HMC architecte britannique

[Yoss]

2 hours ago, HMC said:

ps @Yoss i have found an advert for the Zog bus engined merc from an edition of motor sport earlier the same year (it was reduced to £300 in the later ad)

I wouldn't even haggle at that price, I'd just hand over the £400 as oon as possible. 

[HMC]

Fleet news- got the VSCC buff form sorted for the Swift; sort of a homologation process if we are going all group B in our terminology, has been done.

Its wheelbase is 8 feet 6 which is the crossover point of the classes 1 and 2. Or more simply put whether it would face spritely austin 7s or thumping Ford model A’s on trials- up to the discretion of the event organisers subject to class sizes.

Meanwhile the 2025 VSCC Exmoor Trial assault* with my old austin 12 will be published in the November 2025 classic and sportscar - available from tomorrow im told.

[bigstraight6]

On 26/09/2025 at 17:42, HMC said:

Fleet news-

I no longer own the little 207, loved it but decided to get something bigger as my 2 day post at university has seen me drop off Ms_HMC’s middle teenager, and her 2 friends, at school en route.

I seem to have taken this breif rather seriously as i decided £1400 worth of S class would do. LWB version for extra comfort and multiple charging points for teenage mobile devices, heated seats all round etc.

 

[HMC]

[Peter C]

Yep, just got mine.

Very cool.

[Peter C]

@HMC

Your children are smiling in the photos. Is this genuine joy or did you have to bribe them to look that happy?

I’m jealous. My 15 year old son has a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp whenever he’s in a car with me, regardless whether we’re rocking in my W123, the Sapphire, the ‘B or any of my electric steeds.

[captain_cal]

Neat, I remember seeing the pic of this on the Bodinnick ferry but didn't realise you bought it from Fowey.

Went to school there and now live very local (in fact folks still live there) and have never seen it in my life!

[Rightnider]

On 03/10/2025 at 10:04, Peter C said:

My 15 year old son

It’ll be better. 14-15 is the worst age. 

[wuvvum]

On 26/09/2025 at 18:24, HMC said:

Its a “320 CDI L” but confusingly has a 3.0l V6- its hardly like the “320” label was some sort of iconic calling card for MB after all.

Same engine as my C Class.  My reasoning is that the 3-litre OM642 replaced the 3.2-litre OM613, and Mercedes didn't want to make customers think they were getting a downgrade by changing the model designation from 320 to 300, especially as the new engine was more powerful than the old one.  That is pure conjecture though.

[HMC]

6 hours ago, wuvvum said:

Same engine as my C Class.  My reasoning is that the 3-litre OM642 replaced the 3.2-litre OM613, and Mercedes didn't want to make customers think they were getting a downgrade by changing the model designation from 320 to 300, especially as the new engine was more powerful than the old one.  That is pure conjecture though.

Wonder if thats the earliest instance of MB going against their fairly sober, rigid and descriptive model naming policy. 

[hairnet]

7 quid for a mag now

ouch

wonder why dont buy them anymore

[Dick Cheeseburger]

On 04/10/2025 at 17:03, captain_cal said:

Neat, I remember seeing the pic of this on the Bodinnick ferry but didn't realise you bought it from Fowey.

Went to school there and now live very local (in fact folks still live there) and have never seen it in my life!

Ditto. I'm only 20 minutes from Fowey. 

[wuvvum]

6 hours ago, HMC said:

Wonder if thats the earliest instance of MB going against their fairly sober, rigid and descriptive model naming policy. 

Well if you discount the 450SEL 6.9 and the earlier 300SEL 6.3, the W114 250 was fitted with a 2.8-litre engine in some markets.

[HMC]

Fleet news-

Merc s class is class. It might have done nearly 200k but it is working perfectly (at least today!) 

Meanwhile i sold the swift on, for the price i paid for it…

Because? well - i usually have little to no reason to sell a car, but with VSCC glory* in mind, I decided in the face of a 1.1L plucky brit vs 3.3l ford model in the same class needed levelling.

