PICS! Classic Motor Show '13

This big old Sunbeam was another car that simply reeked of an era when British engineering stood for something.



My favourite bit being the fold-up extra seat in the boot, which of course required special little footholds to be created for the gentry to access their impromptu seat. And a separate windscreen! All of which begs the question would it not have been easier just to design the car as a four-seater in the first place? Ahhh, but where's the fun in that?



Chevettes are of course the best car the world's ever seen (in-joke) so the only thing better would have to be a wide-arched one, surely? Minilites make any car cool, anyway. And no trace of partisanship there, I assure you



I've always had a soft spot for Deloreans, and have wittered on endlessly about them in past threads. Not that anyone ever reads them...



...so I'll refrain from gushing too much here. Suffice to say there's a fair bit of DMC lurrve about in here.



I think they're one of those designs that was either timeless or so hopelessly dated at launch that it actually never goes out of style. That might be me talking bull as usual. It's still funny how Giugiaro spent his entire career essentially knocking out cars that all looked exactly the bloody same, yet they all somehow managed a fresh and unique identity. I guess that's the thin line between genius and madness



Anyway, the Delorean OC always have a well-appointed display, not just the cars but models and clothing (ahem... apparel, no doubt). Most impressive



Not that you really need to over-egg the pudding when the car has such a cool party trick!



In fact, perhaps the only let-down (other than the engine which is adequate in it's own right, but just not what it should have been. The car deserves a lump as bonkers as the exterior) is the slightly fusty interior that's the only part that has dated.



The Imp was one of the great little car success stories, and it seems there have been just about as many versions of them as there are cars still around. This one's a Sunbeam, so I guess strictly speaking it's a Sport rather than an Imp



I'm not entirely sure how you make a rear-engined car into an estate, but I guess it didn't stop VW from making one into a van. It actually looks like a hearse for midgets to me. This'll be a Hillman Husky then, the coffin-carrying roofline made necessary by the engine stuffed under the floor



While we're talking about strange concepts, this next one's definitely a bit of an oddity



Panther Westwinds produced bespoke cars throughout the 70s, with some success it must be said. They had the distinction of mostly pre-war styling with modern underpinnings and equipment, and were defined by outrageous pricing. The DeVille was for many years the most expensive car listed for sale in the UK. Luminaries such as Ollie Reed and Elton John apparently had one. So not at all overblown then. They were based on Jag v12 engines, tube chassis of Panther's own design and bodywork that was supposed to mimic Bugatti's Royale. Hmmm. Well, you can make your own mind up on that last bit... Only eleven convertibles were made, so this is a rare old thing in anyone's language



Perhaps even rarer was the Panther Solo. Only 18 were made, several exported and one used as a crash test mule. Allegedly only eight remain in the UK



The owner was very chatty and happy to show us round the car. It was explained as to the exact reason why the mid-engined Ford Cosworth lump was offset and angled to one side, as well as how difficult it was to then mate all the running gear up to it, but I'd glazed over a bit by then and none if it is still lodged in my memory



The owner got a bit more grumpy when we asked if we could see how the pop-up headlights worked, because when they're down it's hard to envisage what they'll be like when up... or even how they'll achieve this. We found out why this was a major deal for him, because it meant re-connecting the battery... which meant chucking all his stuff out of the car so he could lift the passenger seat and then fumble about balancing the seat on his head whilst trying to re-connect the battery terminals underneath. So please have consideration for how much effort went into getting this next pic, lol. For future reference, they rotate on the front-rear axis



So, more Bristols, then. Mmmmm, Bristols....



This one's a 401, designed by Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera. Bristol had spent the War making aeroplanes (funnily enough, that was their primary business, after all) but turned to cars afterwards, making BMW-engined and stylistically echoing grand tourers.



The dashboards were always an engrossing thing to look at, with bespoke dials in a variety of Art Deco forms and Bluemels steering wheels, elegant controls. Lovely







The first car to be produced on the Frazer-Nash licence was the 400, a BMW 328 engine on a 326 pre-war frame and a steel body based on the 327.



You can see the BMW influence clearly in the kidney nostril grille. This is a later version, as proved by the spare wheel being mounted outside the boot, rather than inside which intruded into the already tight passenger compartment on earlier cars.



