The eight weeks since I last visited the Avenue Drivers Club seem to have flown by in no time at all, I guess there is nothing like being busy when your having fun.
Amongst Sundays potpourri of attendees was this immaculate 22 year old Lotus Esprit that would surely have won a Concours d’Elegance, if one had been run. The current owner told me that the car was originally sold to a customer in Singapore, and that he has had the car for 14 years during which time he has driven it just 4,000 miles.
Regular readers will know that I have been a MOPAR fan since I saw the original version of “Vanishing Point”, above is a 1970 First Generation 335hp Plymouth Road Runner.
Slightly more modest was this 1958 Bristol powered AC Aceca.
When I took the photograph above I thought I was looking at an extremely late Austin A60 Pick up, closer inspection reveals it actually carries a Morris badge and is a vehicle that was marketed as the Morris 1/2 ton. This particular one was manufactured in 1972 the year before production ceased, the cab design dates back to the 1957 Austin A55 Cambridge 4 door saloon/sedan.
In 1983 Ford launched the Ford Sierra XR4i to top the new jelly mould bodied series of cars that had received a mixed reception since their introduction the previous year. The 2 door XR4i was powered by the same fuel injected 2.8 litre Cologne V6 as the late Ford Capri 2.8i.
The owner of this 1938 Ford “7Y” Eight took the car over from his sister over 40 years ago, he told me how amongst many ways Ford had saved on the costs of manufacturing the car, they built it with 6 3/4″ head lights instead of the 7″ head lights used by their competitors and that the fabric panel in the roof along with wooden floor boards all saved on the use of steel.
The Colt Sigma above caught my eye primarily because it was built the year I left school in 1977. It’s condition is testimony to the fact that if one looks after any car it can be made to last well beyond two score years.
Parking up next to a 60th Anniversary edition Corvette was this fifty year old 1963 split rear screen Corvette Sting Ray Coupé, without doubt my favourite of the sixty year Corvette production run.
Looking like it had driven straight out of the film set of “Withnail and I” was this 1968 Daimler V8 250, though the film of course used a similar bodied Jaguar Mk II.
In 1971 the Plymouth Satelite won the US Car of the Year award, this is it’s big “bro” the 1971 Plymouth Road Runner 440 Six Pack, with a air grabber scoop in the bonnet/hood, the 7.2 litre motor was good for 390 hp when it left the factory.
On a lighter note some cute adornment found on the dash of an Mazda MX5, disappointingly the only thing missing is a plastic Jesus, however since the magnets on said absent item are known to mess with the radio maybe the omission can be forgiven.
Vying strongly with the Daimler V8 250 for the patina of the day award was this 1973 Series III V12 E-Type Jaguar. Apparently the car was delivered new, painted Azure Blue to Victor Gauntlet the petroleum magnate who is best remembered as Executive Chairman of Aston Martin from 1981 until 1992.
Among the many soft tops present was this 1964 Alfa Romeo, Giulia, Spider sharing the same engine Alfa Romeo 105 series Giulia saloon / sedan.
Porsche 911’s with flachbau (flat built) noses, inspired by the 1976 Porsche 935 racing program, are a relative rarity this cabriolet dates from 1988.
Finally drawing the biggest crowd in the shortest period of time were the flashing blue lights on this 2010 BMW 530D Touring, no crime had been committed, the gentlemen of the Avon Constabulary were merely demonstrating some of the features on their car. One is unlikely to be pursued by this vehicle unless one is in the process of committing, or one has committed a serious crime as the car is being run by the Armed Response Unit.
Thanks for joining me on this “Coffee, Croissant & Cars #08/13” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !
