One of the many marketable aspects of a sale of a new car is the approach to safety considerations. By the 1960s, passenger safety had become a top priority, with advancements in impact ‘cages,’ as well as mechanical and interior attention, but it was the investigation into pedestrian safety that themes today’s post. What appears […]
British Leyland Safety Research Vehicles Read More »
This sweet little thing has been subject to a ground-up restoration. Originally bought off eBay as a project that never progressed, it last saw the road in 1985 and was as bad as you’d expect a commercial Mini would be, however it was complete and had its documents. While as much as possible metal was
1974 Austin Mini Pick-up Read More »
Morris Ital. Considered as an automotive zero, it was lambasted from the day it was announced and unlike many other BL products, it has yet to be evaluated for a second appraisal. However, it seems like it has little to redeem it, other than being known for being a tepid Marina that became a rather
The ’70s as well often documented, was a troubling time for the UK homegrown car companies, with strive and strikes dominating the headlines, when it should have been the cars. This is a brief overview of the cars that became the brands best sellers. A scan outside the top 10 includes the Jaguar XJ6 which
Best selling BL cars of the ’70s Read More »
Here’s a question to ponder over. How should people remember British Leyland Princess? Subjectively, if we forget about the fact it suffered mostly due to the parent companies failings and focus at the initial impact it had in 1975. At the time the industry was going through economic and political turmoil, so a new British
For this sort of money, the appeal tended to revolve around value for money rather than performance. Technically we could throw in some small 2 door saloons, such as the Alfasud or Avenger but the following were specifically marketed as coupes. At the time the option of a coupe version was justified as the segment
Budget ’70s coupes Read More »
With the very best restored classic VW vans now reaching 50K in value, this could be the perfect opportunity to explore the alternatives from the ‘50s and ‘60s. The criteria are something that will host 6 people (as currently recommended for these Covid times) a dog or two and several picnics. One of the prettier
Classic alternatives to the VW Type 2 Read More »
An evolution of the Mini, utilising the East-West transverse engine with Hydrolastic suspension. From the moment the first one left the factory in 1963, it hit the top of the sales charts and maintained a top place or at the very least top three places throughout its ten-year production. Car buyers were presumably less discerning
ADO 16 BMC 1100/1300 Read More »
The early ‘60s was an era of personal freedom and relative affluence, allowing hard-working families to enjoy their fruits of the money after several decades of relative austerity. The cars offered reflected this change in society with small family cars being the most popular choice for many. The UK market had been dominated by homegrown
Small Family cars from the ’60s Read More »
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 »