On later models, such as this 403, Bristol brought some of their innovation in design to bear and the spare wheel was packaged in otherwise wasted space, in a flip-open compartment in the wing behind the front road wheel. You can really see the benefit of Bristol's past in aeroplane manufacture in the slippery shape of the car here



These cars were considerably improved in performance over the earlier iterations, and Bristol introduced all-wheel Allfin drum brakes (aluminium finned) but later reduced these to front wheel only as the car was actually over-braked for its 105mph performance!



No idea about the clearly aftermarket hare mascot though. Not a clue what the story is there



Skip forwards several years to the late 70s, through to the 90s, and we have the 412 or Beaufighter cars, named after the legendary plane. These benefitted from a deal to run Chrysler V8 of a mere 6-odd litre displacement as well as Zagato styling (sometimes called "challenging", sometimes "striking". Sometimes "hideous"). Whatever else they were, they weren't slow. Sadly, all my exterior shots sucked donkeys so you have to be content with this one that proves at least Bristol hadn't lost the knack of turning out a beautifully-appointed dash



Despite lingering on with a variety of low-volume models such as the Blenheim, Bristol finally succumbed to the inevitable fate that seems to be the lot of all British manufacturers, and went into receivership in 2011. Which is a bit of a shame, because their last hurrah as of 2004 had been the new Fighter



which is a bit of a thing. Featuring as it does one of these



and let's be honest, any car that features a 7-litre Dodge Viper V10 has to be worthy of some love, even without the gullwing doors, dramatic styling and luxurious, well-appointed and spacious cabin that can accommodate anyone up to 6 foot seven! I can only apologise for the curse word photos, mind. The car was rammed with punters and it just wasn't possible to get a clear shot



Real bloody shame about Bristol going under. This thing can hit 62mph in four seconds and the traditionally excellent Bristol aerodynamics enable a top speed of 210mph! For the truly berserk owner, a turbo option could be specified, dropping the 0-62mph sprint by half a second and engorging the top speed to a frankly alarming claimed 225mph



And another couple of departed Brit marques next. First, the Standard Vanguard. Post-war this was sold as the most technologically advanced car in the world, and in fact it probably wasn't too much of an inflated claim. Funny hare-lip styling though...



The Standard Ensign was much-used by the Forces, apparently. This wagon certainly has some presence. I was glad to see this because I had a photo of a de-badged one converted to a drag car that I'd been trying to identify what it was for ages. The swage line into the rear doors was instantly recognisable. Hurrah, another mystery solved



The Triumph 1800 Roadster is another wonderfully swoopy car that puts the word voluptuous in my head. Mmmm. This weeks' Sesame Street has been brought to you by the demise of the British car industry and the word "voluptuous", lol. Triumph became a subsidiary of Standard post-war, of course, and ultimately led to the famous TR series roadsters



The badge was in no way self-aggrandising and designed to imply Triumph products bestrode the world like a colossus. Oh no, actually, that's exactly what it was supposed to do. Britain firmly centre of the globe...



....oh, look. A TR-series roadster! Almost as if it was pre-planned to work this way. No-one appreciates the work that goes in here behind the scenes, y'know...
Anyway, this is a TR2. You can tell by the recessed smiley grille



Interior is robust but well-appointed



The TR5 was a half-way house, keeping the Michelotti-styled body of the '4 but introducing the six-cylinder engine that would continue into the '6. This was very modern car, with fuel injection, disc front brakes, rack and pinion steering and a host of other engineering innovations.



...not very much like the ill-starred TR7 then. Still, it's impossible to ignore even now. Designed by Harris Mann (who also penned the equally wedgey Princess) and billed as "The Shape of Things to Come" it's only a shame it wasn't also the shape of reliability to come. Perhaps it was never going to transcend the ugly death throes of the Leyland conglomerate...



Another legendary name, with even more unshakeable ties to Coventry than Triumph, the Coventry Climax company and engines have been in more things than Cassanova. Literally the engine that launched a thousand race cars, forklifts, fire engine pumps, street cars.... etc, repeat to fade... The badge with Lady Godiva, of course, reflects her origins as a Coventry girl. If you go down the main drag at closing times you can still see plenty of young ladies emulating her famous streak through the city, wearing not much more in the way of clothes...



Not often you see a little Austin given the hot rod treatment. Cute li'l thing, innit



I love the ill-fated MG SVR X-power things. Despite the fact they consistently seem to feature appalling offset fails.