How to do that? Get a model A? Or just buy something with a massive engine, left field, and ratty enough to trial? In the end I decided to get down and dirty with vehicles of the same displacment- and get hold of a 1929 7 chummy…

 

[Matty]

My God that is magnificent. The genesis of modern motoring in my eyes.

[stuboy]

dont mick fleetwood own one?

[Schaefft]

I know that Austin is the spectacular purchase here but I really want that W221! Incredible what so little money can buy you nowadays.

[flat4alfa]

1 hour ago, stuboy said:

dont mick fleetwood own one?

Since he was in his twenties

It’s called ‘Lettuce Leaf’. His children named it that and the name stayed

[High Jetter]

12 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

Since he was in his twenties

It’s called ‘Lettuce Leaf’. His children named it that and the name stayed

Droopy handle, tho...😀

[flat4alfa]

21 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Droopy handle, tho...😀

I wonder if….

😎

[stuboy]

21 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Droopy handle, tho...😀

lets not mention side effects of magical powders of the 70s...lol

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, flat4alfa said:

I wonder if….

😎

Rumours, tho, that's bollocks. 

[N Dentressangle]

On 12/10/2025 at 23:49, flat4alfa said:

Since he was in his twenties

It’s called ‘Lettuce Leaf’. His children named it that and the name stayed

I'm guessing that pic is Hawaii, where he's lived for years.

Encountering Mick Fleetwood in an Austin 7 on the backroads of Maui. Surreal 

[captain_70s]

Doesn't even list HMC as a previous celebrity owner! Missed opportunity.

[HMC]

chummy news- 

The last v5 was issued in 1983 and when the vendor had the car the history wasnt with it. Hence they applied for a v5 - meanwhile the old history was reunited with the car. So on purchase the v5 was pending. Finally it arrived! Been pottering around locally and have to say its brilliant fun and as its got little bodywork to weigh it down- its suprisingly quick! (relatively speaking)

 

[bangernomics]

chummy news- 
The last v5 was issued in 1983 and when the vendor had the car the history wasnt with it. Hence they applied for a v5 - meanwhile the old history was reunited with the car. So on purchase the v5 was pending. Finally it arrived! Been pottering around locally and have to say its brilliant fun and as its got little bodywork to weigh it down- its suprisingly quick! (relatively speaking)

 

Utterly cool, my maternal grandfather ran one as his daily apparently well into the late 60’s having owned it from new. Sadly he passed before I was born so I never met him but have some pics somewhere I must dig out.

His was painted in a dark green which I suspect was supplied by dulux rather than austin. One for my car bucket list that.

[HMC]

fleet news-

The bargainous s class met a sticky end. It was perfect- right up until it got hit on the front corner whilst parked at night on the street- the following morning the air suspension, front steering angle and traction esp lights were lit up and the car wouldnt drive straight and the damping went rock hard. Sold for spares or repairs. Was a nice car 😭

What as a replacement? I saw a low miles posh spec c5 hdi advertised and decided to do a buy. I cant say ive ever really wanted one but i was interested to try it. I had in mind it was the last hydropneumatic citroen (turns out I was wrong; the later c5 was as well) but even without this nostalgic justification its a solid and very comfortable daily with squashy velour seats and a ride that squashes speed humps at speed. It spent half its recent life in france so has a control technique cert stuck on the front screen. BON!

This is a facelift- IMO not hard to improve on the odd looking original. Like a lot of facelifts- in retrospect im not sure is really any better, looks more fussy and still looks awkward. You cant get away from the basic proportions but its a comfy steer and has directional front headlights (chapeau to the DS)  that - at 20yo and french- still work!

[Schaefft]

Nooo, I was excited to hear more about the S-Class! At the same time I'm somewhat glad I can't be tempted into it anymore should it have ever made it into the for sale section.

C5 ist still an interesting car due to the comfort/price ratio but not the same.

[D.E]

Bloody shame about the merc! A friend of mine had a similar C5 - same colour, facelift, but on petrol. His had some weird suspension quirks that caused to car to rise or sag at random, something he was never able to fix. But it was comfy nevertheless!

[FakeConcern]

I think the C5 facelift rear lights are much more interesting than the pre-FC. Do these have the fixed hub steering wheel like the C4? Such a great feature.