Travelling with a camera: my photo scans from the early 90's

[reallyloud]

Ah the old volvo chestnut. According to my parkers guide, the square headlamp models replaced the circular headlamp models in september 1980 and then the more familiar larger headlamp type (with a vertical slatted type grill) came out in september 1982. There's no mention of the sqaure headlamps being only available on certain models - I need to check my brochures to be sure.

 

Here are a few more slightly less remarkable vans and commercial vehicles (compared to the pick ups) from my recent Corfu trip but still of some interest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heavy japanese bias, which naturally delighted me, but I have to say I was surprised by their monopoly - I was hoping to see old Peugeot or Fiat vans. The last batch of cars tomorrow!

[reallyloud]

Ok so the japanese stuff didn't give you boners. I conclude my findings by posting up some of the cars I saw - my relationship has almost recovered and everyone is happy.

 

Judging by the volume of commercial vehicles and pick ups I can only assume there must be some sort of incentive to keep these vehicles running. From what I understand they have a basic MOT (10 minute checking of the suspension and general condition) every 2 years and the fact that old cars have a high resale value.

 

 

 

This 304 was left abandoned. I can't believe its not been wrecked.

 

 

This Lancer was spotted ina very rustic and picturesque village in the south of the island - the missus took some excellent shots of the locals, while I snapped away at the finest automobiles known to humanity.

 

 

One of the only big pugs I saw - didn't even see a single 504.

 

 

These and Ladas are plentiful here - not surprising given their reputation for deal with crap roads.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can only assume that the UK was only place where this was badged Malaga. The Ibiza survives in reasonable numbers - I just wasn't quick enough to snap any.

 

 

Delighted to have seen this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn't see any other Dacias, but this oddball Romanian registered one slightly made up for it. Apparently uses the Peugeot 309 floorpan thus instantly creating legendary shite status forever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't think we got these neither, a rebadged and facelifted Strada II.

 

 

Another car I never knew existed - this is the first incarnation of the mighty Charmant - but in presumably ultra rare wagon form. I noticed it first time and assumed it was a early Galant or Corona.

 

 

One of these funky chicks owns this honey. Note the lack of crash helmets. In addition to the lack of cranial protection, it seems like flip flops, erratic attention to the road, double/triple file driving and a blatant disregard for road awareness seems to be all part of the norm for driving on Corfus dangerous roads. I think Greece has the highest number of road fatalities in Europe. There are also a huge amount of quad bikes on the roads mostly ridden by suicidal Southern Italians adding to the carnage.

 

 

Lovely example. I think the owner of the this car was a curator at the wierd Shell museum. An amazing car for an amazing job.

 

http://www.reallyloud.co.uk/cars/corfu/fiat_127.jpg

 

http://www.reallyloud.co.uk/cars/corfu/ford_escort.jpg

 

http://www.reallyloud.co.uk/cars/corfu/seat_127.jpg

 

Our friend unfortunately had a minor prang on the way to picking us up at the airport - while she sorted out the logicistics (she was hit by an uninsured Albanian driver) I snooped around the police compound and spotted these two. The Seat is a bit grim, the Escort looks like its all ready for some ebay action.

 

http://www.reallyloud.co.uk/cars/corfu/zastava_101.jpg

 

http://www.reallyloud.co.uk/cars/corfu/citroen_gsa.jpg

 

Comparitively speaking there wasn't a huge amount of old cars - say 1 in 30 cars were worth photographing, so the EU scrapping machine must be in full swing. We mostly travelled on the east side of the island, so I'm hoping there is still a lot more to be discovered.

 

These were lurking at the bottom of the airport car park, where we dumped our spiteful and gutless Pia Kicunto hire car. These seemed to be part of the scumball race, interestingly enough there were at least another 5 UK registered cars near by.

 

http://www.reallyloud.co.uk/cars/corfu/volvo_940.jpg

 

http://www.reallyloud.co.uk/cars/corfu/ford_granada.jpg

 

A few more cars can be seen here:

 

http://www.reallyloud.co.uk/cars/cars83.htm

 

Thats it. Normal car show pictures resumes tomorrow.

[michiel]

Excellent stuff, that Charmant heightens my pulse. I think yr Alfetta is a 2000 Berlina though, the biggish saloon before the Alfetta?

[Split_Pin]

 

 

Great spots, I also like the Japanese Vans, but the sheer amount of different types scares me - I intend to study them all in the hope of educating myself for future though! They have ace, wacky styling!