Designed by Peter Stevens (yep, the same guy who either saved or ruined the Esprit, depending on your viewpoint) apparently to look like it was a kitcar, boshed together on the basis of the Qvale Mangusta (nee de Tomaso) , manufactured in Italy (Modena, no less) and finished in the rather less glamorous surroundings of Longbridge, it's a miracle any of them ever ran at all, let alone made it into production!



Shoved along by a Ford L-series V8 of about 4.6 litres, they are capable of around 175 mph and featured carbon fibre bodywork for lightness. Of course, this guaranteed a humongous price tag and only 82 were completed. Not every day you see Cobra and MG logos in the same shot, though



although it must be said, MGs are not necessarily strangers to an embarrassment of powerz, as evidenced by this very subtle supercharger setup on this old racer.



Love these old Jaeger dials, did I mention that?



The paddock that contained Bonhams auction cars was roped off and surrounded by polite but uncooperative flunkies, which was a shame because there were some cool as cars in there but I couldn't get anywhere near most of them. A couple that did come out were this excellent and street-ready looking RS200



and the unmistakeable wedge profile of a Ferrari 512 Berlinetta Boxer. Wen you compare this to the bloated monstrosity of the Testarossa that followed it, you realise what an amazing job they did of packaging the immense flat-12 boxer engine. Although arguably they did it by cheating and not leaving any room for normal sized humans with two legs in the cabin



There were a whole tranche of replica Stratos being flogged at last years show, but one is enough really. Fortunately, this one was sat on its little plinth looking just as mad as it first did all those years ago. Clarkson, of course, hates them. Which goes to show exactly how far away from understanding the culture on which they commentate a journalist can get when they start to believe the cult of their own personality. If it's too impractical, you're simply too old





The TVR owners stand ought to bring some shock and awe, and we weren't to be disappointed here. First thing to grab the attention was



none other than the White Elephant, rescued from the back lot of derelict cars behind the obsolete factory buildings and restored to former glory. This was once the MD Peter Wheeler's personal transport, a 5-litre Holden powerplant shoving the prototype bodywork along. It was decide this 185mph projectile was too dated for the 90s and Holden power deemed unsuitable, so the Griffith was born mere months later. Like, whut? Damn fine wheels on 'er, too



Oh, OK, I see what you mean about dated now. Mind you, still a fantastic piece of history. Wheeler used this as a shooting brake, having a modified dog basket incorporated into the floor behind the passenger seat for Ned the gundog, and a compartment in the boot to hold shotguns, cartridges and pheasant corpses!



Slightly more modern but with not much less shock and awe was the outrageously sculpted form of a race-prepped Sagaris



I understand the strakes and flaps were never intended for cooling purposes (a criticism often overheard "they haven't even got vents in, what's the point") but rather for aerodynamic efficiency, to affect laminar airflow and break drag. Or maybe it's just to look hard and alarming?



I tried my hardest to get a decent photo of the Z1 and it's party piece doors. Mostly, I failed. It's just one of those cars where as soon as you get the camera setup for a decent shot, some fool comes and sticks their mullet right in the middle of the shot. Even with Ada trying his best to herd punters out of the way by strategically walking in the way, this was the best we managed. Still, you get the idea. BMW, still bonkers after all these years, lol



Here's something a bit different then. If you get it from this first pic then award yourself several million concept car cognoscenti cool points.



This one'll give it away, then



ALthough it looks almost sane and normal from the front! This is of course, the Ogle Sotheby Special Aston Martin. Commissioned and paid for by WO Willis tobacco company in the early 70s, it was intended to be the poster boy for the new Sotheby range of ciggies and was originally in their blue and gold colourscheme. The brand failed, and it was repainted in the white and red of Embassy instead. Based on a one-off tube Reynolds tubing frame with the engine and running gear of an Aston V8, and fibreglass bodywork, the distinguishing features are many. You've already noticed the single-piece stainless rear panel with twenty-two rear lights. The harder the driver braked, the more lights were illuminated. The wraparound glass with bizarre privacy striping and stainless roof hoops are also clear to see, as are the concealed headlights revealed by flaps that folded down. The interior boasted an across-the-car rear seat, making it a strict three seater.



There were only two of these made, so this is a rare chance to see one as both are in the hands of private collectors. The second car featured carburettors rather than the fuel injection of this original, resulting in a large bonnet bulge to clear the Webers. The cars were named after David Ogle who penned the original design, albeit neither was built until after his death, the concept being realised by Tom Karen.



