Spotter's Log: Harpenden Classics On The Common

[Electric Leyland]

 

Like the new sig, Mr B. You look a bit younger than I remember.

Reminds me of Dexter Fletcher in his "Press Gang" days.

 

"Let me tell you a little something about Jay Aston....."

[55bloke]

That's a pretty amazing selection- I can hardly believe there are 3 Citroen DSs in the same area, and that 2 of them are dog-rough is truly astonishing!! Oh, and congrats, of a sort, on being the 1st person on Autoshite to post a pic of actual shite!! Please God don't let it be the start of a trend!!!

[Split_Pin]

Brilliant spots!Love the MK3 Escort avec Sercks!I also agree about the MK3 Cortina being an appealing car, my faves would be a pov-spec L with the 2 large round headlamps in place of the usual twin round or oblong ones. I have a Vanguards model of said preferred variant in blue

[55bloke]

I love the Mk 3 Cortina too- many years ago, had an Arizona Gold 2000E estate which I absolutely LOVED!! Died of terminal tin-worm in the sills and mounts for the rear suspension trailing-arms. Would love another!

[Electric Leyland]

Glad you're all enjoying them so far.

 

Time for some more. These were all taken during a long weekend in Paris back in June. The one that got away was a mint condition bright yellow Renault 15TL, like my old blue one in the AS logo. Didnt someone on here buy that off PC writer Paul Vicar Wakeley in the end? Ratdat maybe? I wonder whatever came of it.

 

Anyway I digress. Parisienne Spottage, avec plus (arc du)(Triumph) vitesse:

 

First one straight outside the Gare Du Nord. Can you guess what it is yet?

 

 

Bit easier from this one maybe?

 

Arty

 

Cast iron future shite

 

Plenty of oldschool Minis in Paris, they cant get enough of them

 

Same goes for oldschool Fiat 500s, everywhere still. Attracting plenty of admirers!

 

Nearly got away - A Panhard! Think it was a PL17 Cabriolet! Cant be too many of those around?

 

Next stop = The Thinker.

 

What could he be thinking of?

 

Why, kit of course!

 

My fave spot of the day. Liquid Autoshite.

 

In the same street:

 

Citroen Ami 6. No, Ami 8. Ami 6? Damn, whats the rule again?

 

 

 

More French Spottage to come...

[Electric Leyland]

 

 

Beauty ...

 

...and the Microbeast

 

Lancia Protoceratops

 

I was in a taxi when this one happenned.

 

Opposite condition to the previous twenny

 

View from bedroom window when awaking the next morning:

 

Coffee, croissants, and a Simca Aronde...

 

This one reminds me, spending 15 mins getting used to the motorscooter I'd hired, I let slip a Peugeot 104 and a Renault 12, darn it

 

Photography whilst riding a scooter, not very easy:

 

But worth it! Two honeys in an Autobianchi. I say ladies, would you mind awfully to help a fella who's lorst?

 

Thunk!

 

 

 

 

 

And on the walk home from the tube back in Blighty.

 

More to come from our own shores again next. Stay tuned.

[Split_Pin]

 

'Mercedes et Modus! Merde, merde, un bators!!'

 

Brilliant spots, the wheels on that gold 20 look a bit wee dont they?

[mouseflakes]

Thanks for those EL. R20s made my day!

[seth]

I'm sat here shaking my head all over the place in an exaggerated Murray Walker style and I still can't work out the top one!Panhard looks like its taking aim for a cheesy 70's French car chase film styleee jump over the the car transporter

[Albert Ross]

Blurry one looks like a Regata or Strada. Samba MAYBE?

[mk2_craig]

I want the red blur to be a Renner 14, but it looks to me like it just might be a 5-door Seat Malaga/Ronda (Fiat Ritmo clone).

[Albert Ross]

Front sidelight position/grey bumper does it for me.

[Adrian_pt]

The wheels are pretty clearly on four studs, ruling out a Samba, sadly, or an AX. Ronda would be joyous shite, but judging by the front sidelight, I'll concur that it's a Strada, and tentatively a Mark II one... 130 TC?As a bizarre point of interest, an electric version was built in the US under the name of Lectric Leopard. Must be about a billion spotting points over there.

[Albert Ross]

I reckon a Mk1 meself.............Surely a higher spec one would have the plastic halfway up the doors?????

[Guest]

 

Love 305's myself-drove many miles in the early 90's in one-never went wrong. Catch anymore?