[Jazzy Jeff]

That's one mighty fine selection there! I can only say Thank You! The Mercedes coach brings back memories of going to Kefalonia and Zante when I was about 3 years old! All the coaches were them, even the down to the same colour. All the Taxis were old Datsun's then too, I vividly remember that on most of the crap roads they used to not even bother trying to do a 3 point manoeuvre to turn around after they had dropped you off somewhere, instead prefering to use their old J-Tin chariot's built in RWD GR8 SKILLZ and power slide 180 degrees on the dust a gravel that passed for roads!Them SEAT's are awesome too. Especially the Ronda, how many of them must still be around outside Spain? Survivors barely in 3 figures? I've seen Malaga's badged as that in Portugal (where they seemed to be very popular with the local rozzers back in the day) so it can't have just been called that in Britain.

[michiel]

We had it as Malaga too.

[mk2_craig]

The 5 door hatch definitely came to Britain in RHD form, there was one in Jersey quite recently with a low-digit registration but probably now dead.

[r.welfare]

I'm pretty sure the 5dr was also badged Malaga here, and only imported for 1986, according to an old Parker's Guide I am quoting from memory here. I've only ever seen one or two.Interesting that the Portuguese police used them back in the day; I can recall the Tenerife police being lumbered with Talbot Horizons when I visited there back in 1986.

[Volksy]

You be right RW, it was indeed sold here badged as a Malaga, they sold hardly any as it was pretty much in direct competition with their own Ibiza. I remember the Valencia police force had a few of them, but most of the cop cars at the time were Horizons and Diesel Ibizas. I think I have seen only one on the road, so I think the chances of any surviving in RHD format would be pretty slim, even the 4 door Malaga and MK1 Ibiza are pretty much none existant these days.My fossils had a couple of Ibizas, a Black MK1 1.2, which was a great car, had the crazy citroenesque switchgear and was fantastically reliable, they then traded it for an updated 1.2XS, which was hopeless, It spent more time in the dealers than it did on the road.

[r.welfare]

I remember trying to convince my mum to buy a last-of-the-facelift-Mk1 Ibiza "Friend" in 1993 because it had electric front windows as standard

[reallyloud]

The Ronda totally escaped my mind - I vaguely recall a road test in 'What Car' magazine at the time. I don't think they thought too much of it.

 

Here are a few snaps I took over the bank holiday weekend at the Hampshire Pageant of motoring at Broadlands, near Southampton. There is always something of interest there, and this year was no exception. I couldn't stay as long as I would have liked to, as I had to try to get back up to Gateshead before it got dark - I have a tendancy to fall asleep on the A1.

 

 

 

Good to see multicoloured panels. Very 80's.

 

 

I think this is the actual Sweeney car.

 

 

 

A couple of Taunus's (taunii?) I've seen a few coupes at shows but never a saloon - I have to say though the equvalent mk III cortina is a better looking car.

 

A very neat selection of Italian cars:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was neat, plastic winged Minor van - a bit before my time but I remember it well as it featured in a Morris Minor book by Paul Skilleter - one of the few car books my local library had when I was young.

 

 

 

Not seen a unmolested AX GTi for a long time - these are fine little cars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.reallyloud.co.uk/cars/mazda_re130.jpg

 

Spoke to the owner of this mazda, he imported it from Austraila - apparently extremely rare in this RE130 form - it was more common known as the RX5.

[Richard]

 

 

I think this is the actual Sweeney car.

 

 

Close but no cigar. The Sweeney car was NHK295M. It's currently undergoing restoration I believe.

[Guest]

I think this is the actual Sweeney car.

No that one has a near number. NHK295M Is the sweeney one which is owned by steve dick. It was in a bad way but is being restored and has a section on the sweeney site.

 

http://www.thetvlounge.co.uk/sweeney/vi ... .php?t=554

 

This is from the email he sent after I contacted him

 

"Hi John,

 

 

 

I have received an email from you through Drive Archive about this Consul GT.

 

 

 

Yes I still have the car and it is still undergoing restoration, it's difficult to say when it will be back on the road again as the shell is in very poor condition and is being professionally rebuilt which costs a fortune to do. I am doing all the other work myself as I know the cars very well.

 

 

 

The link on Drive Archive may be wrong now, sorry about that, try using this one

 

www.thetvlounge.co.uk/sweeney

 

 

 

This should get you on the index page of the forum then click the Motors section and NHK's pictures and restoration topic and that should give you the pictures.

 

 

 

Thanks for your interest, feel free to drop me a line if you want any more info.

 

 

 

Steve."