Should you wish to see more mundane and ordinary Astons, however, I can offer you the almost passe form of a DB5? Haha, illustrious company indeed when a DB5 is the average example of the marque on the stand



I guess this DB2 is a bit more special, if through no better reason than rarity. I always found the grille slightly clumsy, myself. I'd still have one, like, just sayin'



The Alfa stand proved frustratingly popular and the only photo I'd impose on your better nature with is of this lovely little Giulietta, de-bumpered and sporty



Likewise, the Maserati stand, which was a disappointement anyway. Last year it was stuffed with Khamsins, Boras, Meraks and all the evocative names of Orsi/Citroen/deTomaso ownership. This year, all I can offer you is some lovely period Zenits



and the extremely odd quilted motif on the c-pillar of a second-gen Quattroporte

Classic and Sportscar Magazine had a feature the month before the Motor Show about the cars the Beatles used to own, and there was a display of the cars from the feature in one of the hall entrances. For some odd reason whoever put on the display had booked a stand big enough for three cars, which was a real shame as it had to accommodate four, plus stupid cardboard cutouts of the Beatles themselves, in case there were any show-goers who might have actually been rescued from a jungle swamp on Guadalcanal where they'd still been fighting the Second World War for the last sixty years and thus were unaware of what the Beatles looked like. Certainly, I can't imagine anyone else on Planet Earth doesn't? So, it proved impossible to get a good photo of the cars and again, you'll have to make do with details.



George was apparently the true petrolhead of the crew, as evidenced by his choice of one of the finest-handling mid-engined sportsters of the age, the Ferrari Dino. Whose spidery Compagnalo wheel that just was



Lennon was allegedly an appalling driver, treating the accelerator like an on/off switch and this was especially alarming when coupled with his taste in stupendously powerful behemoths like this Iso Fidia, shoved along by a 5.4 litre Chevy V8



Ringo, despite being a preposterous buffoon responsible for crimes against music such as that vocal on Yellow Submarine, showed surprisingly good taste in cars. In fact, his choice is also one of my all-time favourites.



the high-speed gentleman's club on wheels that is the Facel Vega. Mmm, sumptuous!



And you thought French cars were all about horrid little tinfoil shopping cart hatchbacks or glorious Citroen insanity, eh? The Facel Vega was an awesome thing, thrust delivered by the Chrysler DeSoto Hemi 275 cu in V8 meaning it was a truly quick car whilst cosseting the occupants in wonderful luxury. A genuine GT in every respect



Just look at that dash, one of my faves. Ringo might have had respectable taste in cars, but I'm still not sure if that's enough to forgive or forget Thomas the Tank Engine



And McCartney? He had a DB6. But you don't wanna see that. He's proof that only the good die young, and nothing will ever excise the appalling crimes against humanity that were Mull O'Kintyre and the Frog Chorus. So, moving on, how about a nice Bentley?



Not a bad way to sell insurance, as this seemed to be the centrepiece on some insurance company or other's stand. A blower Bentley. Mmmm.



No wonder the string-backed driving glove so beloved of codgers everywhere was developed; sawing away on that sisal-covered 36-inch wheel must have inflicted blisters the size of plums on unprotected flesh!



Nice Beetle. Again, Ada did tell me which "-style" this was, but it's long gone now. I like the rear wheel spats though. Like a speed record car. Only really really slow



I took about eight almost-identical versions of this one as it was illuminated by colour-changing LEDs and I couldn't decide which one I liked best. To be honest I'm still not sure but I thought you might get fed up if I posted them all



A few random snippets next. Nice to see a legendary car given a new lease of life. If I understand this aright, this is a homage to the 1937 Chevrolet used by Fangio in the Turismo Carretera series in his native Argentina. It competed in the 2013 Paris to Peking Rally, sponsored by Evans waterless coolant which seems to be acquiring quite a reputation. I wonder how it works with rotary engine water seals...



Not quite identical to Fangio's baja-styles original beastie, but a cool homage nonetheless.



An Aston Martin DB5 engine bay. Dunno why. Nice though, innit?



Some very early Citroen deux chevaux. ANd to think the prototypes of these were concealed by burying from the NAzi invasion force as they were considered a national treasure to avoid falling into enemy hands. Loving the straked fullers for strength in the cheap and substandard steel construction. Mmm, all cars should be ribbed for extra sensory pleasure



There really can't be many of these wee beasties left running around. I remember a mate's dad having one of these from new and even back in the days of black and white it had already started rusting. You could actually hear the thing rot from twenty paces, it went through that quickly!



