It was quite possible to buy a stylish looking 4 seater 2 door coupe, with the mechanical simplicity of a family saloon in the early ‘70s. For those who didn’t need the two rear doors, but appreciated the cheap running costs, boot space, insurance and a little more panache. A natural place to start is […]
Coupes and their Saloon derivatives Read More »
1980 was a significant year for new releases, and the optimism of a new decade meant that there was a hopeful outlook for the motor industry after several years of gloom. One significant car that did offer a positive British outlook was the Mini Metro. Based on the Mini, it was a clever piece of
One of the attractions of rallying is the choice to approach it according to your budget. You could build your rally car, or as many would recommend is to buy a ready prepared one. Building one is fairly extensive work, to repair but also to fit a cage, frame and buy the necessary parts and
Starter rally cars Read More »
Choice is a wonderful thing. The start of ‘70s was great for the consumer but it was the long-drawn demise of the homegrown manufacturers. Complacencies and a lack of finance, combined with industrial unrest and infighting cemented the fate of the British car industry. However, things were still looking relatively positive in 1971 as we
Early-70’s family cars Read More »
There were not many other alternatives to the large family estate car in the ‘70s unless you literally chose to drive a van with windows. The large estate car sector had come of age, and the inklings of lifestyle, status and family-oriented vehicles were starting to develop. The Toyota Crown in its estate guise was
Large early-70’s Estate cars Read More »
Economics plays a major part in motoring and one major growth area throughout the ‘80s was the small family hatchback. This allowed manufacturers to offer cheap versions of their sector B cars, without depressing austerity, poor build quality or sluggish performance. Manufacturers were aware that people who happily own a new car with minimal extras,
Budget early-’80s hatchbacks Read More »
Estate cars still had a bit of utilitarian image in the ‘60s and seen as load luggers used for manual tasks. However, the period saw a change in the habits of the lifestyle consumer thanks to the increasing availability of cheap oversea ferry travel, allowing the average family man to consider a trip abroad. It
Big 1960’s estate cars Read More »
Former Wolseley designer Edward Dixon Abbott started his coach building business in 1920, having previously worked for Page and Hunt in Farnham. When Page and Hunt stopped producing body modifications in 1929, Abbott took over the premises and renamed the company E. D Abbott. Most of their work came from converting commercial vehicles, but also
Ford and Vauxhall Cars of E.D Abbott Read More »
Mattel, the parent company of the Hot Wheels brand started producing toy cars in 1968 and revolutionised the small scale 1/64 die-cast toy industry. At the time the export market was mostly capatalised by British toy car makers, such as Lesney’s Matchbox Toys, Dinky Toys and Mettoys Corgi. The innovative use of Hot Wheels low
Hot Wheels Escort Vs Corgi Juniors Escort Read More »
Aspecial auction at the Roadhouse Motor Co. in Stamford in Lincolnshire, provided the setting for the UKTV/Dave channel ‘Lazy Boy Garage’, where 10 retro classic cars sourced from abroad are ‘flipped’ for profit. The show is a master-class in ‘How to – and not to – buy and sell cars’. The cars for this series