[Spottedlaurel]

Those Taunus saloons are interesting in how they show the Mk4 Cortina’s ancestry. Agree that the Mk3 Cortina is nicer though.Those Cedric club guys get everywhere!

[r.welfare]

The Taunus saloon has been on eBay a few times. Would look better if it lost the Viper stripes!Great selection. I wonder why that 164 has massive (US-spec I assume) bumpers? I know that Audi fitted US-spec bumpers to their last-of-the-line Mk1 80 & 100 in '76/'77, did Volvo perhaps do the same, to use up spares?** Rover fans will perhaps be able to confirm the rumour that Mk1 Rover 800s used US bumpers from 1990-on as well.

[Mash]

 

Oooh, nice

 

Top, top spots there DC, I love the J-tin pick-ups especially.

 

That Triumph 1300 at the show is interesting because very very few are fitted with alloys due to the amount the drive shafts stick out. The steelies are very deeply dished to get the wheels back to where they should be. As you can see, these alloys stick out a bit.

 

[bones96]

The Taunus saloon has been on eBay a few times. Would look better if it lost the Viper stripes!

 

 

the taunus is being driven round west sussex( bognor regis )and with the same things in the back window so presumbly by the same old giffer i saw driving it

[reallyloud]

Spent the weekend down in a gloriously sunny Beaulieu, kept myself busy by snapping a few of the cars in the car park for my usual pre-event warm up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the many Dutch and French faithful who always turn up in some excellent cars.

 

 

Taxi spec Grananda

 

 

One of 2 I saw.

 

 

 

I quite like the quad headlamps on the XJS - works a lot better than the merc below.

 

 

 

 

Very late 250JU van - would the replacement Sherpa been produced as early as 1975?

 

 

Interesting custom job.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Almost certainly on its last legs.

 

 

...and this needs to be dealt with asap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.reallyloud.co.uk/cars/mitsubishi_sigma_2.jpg

 

http://www.reallyloud.co.uk/cars/renault_16_9.jpg

 

One of a few cars of interest inside the event, no price on it but I suspect it would be somewhat expensive...

 

http://www.reallyloud.co.uk/cars/austin_3_litre_2.jpg

 

..like this Austin 3 litre which was selling for 7K.

 

http://www.reallyloud.co.uk/cars/mercedes_220s.jpg

 

http://www.reallyloud.co.uk/cars/saab_95_3.jpg

 

http://www.reallyloud.co.uk/cars/fiat_127_4.jpg

 

 

The rest can be seen here:

 

http://www.reallyloud.co.uk/cars/cars87.htm

[Richard]

 

 

Very late 250JU van - would the replacement Sherpa been produced as early as 1975?

 

 

That's a 1973 registration. As far as I know the first Sherpas were N platers. That JU has to pay road tax

[andrew e]

I dunno whats better the blue cavalier, or the montego on autoplas wheel trims !

[michiel]

Nice update. I've got the feeling that the Dutch Morris 1800 spends a lot of time on your side of the Channel!

[michiel]

Can't remember if I've posted this before (pic from the Amsterdam image archive, early 1970s):

 

[garycox]

WOW!Is that the same car?!I'd love to find a period pic of one of mine...

[michiel]

It's had a colour change (still registered as black!), but it's the same car. Current owner since 1997.

[andrew e]

Bloody Hell Got a link to the libary Micheal?

[michiel]

There's a lot of stuff in my flickr account that I've cut&pasted, mostly from http://www.beeldbank.amsterdam.nl.

[mk2_craig]

Wow... what are the odds of that? I'd love to chance upon random old photos of my cars taken by a previous/original owner.

[reallyloud]

Sharp pair of eyes you have Michiel! I bet the owner would have been thrilled to have known that his car was photographed back in the 70's. Obviously had a change of colour too - I suspect that these old BMC relics aren't too common on mainland europe these days.

 

I've relocated back south again, which can hopefully mean more spots of interest. A few here are of interest but I long for the days of Simca 1100's and Renault 6's.

 

Seen in that scrap near my folks which until recently had that silver R30. The Renault 4 van, mk1 astra and Fiat 1100 are still there, but getting more damaged everytime, such is the wanton vandalism in the place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And a few seen around the Hampshire/Dorset area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mk2_craig]

Some interesting stuff in the yard, strange how the Caddy is there, I thought they commanded a decent value what with them probably being the most scene-taxed VW if you look at the modded example to production run ratio.

[michiel]

I've sent an email to the BMC club secretary with a link to my flickr stuff a while ago, no response sadly...