Still, I suppose they did sell a gazillion X1/9 in various versions, so there must still be some left. And that Bertone styling is still funky today



Lancia seem to always manage to represent with a severely entertaining selection of cars at the show. I guess this is made easy by having so many utterly jaw-dropping cars in their history, such as this lovely humpty-backed Aprilia



Now, there's a C-pillar on a car that was never envisaged having to filter into the crush of the M25 from a short filter lane...



We all love Fulvias don't we? Classic diminutive yet prodigiously capable race and rally slag, typical Italian slightly effete good looks. What's not to like?



As is often the case, the Zagato version is almost unrecognisable from the "donor" car. I still can't make my mind up, not better, just different. And reminiscent of the Citroen SM, oddly



And this is what it's all about; that amazing tour de force of engine packaging that is the narrow-angle V4. So narrow an angle that both "banks" of cylinders are able to share a single head. Awesome thing



Remember way back when this thread was young and the dinosaurs still roamed the Earth, we discussed how Giugiaro managed to essentially design the exact same looks into every car but still retain an individuality on them all? Well here's another



The Lancia Beta Montecarlo coupe. This seems to be one of those cars where there's no such thing as a standard car, they're all furkled about with to some degree. This one gave me a chuckle as I was admiring it and some lugubrious Brummie declared to his mate "It's a Ferrari. Must be, hers got Ferrari lights on the back". Oh yeah, so it has.



One of very few cars where it's hard to imagine it'd look better with dished wheels. Dunno why I thought that, but it's true innit



There seemed to be quite a variety of engines. From what you'd expect, the Lancia twin-cam four



to blown Alfa conversions



But this was the one that really caught the attention;



Yeah, they were rocking a proper full-fat rally Montecarlo, complete with most impressive engine packaging (mega short-run turbo setup, for example), one-piece lift-up widearch clamshells, slicks on wiiiiiiiide wheels, ooooh. I'm getting all unnecessary again now



Martini colours too, proper. As has many times been avowed on these threads, everything looks better painted in booze or fags livery





And so from one legend of motosport to another



Oh come on, really? Stop sniggering at the back, Skoda have been genuine contenders at times. Ok, let's try this one then;



Nice little sporty-looking drop top, yeah? Slightly dated lines but pretty enough. Can't quite place the look? Yep, it's an early Felicia. Awesome



What about this then? Could be the back of a late 30s American saloon, or some Brit big beast like a Humber or something, even an old Lancia



But it is of course one of the rarest cars in the show, a Skoda 1102



Groovy innit? No, I'm not kidding. You need to get yourself out of the habit of sniggering every time the word Skoda is mentioned. Just look at it, it's wonderful!



Dashboard takes minimalist to a new errr... height? I guess the roads weren't up to much in the Mladá Boleslav area in the late 1940s, you probably didn't really need to worry about how fast you were going



Some designs have a purity all of their own and no matter what is done to them it proves almost impossible to improve on what was original. This next car might be a case in point. In fact, from a little section it's probably pretty tricky to even tell what it is



Hmmm. Nice colour, I guess. It does prove how all Alec Issigonis' timeless design needs is a set of wide arches and Minilites poking out. This is... ahh.... errm. Wrong, I think is the word.



Awesome Rover Viking mascot is awesome. Grrr! Fierce!



Another of my favourites now, and a mainstay of the Classic Show. They always have a great stand, with enthusiastic owners happy to chat... although not enthusiastic in that sorta bus-spotter adenoidal way of all too many single marque obssessives. These are people you're actually comfortable chatting to without constantly eyeing up potential escape routes as you get backed into a corner with relentless "ere, and I tell you another thing, the 1929 Rudge Sidevalve Flangethrust torque convertor arrangement was the first in the world to feature reciprocating pinion spine-locked trunion grommets an all, though everyone thinks it was them Germans what done it first on the schnell Eingriffsflansches Ritzel in the 1927 Straße und Schiene Obliterator.... wait, where are you going, I only just started..." Ahem.... anyway, these;



And yes, it is German but fortunately without any Ritzels. To be honest, these extremely sexy little coupes are a well-kept secret, being pretty rare over here. Most were for the domestic market or shipped to the lucrative American sportster sector. They are, of course, Opel GTs



And how cool is it having a 1:18th scale replica of your actual car, right down to the wheels and red-top engine conversion, on the parcel shelf? NO rear hatch or door of any kind on these, by the way, any luggage space was strictly accessible only via the cabin! And who says the Germans are all efficiency and no fun, eh? Oh yeah, and that aftorementioned red-top conversion?



