Old classified ads.

[Timewaster]

Recently I bought some lovely shiny bits from @twosmoke300and they have been lovingly stored wrapped in newspaper. Specifically the Hertford Midweek Mercury from Jan 26 1988.

Time machine moment. What would you buy? 

Hopefully you can zoom in and see them, sorry for the scrunching. 

[sutty2006]

Day after I was born. As much as I’m a GM lover, I’ll take that crapi for 750! 

[High Jetter]

V8 Rover for £185, please. Interesting how few of those ads specify the mileage.

[AnnoyingPentium]

The China Blue Cav estate.

[Popsicle]

The year I left school, I'll take the 2000E Cortina with a years ticket for £300 please.

[Missy Charm]

So much choice!  The 2.3 Sierra is a rare bird these days, and perhaps then too.  Supposedly, in the Cortina at least, the 2.3 V6 variant was slower than the 2.0 Pinto, but used less petrol.  Bizarre.  

My picks would be the Range Rover, despite it being expensive, as they look good in white; the Escort Sport and the Capri II 2000S.  There's also an Injection Special listed for what looks like £6,500 (!), which would be equivalent to £15,500 today.  It must have been a late one at that price.  

[castros_bro]

[Dyslexic Viking]

Morris 1000 van

[GeordieInExile]

I'll have the £175 1971 Rover V8, thanks.

[martc]

It's got to be the S-reg Toyota Crown, it's got a recon engine and everything.

(not blue)

[Wack]

I'll have the 1275GT mini for £900 

[Timewaster]

No takers for the £623 Allegro 1500 special?

 

Its got velour seats.

[High Jetter]

They knew how slow it was, even then.

[Crackers]

I'd have the Range Rover, even though it was the wrong colour. 

Amazing really that the P6 on the list was worth so little at that time, although I suppose no different to picking up an early-2000s S-class for pennies these days. 

[sierraman]

I have a 1993 copy of Autotrader courtesy of @Datsuncog it really is sickening reading, Capri 2.8i must have been a selection for £1000, RS2000 Mk2, quite a few for £5-700. Shocking given that even a dog rough RS2000 is £10-15k these days.

[AnnoyingPentium]

12 hours ago, Timewaster said:

No takers for the £623 Allegro 1500 special?

 

Its got velour seats.

Are they paying me the £623 to take it or...?

[mk2_craig]

Probably the Escort 1600 Sport, which presumably was a late mk2.

Or the Rover V8, on the assumption that it was a P5B Koop.

No way of knowing of course, but I wonder if any of the cars in these ads survive today.

[sierraman]

Extremely doubtful.

[Asimo]

The blue Audi 100 L5s on a W please.

Why?  Because in 1988 I scrapped my much loved blue ‘76 Audi 80 after 6 years.

** That model Audi 100 rottted like a surfer’s Lancia, but when I took the Audi 80 to the scrapyard, it was completely rust-free.

[Billy - Medhurst]

1980 Jetta GLI for me - Rare bird now and even when you see one it has been scene taxed  to death.

[tom13]

Cheery or crown for sure. 

[MiniMort]

Here's a handful of ads I found on the British Newspaper Archive from 1984. There's literally thousands of pages worth of these ads so I can keep this thread going if you'd like. 

Also could you imagine a Vauxhall dealer today advertising one of their approved used models as 'heap of the week'?! 

[MorrisItalSLX]

1 hour ago, MiniMort said:

Also could you imagine a Vauxhall dealer today advertising one of their approved used models as 'heap of the week'?! 

“Tastefully finished in rust and body filler, superbly ripped interior, almost fitted with an exhaust.”

Simply Brilliant, I’m sold.

[Shite Ron]

1 hour ago, MiniMort said:

I can keep this thread going if you'd like.

Yes please, could I have the V reg Gold 2.0GL estate Cortina please, and the T reg Granada Ghia, the Highland green 2.3GL Cortina sounds interesting also, plus the Mini 1275GT.  

[mk2_craig]

Think it’d be that 7000 mile XR3 for me. 

[MiniMort]

This time let's look at some dealer listings from Liverpool in 1993. I'm taking the 1990 AX Splash. 

. 

[ProgRocker]

31 minutes ago, MiniMort said:

This time let's look at some dealer listings from Liverpool in 1993. I'm taking the 1990 AX Splash. 

C reg Opel Manta or G reg Rover 216S for me. I regret not owning a 200 series saloon when I had the chance. I also want to try out an FSO Polonez too as I'm a glutton for punishment.

Edited March 6, 2022 by ProgRocker
a word

[Spottedlaurel]

Courtesy of this magazine I acquired:

I have loads. This was particularly good:

1968 Daihatsun and Datsun 120A Samurai [sic, should be misspelt as Samuri) at J.K. Sportscars.

 

A slection of others I've scanned over the years:

 

 

 

 

[Garythesnail]

Wonder why it was called Menlove Avenue?

[JeeExEll]

4 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Courtesy of this magazine I acquired:

I have loads. This was particularly good:

1968 Daihatsun and Datsun 120A Samurai [sic, should be misspelt as Samuri) at J.K. Sportscars.

 

A slection of others I've scanned over the years:

 

 

 

 

The 70s Ford ads are fantastic. Mk1 Escort RS1600 in there for less price than a newer 1600 Sport.

Also, Capri 1.6 with a vinyl roof or an older Jensen Interceptor with a Chrysler V8 for the same price? Hmmmm, let me think about that for a millisecond.