, sadly, it was unattended. Likewise for Seth's Minx. Still a great event as always though.

 

Didn't get a photo of it but, interestingly, I started drooling over a newly-restored Bristol 411 only to subsequently realise that the bloke who had brought it along was employed by Bristol and, as part of his job, tours the shows with this, basically, PR car. Very polite youngish chap - certainly not from the Tony Crook school of customer service. He even fired up the engine for us to have a listen without asking to see my Diner's Club card first. According to him, the design for the new Bristol is due to be unveiled next year.

 

Right, pictures then. I'll start with this

 

 

 

Think I would have preferred the Sherpa TBH. Oh well, a technical achievement anyway.

 

This caught my eye, simply because I have never seen one or even heard of the manufacturer before. I expect you all have and I'm just slow/uneducated/imbecilic...

 

 

 

This is the London to Cape Town Maestro as plugged on ChinkymotorsOnline.

 

 

This sign begs the question...

 

 

...why on earth do this to it then?

 

 

Still, his car, his choice. Certainly attracted a crowd anyway.

 

As did this monstrosity - I managed to not bring back up my chips for long enough to take the picture

 

 

This is specially for our friend Studebaker. I couldn't find a Hawk but hopefully this cool dude in pale yellow will do.

 

 

 

Speaking of yellow, it was very nice to see this two-door still in base spec...

 

 

...And here are some old men eating ice cream, with a bonus Triumph Vitesse

 

 

This appears to still be in use by a local firm

 

 

Don't know what this is doing with Princess wheels on...

 

[Wilko220]

And here is the best of the rest of the photos I got

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ooooooh. Let's have another look at that

 

 

That's yer lot.

 

 

[outlaw118]

Balls! I forgot all about that, I've been to that before and it's GR96!

Instead I'm sitting here in my pants, eating peanuts. Bah.

[Mash]

Wow!  Cordia Turbo!

[purplebargeken]

I forgot about this as well. Arse.

 

Still, there is always classic on the green (Croxley Green) on 15th Sept. I hope to be there in the taxi.

[Wilko220]

I forgot about this as well. Arse.

 

Still, there is always classic on the green (Croxley Green) on 15th Sept. I hope to be there in the taxi.

 

Here's another one not too far away, in case you fancy it...

http://www.latimerparish.org/ley-hill-classics-on-the-common-11th-august-2013/

[Partridge]

My friend was going to steward this but it fell through, she was gutted....at least I can show her the pics. Cheers, Wilko.

[seth]

Nice photos Wilko.  The pair of Lotus 11s and the close by rat look Rometsch coupe were my highlights I think.  I'll probably be at Croxley next week.

[dollywobbler]

What a magnificent mixture of cars. Great to see such variety.

[Wilko220]

Nice photos Wilko.  The pair of Lotus 11s and the close by rat look Rometsch coupe were my highlights I think.  I'll probably be at Croxley next week.

 

Cheers Seth.

Do you need to have registered for Croxley is it just a case of turning up with your car?

[seth]

No need to register. Just turn up. (like the old days at Harpenden!)

[barrett]

Good stuff, my first time at CotC after the Simca engine disaster on our way there last year. Day started off pretty good with this random occurrence when buying some oil in the morning

heralds! by barrogance, on Flickr

 

...but sadly the curse of the burgundy 1960s saloon car on the M25 struck again, with some major clutch slippage causing an amusing* kangaroo type motion as the prop struggled to transfer any power to the diff. I deemed this probably unsafe for motorway driving (even by my low H&S standards) so decided to bite the bullet and call the nice man with the yellow van

 

 

Just got back thanks to Mr.AA at about 12.30, 5 hours or so after leaving Harpenden. Drove GC back to his and then back home, car seems absolutely fine now of course. Have to drive to work in it in a few hours as there are no other working cars on the fleet at present. I'm pretty sure everything is going to be fine.

[michiel]

24CT.

[Sigmund Fraud]

Some proper quality cars there, brilliant work Mr.Wilko !

 

One day I will have a Panhard ! I would love a 24, but even rough ones are well outside my price range. However, there's plenty* of decrepit 17s in France which I can stretch to and which would only* require a decade of work and dozens of unavailable parts before they become driveable.

[michiel]

Find a crashed Fiat/Alfa/Lancia and give it a twin air etc (or a Saxo VTS drivetrain like eh, was it Andy Saunders?)!

[Sigmund Fraud]

Find a crashed Fiat/Alfa/Lancia and give it a twin air etc (or a Saxo VTS drivetrain like eh, was it Andy Saunders?)!

 

The Panhard twin is a work of art, one of the best parts of the car IMHO. How can one replace something so marvellously engineered with a vulgar, inline Fiat engine ?