According to the owners we were chatting to, this is a common-ish upgrade for the slightly asthmatic 1.1 litre OHV or 1.9 litre OHC original engines. Does require a bit of packaging, though. These cars are tiny, and needed bonnet bulges as stock to even fit the carburettor on! The interiors are surprisingly accommodating, though



Despite featuring pop-up headlights, they have a slightly unique take on them which makes for a good party trick. Both headlights are rotated up anti-clockwise using a crank handle under the dashboard. No electrics here, nothing to fail. Just a big linkage. How very teutonically efficient! It takes one turn of the handle for the lights to rotate all the way up, along a front-rear axis like the one on the Panther Solo we saw earlier



And they lend a certain bug-eyed charm to the looks of the car that is so sleek with them lowered



And while we're at it, how about a few more random German slices of interest? Maybe a nice orange late Manta engine bay? Honestly, is there a single GM product that those Vauxhall boys haven't stuck that engine into?



A 924 with very tokenistic Martini stripes? Odd. Was this an official colourscheme, anyone know?



And it's been a few posts since we had one of Hitler's favourite runabouts, so we must be overdue another one. Here we are;



have a couple! I know it's blasphemy for me to say this, heresy even amongst Veedub congnoscenti, but I actually prefer the later style of Beetle with the bigger rear windows in them



There, I've said it. If you don't hear from me again you'll know I've been hunted down and killed by the VW equivalent of the Mossad, the Online Aircooled Scene Police. I like the wee Pope's nose numberplate light, though



My brother crashed our old family Beetle into a tree when he was about eighteen, ended up with the raised Wolfsburg castle-and-wolf logo from the steering wheel embossed into his sternum in bruise. Served him right



WTF is this all about, then? Did they? Really? Blimey!

I like the decal work on this 70s Camaro. Not my favourite style of Camaro by a very long way, but it's nice to see a homage to the old-skool lurid murals given a modern twist with iridescent vinyl



and I'm guessing it was "money hungry" to build, too, judging by the quality of even humble componentry like the bonnet... sorry, hood... lifters!



We've been missing a few vital components up till now in our trundle round the world of classic vehicles, and mostly that's been Japanese marques. I guess there's even now resistance in some circles in this country to the idea of Japanese machinery being considered "classic". Although with rare exotica such as Toyota GT2000s making millions of dollars now, maybe the times are truly a-changin. Let's go with something a bit more humble though, shall we? How about a nice little Hahhhhhnda



Tidy li'l S800 not-at-all-influenced-by-the-TR-roadsters, no no no no, not at all mister. Honest. I like the all-incorporating headlights, though they look like they're off something else, kinda. Have I seen them somewhere before, maybe the other way up?



Funny how when copyist designs were flooding out of Japan people were openly derisory, and they would never catch on. Now we've been through the period when Japanese manufacturers have dominated the technological and sales thrusts, especially on two wheels, and no-one's laughing any more. Except at the Chinese and Indian and Korean copyists currently finding their feet. Give it time...



Another Japanese legend, or part of one, next. The straight six so associated with Brit sportscars and American base models, the coupe bodywork that was part GT, part 1/3rd scale muscle car. The Z-series was certainly a sum of the markets it was intended to conquer.



I like these induction boxes and the exquisitely machined throttle linkages on the carb bank. Nice work in here



The GTROC stand had managed to pull of a couple of attention-grabbing coups, more on one later. The other seemed to be a proper Nismo-built competition GTR35 in some level of GT spec. Mmm, carbon...



Epic ventage. Offset fail



In fact, on the subject of vents, the engine bay of this GTR demonstrates something quite nicely. In this day and age of computer stress analysis when components can be made as light yet strong as possible without the need to make them again and again and see when they break, when computers can model aerodynamic factors without needing a multi-million buck wind tunnel installation, when part prototyping can be vaccuum-formed in minutes from numeric-control terminals or CNC milled from billets in hours, and when engine builders can summon an embarrassment of power almost with ease, it's getting more tricky to exploit that tenth of a second's edge on the track. It seems the latest thing is not how the air interacts with the profile of the car, but getting it into and through the car in as efficient and controlled a way as possible. Obviously F1 has been playing with this for ages, but from the look of this, it seems cooling and intake air management are being treated with as much reverence by Nismo as how they get the car itself through the air. Or maybe I'm talking curse word as usual



Rather unexpected by fantastic to see was what must be one of the most exclusive of owner's clubs. Only one hundred of these Bertone-styled and Chrysler-powered 60s GT cars were made, and the OC has documented all of them, making it a true resource for any prospective owners. Although that may be a long wait; despite that it has one of the best survival rates of any marque, with 95 cars from the hundred still running, not many people want to part with one once they have it. What is it?



Why, it's obvious isn't it? What a give away that iconic badge is! The Gordon-Keeble GK1, of course. A genuine 140mph gentleman's express



They hide their size well, but it takes a fair-sized car to hide a 5.4 litre V8 with such ease



It also occurs to me we haven't talked much about British Fords, so here's some to rectify that. How about a nice limited edition Capri GT 3-litre?



There, that's better isn't it? This swage line always holds my interest... it's like ; WHY? Why not, I suppose.



IIRC this particular model was a homologation one, to allow some kind of competition use. Maybe that explains the prodigious boot duck-tail



Immaculate at first glance, they want to get that rust blister looked at though. Be a shame for such a rare and beautiful example to get away from us



I'm still not sure what this "backbox" intake is all about on this Twin Cam-ed Escort. I wasn't sure last year either, when I took a very similar photo, I seem to remember



MkIs with Twin Cams. Life is good



If all engine bays were this perfect... well Autosol would fetch more than gold on the stocks and shares



I dunno what it is with the Cossie boys, either. They seem to either be grunge-loving power junkies with cable-tie engineering holding stupendous amounts of power in their engorged boost hoses, or OCD polishing junkies with a taste in stainless covers for everything and matching silicone joiner strategies. And nowhere in between. See if you can tell which this dude prefers, lol



This is clearly the MkII younger bruvvah (well, they are from Essex) of the rallied-up MkI we saw earlier at ludicrous sticker proce.



The only deviation my old man made from Beetle ownership when we were kids was some shonky old gargantuan Wolseley sedan he picked up cheap. I dunno, it must have been proper cheap because even back then it was terrible, always breaking down. All I remember is it being about the size of a London bus, but blacker than a coal hole and smellier than yo momma. The old man claimed he liked it because the rozzers back then used Wolseleys (God alone knows why, the wretched thing didn't have enough lunge to even get out of its own way, let alone chase down a band of blaggards in their Jag MkII) but at night the radiator grille badge was instantly recognisable as a Wolseley because it lit up when you turned the headlights on and traffic used to allow him past... because it's better to follow a copper than lead one. I to this day have no idea if this is true or just one of the mind-games he used to love playing on his kids to turn us all into twisted people-hating freaks who never believe a word anyone tells us. Maybe both these things are true. Certainly here is a Wolseley with aforementioned radiator grille light emblem



By now we had reached the END and in fact I was feeling a bit like having a Martin Sheen Apocalypse Now-style breakdown. If I want to route march twenty miles a day, I'd have joined the Army. Except for my flat feet and copious cowardice, of course. Anyway, we finally made it to the end hall of the exhibition, and the autojumble. Which was pretty much what you'd expect really, only it was late by now and many stallholders were packing away. I still like to take some photos of things like these signs, mainly because they all have signs up saying "no photographs" and I have a problem with authority. Another reason I had to knock back what would no doubt have been an otherwise stellar career in blindly obeying orders



Tool? You been loaning yourself out again? I have absolutely no idea what this next lot were selling but I have to say I found myself curiously lured towards buying some. Why does soft porn sound so much dirtier in German?



Turning around and hobbling back towards the way out on our footsore feets, we stumbled (almost literally) on one last set of wonders and had to make time for one last sortie into automotive nirvana. To wit, a stand of proper rally slags of great menace and severe purpose. This Opel Manta/Cav whatever, for example



Gorgeous bit of tig artwork on the bars and supports. Bet the team welder would weep for days if that lot got smashed off on a rock



To be honest, the engine bay was just as well-appointed. That brutal purity of a competition car, nothing there that doesn't need to be. Loving the carbon/kevlar headsteady brace thingy



This RS200 is a bit more what you expect of one than the auction white car earlier!