[Electric Leyland]

I reckon a Mk1 meself.............Surely a higher spec one would have the plastic halfway up the doors?????

You are quite correct. Twas an early Fiat Ritmo.

[Pete-M]

Hey pete M, how are you getting on with the Czech lingo then? I sometimes go there with work and reckon i'm half-decent at languages, but I cant make head or tail of czech, it looks a ruddy nightmare.

It's not easy as it's what they call a synthetic language. It's also a pain as its one of those languages that changes the end of a word depending on who / what you're talking about, a bit like Welsh..It's all fine, as long as it's possible to get cheap beer and the odd bag of herbs I'm ok anywhere."Volizovac voken" - Windowlicker. What more d'ya need?

[michiel]

Just a from me. What a lot of cool stuff! I wonder if those ladies drove the Bianchina all the way from Italy?

[Electric Leyland]

Ready for a few more?

 

A lot of the following are completely random pics, all taken over the last few weeks. Some tat, some proper classics, all sorts, won't be to everyones tastes ....

 

Found a couple more missed off from the France trip first:

 

 

 

Dunno, do they look Italian?

 

 

 

And now back to domestic spotting.

 

 

Citroen H vans are a fairly common sight in London, especailly with small landscape gardeneing companies or near markets selling cheese.

 

How does this survive the banger circuits?

 

See they're blumming everywhere

 

[Electric Leyland]

And now for a non-shite interlude, I'll be very brief....

 

BMW Z1

 

David Brown Five

 

Also belonging to the CCC, as above two are.

 

LFE Services I think it was

 

Chatsworth House gardens. I just love this model. Last of the line of good looking 911s in my book.

 

 

And a few from COTC, I know its been on here already but here's my 2p worth

Ferrari 250 SWB

 

ISO Grifo

 

 

 

This show is never without at least one really rare Tatra. Sometims more. How come?

 

 

 

 

Ok I'll stop now. Enough of the classics and the repeats!!!

 

More normality resumes next...

[michiel]

They could be Italian, but then again... I don't care any longer, cuz that Appia has taken over my brain.

[Electric Leyland]

Ah, couple more evening shots of COTC before I resume.

 

I get this

 

But I do not get this (soz blurred)

 

Took me a while to get what this origianlly was!

 

THis is familiar NOW, but I wish it was at the time!

 

THIS IS HORRIBLE I HATE IT

 

 

Then things started to go a bit American Grafitti (which is a good thing)

 

 

 

And finally, I bagged a pic too! Am I right in thinking it had nothing to do with the show being on?

[Jazzy Jeff]

You are a brave man driving on the roads of Derbyshire to Chatsworth on a nice sunny day. How did you avoid all the thousands of middle aged Organ donors hurtling either at you or past you at 150mph??

[Electric Leyland]

You are a brave man driving on the roads of Derbyshire to Chatsworth on a nice sunny day. How did you avoid all the thousands of middle aged Organ donors hurtling either at you or past you at 150mph??

Dunno maybe it was more the other way round, I'd picked up a hire car from that new streetcar.co.uk scheme and was still getting used to driving again!

[55bloke]

What a superb selection- quite a few comments spring to mind:- The bashed about Renner made me chuckle- looks like it'd had a replacement wing and door as a result of an accident, and now the replacement door has a dent too!! Typically French! Upside down 15- WHY?!! And is the bar/cafe really called THE TWO MAGOTS? Very glad to see a few Mk 2 Granadas have evaded wanton destruction. Amazed at the doors on the Lancia- I bet getting a wind/rain tight seal is a bugger!!! LOVE the custom Merc- very cool indeed. Also love the chopped HA van with Mk 2 Escort grille- windscreen doesn't look original. Night shots are wonderful, very evocative.

[mk2_craig]

Dunno, do they look Italian?

Doesn't matter to me what country they come from!

[AXrescuer]

And finally, I bagged a pic too! Am I right in thinking it had nothing to do with the show being on?

Ah, the old Batford Escrote. I drive past that every day!

[seth]

THis is familiar NOW, but I wish it was at the time!

That's me on the right behind the boot and R-Rer Hairnet on the left holding on for dear life.Nice photos.

[Gompo]

When I worked for a large VAG dealership they had the reg numbers "GT1" and "AUD1".

Those plates must be worth a bit, - how long ago was this?

[Mash]

According to RAC vehicle check, VAG1 is now on a Freelander and GT1 on a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti.