Spotter's Log: Harpenden Classics On The Common

[seth]

Morrisons is most definintly Chalk Farm "I remember when it were all Asda round 'ere"

[Electric Leyland]

Very true, thats where the Hungarian contraption was spotted. The Safari and BMW were on the Regents Park Road at the foot of the Hill, CX and Fiesta just off that, and Pug 504 Coupe just above them on Primrose Hill Road, and if you wanted to check out that hideous Merc too it lives just off that on Elsworthy Road. We were flathunting at the time due to the need to relocate to somewhere more baby friendly, due to forthcoming offspring (mini-Leyland??) arrival in June! After finding one on PHR we liked a fortnight ago, standing outside it, and contemplating what it would be like to live in that road, a flipping Alfa Romeo Montreal croaked past!Subsequent rapid decline in orders at work has resulted in us abandoning the idea of moving. Never mind, The Flying Scud can still be my local. Incidentally if you look very closely at that pic, it really does say "This Is Not A Local" on the signage to the left. Even more inviting!

[michiel]

Excellent shots - that Merc('s owner) should be shot. Probably 'Asma design'.

[M'coli]

No one else has commented on it, so I guess I'm imagining it, but that CX looks stretched to me. Did they all have such long rear doors?

Well spotted, means it's a Prestige, pretty much lik ethe difference between a Merc S Class Se and an SEL

Good to learn I wasn't imagining it after all! How common were they?

Must admit, I knew they were long, but that one looked even longer!

[Inspector Gadget]

The SuperShite building in the background is the former De Havilland site, the extension was built on legs to allow the assembled Blue Streak missiles to pass underneath...

 

[Electric Leyland]

Before moving on to a smattering of recent spots, must mention a train journey to Leeds from London last week. Two things, neither of which I have any photographic evidence of, but both being UBER SPOTS.

 

1. Somewhere around the Wakefield area out the south of Leeds, upon looking down to the west from the train into a row of very open back gardens and screaming OMFG in my head, you can clearly see a Renault 16 rotting away.

 

2. And FTW, again to the West of the track, but this time a lot closer to it, somewhere between Retford and Grantham, is a complete Roadline truck rotting away, same type and colour as this:

 

 

 

The pain of not getting the camera out in time to these events was just unbearable. I can't even find the sodding locations on Google Earth.

 

 

Anyway enough of my pie in the sky claims (I'm still wondering if I dreamed that whole day), here's a few spots from the past week.

 

Gorgeous P6 under a bridge

 

 

Period cobbles, period soft top, ifit wasnt for that fake J-pile it could be a scene from Heartbeat

 

 

Beast of a thing, Jag Mk X

 

Smart and green

 

Vitesse Tarps

 

 

This, again... Nissan Rasheen !!!???

 

 

Just goddit, an 83 Honda

 

 

And last catch of the day ... the General Wee ....

 

[pompei]

Ha ha love that 500!

[michiel]

...the General Wee....

LOLLIG!

[Electric Leyland]

Took a pair of velocipedes and Mr H Sceptre along for a long leisurely North London spot yesterday. And now here are the final results:

 

Stock car Sierra

 

These were taken outside a bar prior to departure

 

Lovely old Aston AMV8

 

 

 

Two classics in this one:

 

You never see the same hubcaps twice on these. A fine Citroen BX

 

Standard spot - Fiat 500 Nuova. Lovely.

 

A couple of previously spotted cars here:

 

 

 

New discoveries next...

[Electric Leyland]

Only just coming round to getting these now. Mk 2 Renault 5, this one being boy racer dream car, GT Turbo

 

One of a brace of Rialtos spotted yesterday..

 

Nick says the geezer was flicking the V's for this pic, can't see though. Have previously seen driver lose rag at someone recently. I can picture Selwyn Froggit behind the wheel...

 

From one Ford to another. THis V8 Pilot....

 

...sat opposite this tatty Orion.

 

Then suddenly H Sceptre's neck turns in a knot to see this down a sidestreet. Humberlievable! An Imperial.

 

 

 

Beige 83 Fiat camper, superb...

 

Nissan Laurel

 

Battered old Sherpa

 

This was a real peach, knackered old Citreon ZX estate!

 

more to come...

[Electric Leyland]

Lightning strikes twice so often when out spotting. Another Humber Imperial glides past, this one in top notch nick..

 

 

Just when we thought it couldnt get better, this. A Victor FE Estate

 

 

 

Can't remember seeing one for ages, a Lancia Dedra, one of two seen within minutes...

 

.. and then a third. Weird.

 

Arthur Daley's lurking about today, nice little earner.... TERRENCE

 

And another Jag around the corner, this XK150 stunner...

 

 

 

so much more to come...

[Torsten2001]

I spotted that BMC before in Crouch End I believe

[seth]

I took a photo of that BMC truck thingy outside the Enfield Pageant today!Oh and the old Ford isn't a Pilot, but a pukka US '34 Fordor!

[Mr Lobster]

Only just coming round to getting these now. Mk 2 Renault 5, this one being boy racer dream car, GT Turbo

That must be seriously rare now, early GT Turbo in std condition.

[Electric Leyland]

Back down to earth with this BMW

 

 

Rare nowadays, an Alfa 33

 

Saab 99

 

Further up the same cobbled hill

 

Volvo 1800ES

 

Think this is my second ever sighting of a Will

 

 

 

Another R5

 

And the whilst snapping away at this 77 Porsche 911 SC Targa (I think it was) .....

 

... across the road we beheld this awesome sight.

 

 

 

None other than a VW 411 Variant

 

 

more to come....

[Electric Leyland]

Honda Civic Shuttle

 

Calling all Hirst Cabs, 84 Daihatsu Charmant...

 

 

Another tired old R5

 

another old ZX, these will be top notch Autoshite one day.

 

This made us go very weak at the knees, a BMW 2000

 

Love those long headlamps

 

More future shite, a Honda Insignia

 

 

Repeated spot, ancient Fiesta

 

Bristol 411

 

couple of modern day sports chariots worthy of partial note

 

ACCLAIM!

 

What going on down these arches?

 

Rover P6 hiding near another railway arch

 

And this psychadelic number from Camden market, Ford Prefect

 

familiar Primrose Hill site

 

Earliest of Mk 2 Golfs, its from 83...

 

85 Mazda 323 saloon

 

And last spot of the day, and one of my favourites. Beautifully originally preserved 1984 Ford Escort, in a disabled space as is so often the case...

 

 

 

Adios for now.

[michiel]

OMG Charmant! And that BMW, and and and... what an update!

[55bloke]

Brilliant spotting! But, about those old Fords- the Prefect is actually a Popular (or, possibly, an Anglia) - Prefects have 4 doors and a different grille, and, the V8 Pilot is, I think, an American '34 Ford 4 door sedan.

[seth]

A mega spottage sesion indeed! I'm having fun trying to plot your route as much as anything. I drove through Camden yesterday evening and saw the psychodelic Pop but couldn't stop so I'm glad you've saved me the bother of going back.

[Split_Pin]

Definetly with you on the MK3 Escort. Ford had some good colours back then- the one you spotted is in Bermuda Blue. Titan Blue and Crystal Green were 2 other nice colour, and Corgi produced models of them in the exact colours!

[STUNO]

 

From one Ford to another. THis V8 Pilot....

Not a Pilot much older US V8 from about 1934?

Looks LHD too!

 

edit.. WTF is cranio sacral therapy. Is it about putting your brain where your balls should be or similar ?

[55bloke]

That's what I thought- see above!

[seth]

I took a photo of that BMC truck thingy outside the Enfield Pageant today!Oh and the old Ford isn't a Pilot, but a pukka US '34 Fordor!

And me

[morris_ital_lover]

From one Ford to another. THis V8 Pilot....

Gr8 4 Bonni and Clyde!

Nice spot!

m0rris

[Electric Leyland]

Cheers for the Ford corrections chaps.Yes that BMC truck is certainly another one for the Autoshite Most Spotted category. I've seen it half a dozen times over the past 5 years. Seth the route, much of which was spent completely lost (thus adding more of an adventure feel) basically went Shoreditch, Angel, Kings X, Tufnell Park, Gospel Oak (got really lost for hours round here), South Hampstead, Belsize Park, St Johns Wood, Primrose Hill, Camden, Kings X, Old Street. A very Zigzag version of that. Prime UK spotting territory if you ask me! I think I love that Bermuda blue Mk 3 Escort solely from loving the Corgi one as a kid.

[Spottedlaurel]

Marvellous update! Getting lost and taking odd routes is all part of the fun, one never knows what might be lurking just yards away...I’ll go for the Charmant and BMW 2000 please.

[Guest]

That Charmant is a honey! Facelift model, I'm starting to wonder whether mine is the only prefacelift left.

[trigger]

I do love that old Sit up and beg Ford, Can just imagine a completely mad man of 70 still pottering about in it with a straw hat and moustache.

[Gompo]

Great pics, makes me miss London a little.

 

Not sure about the Insight being genuine future-shite - they're not cheap, anyway.

 

I spotted/posted that Mk3 Escort about 18 months ago, looks to be in the same place. See here:

 

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Looks like the owner has been investing in blue aerosol in the time since. There's an elderly lady near my house with an immaculate MK3... P21 push button radio and all. I'm going to leave a note under the windscreen next time I see it.