Again, we see the attention-to-detail that goes into controlling airflow through a competition car. Roof spoiler isn't just there as a functional aero aid or to earn the pilot scene points for cool, but to actually work as an engine bay intake as well



And you're never going to hear me complain about having to photograph two Metro 6R4s in one day. Brutal, evil, badass mutha of a car. I love these things



Hmmmm. I wonder if you'd be able to get these wings through NCAP crash test compliance nowadays...If you listen carefully you can hear the noise of Health and Safety officers having aneurisms over their bowl of sugar-free cornflakes (skimmed milk, of course) at the very thought



Not so much an engine bay as just a big boot, with a vast engine chucked in and then the hatch slammed shut before it could escape again. Looks like a caged wild beast



"Barn find" are two of the most over-used words in the classic car world, coming to be synonymous with basically "parked for a while" but our next car was a literal barn find. And also a superb objet d'art



A 30's Ford woody wagon dug out from some mid-west barn and dragged here over the Pond more or less untouched. What an excellent thing, you certainly don't get "patina" (another overused word) like this any other way. I like the seller's sense of humour, too; "Please don't touch, you'll disturb the termites"



I'm not sure if this wing is rust, a poor attempt at a brazed repair or simply a massive bird strike. I wasn't going to lick it to find out



I wish I had the money and space for something like this, just so I could clear coat it and drive it exactly as it is



And so there's only one car left to show you before we head home into the chilly rain of the Birmingham night for a couple of laps of the STUPID inane bloody road system that seems to be designed to let you g anywhere you want except the sodding southbound M42 /rant
*ahem* As you know, I always like to end on a high and this car was definitely one of the high points of the show. If it had been finished and all up together then one of the cars of the year



Can you tell what it is yet, lol? Shall we pan out a bit?



This might help...



Yep, she's only a genuine actual proper "Hakosuka" KGC10 Skyline. Awesomes



The owner was pretty nonchalant, though I got the impression he'd probably spent long enough on the stand over the last three days to never want to answer stupid questions about his car ever again. I got that he works on cars' Skylines in particular as a day job and this is his pet project that he tinkers away with over the years when he gets spare time



Yeah, if it was mine I'd be spending every waking minute working on it, too, but I guess the dude has to eat. So whilst it's sad seeing it not finished, like the pulleys, belts, fans, ancilliaries, gearbox and a lot of the interior aren't there at all and plenty needs tidying up, it is definitely far better than not seeing one at all



Dunno if you can tell, I like this car a lot?



And that includes the oh-so-period seats with their large eyelet cooling motif. So much like another motorsport legend, the GT40







And that's about it, that's all I've got. Thanks for joining us and reading through/looking at my drivel here. As usual, I shall await the torrent of corrections and informative points in the right direction where I've gone astray, but I've done my best. And hopefully some of those jaded characters out there who think static shows of old cars are a bit dull might find a bit of the passion re-kindled in their flinty hearts by some of my humble offerings. And spare a though for me and Ada-san, who having walked around what felt like the entire West Midlands, now had to cram into a ridiculously cramped, hot, smelly (it's the fumes) and noisy RX-7 for the four hour drive back south.

Still, the lights worked all the way back (and still do) and nothing caught fire. That's a pretty bloody good day in RX-7 ownership

Thanks for sticking to the bitter end. Now go away

Damn you Mazda man, just looked at the clock and it's 2.15am and I've only really read half your post properly! I was there on the Sunday, it wasn't as bad people-wise as I had t feared it would be. Luckily as well a good mate lives in Solihull so I a) got a free ticket (another friend's good lady works at the NEC), b) got driven there and c) got a nice bed to sleep in before tootling home on the train to Kent a couple of days later. Fantastic write up as usual, very entertaining. Oh, the early Ford rod in the first section is indeed a 32. I would correct some bits in the American department but I'm knackered and need to get some sleepy time. Just thought, to avoid parking in the main car parks, the long walk outside and the infernal ring road here's a top tip, park in the railway station car park, easy peasy to get into and back out onto the M40/42 plus it's a couple of earth pounds cheaper. Still a bit of a walk to the halls but at least you're inside within a few yards.

cool pics i made to the end 03.30 am off to bed to rearrange my garage that i dream about

Always love reading your threads
rather like a Pratchett novel, start it and be you have to carry on, and just laugh at the sideways upside down humour going on

the pictures are the side salad, and that says a lot

Oh nice pics by the way

DBizzle pointed out to me in the past that the "back box" intake was a Lotus thing, it improved airflow under the bonnet.

Great pics, thanks for sharing!

Seriously OP, apply for a job with a motoring magazine.

Magnificent photos , just had a pleasant 20 minutes going through them.
Thanks for sharing them .