CLASSIC and important CARS - open thread:

[justpix]

Hi, I would like to present so-called Classic Cars (Bentley, Rolls, Mercedes, Jaguar ...) and important cars (innovative for the car industry, personally important (first car, family car etc)). Looking forward to many contributions (not only from me ):

 

[Lensman Mark]

Number one brings back memories. My first chair was also green.

 

[troutfisher]

IMHO the first would be better without the chair and the stick coming out of the bonnet and if poss reversed about 3 ft ( if poss) to get rid of the brown grass

 

[justpix]

Number one brings back memories. My first chair was also green.

Hi, maybe you could show your first car here.

 

[justpix]

IMHO the first would be better without the chair and the stick coming out of the bonnet and if poss reversed about 3 ft ( if poss) to get rid of the brown grass

Hi, I see my 28 year old Merc as an example for a personally important car, the 300 SL as a classic car.

I should have a better pic of my Merc in my files...

 

[justpix]

Hi, I did not find a good pic of my dear old Merc in my files ...

Technically important, and personally, my first car was a 2CV :

 

[justpix]

Hi, seen yesterday in Frankfurt, the new Alpine (for the first time):

 

[justpix]

Hi, the pics above were taken in difficult light. An Alpine en plein air, as the French say:

 

[justpix]

Hi, The Mini, classic and all-time great!

At the Motor Museum in Birmingham (1998, slidescan 2005):





Still going strong:

 

[justpix]

Hi, a rare Cinquecento with trailer:

 

[Nod]

A proper FIAT 500 and n Abarth version at that. Not like the modern 900+ pastiches cashing in on the popularity of the originals.

 

[justpix]

Hi, the VW was important in many senses. - For me, personally too: The second car I owned was VW Convertible.

(For many, the VW was not the typical first car of the era. They moved up from motorcycles to three-wheelers like BMW Isetta or Heinckel.)

 

[Byker28i]

This is mine, I've had it 12 years and almost fully restored it. It's a 1997 TVR Cerbera, 21 years old so almost a classic, important - well british, faster than a lot of the competition...

 

[justpix]

This is mine, I've had it 12 years and almost fully restored it. It's a 1997 TVR Cerbera, 21 years old so almost a classic, important - well british, faster than a lot of the competition...

Thank you for showing beautiful pictures of your beautiful car! -

TVRs are very rare in Germany. I saw this one at the meeting of a very exclusive car-club:

 

[Mr Badger]

OK, I'll play... Here's one of the most significant trend setters in motoring history, a car that really did evolve to create its own market. I must take it out and get a better photo of it one of these days!

 

[justpix]

OK, I'll play... Here's one of the most significant trend setters in motoring history, a car that really did evolve to create its own market. I must take it out and get a better photo of it one of these days!

Hi, I couldn't agree more. And it took Bentley quite a while ... --- :

 

[Nod]

Proper Bentleys (pre RR) created their own market in the '20s. They're now just VW's upmarket brand. Not that I'd say no to a modern one but I'd rather have a Speed 6!

 

[justpix]

Proper Bentleys (pre RR) created their own market in the '20s. They're now just VW's upmarket brand. Not that I'd say no to a modern one but I'd rather have a Speed 6!

Maybe that's why they waited so long. They have the Audi Q7/8, VW Touareg, Porsche Cayenne (all made in Bratislava) ... ---

 

[Byker28i]

OK, I'll play... Here's one of the most significant trend setters in motoring history, a car that really did evolve to create its own market. I must take it out and get a better photo of it one of these days!

Early range rovers - great cars. I have an itch for a V8 one of these or maybe a defender

 

[justpix]

Proper Bentleys (pre RR) created their own market in the '20s. They're now just VW's upmarket brand. Not that I'd say no to a modern one but I'd rather have a Speed 6!

So, here is a proper Bentley for you:

 

[Mr Badger]

Early range rovers - great cars. I have an itch for a V8 one of these or maybe a defender

That's a 1992 3.9 V8 manual with a genuine 46,000 miles on the clock and has been in the family since new; but sorry, it's not for sale.

 

[jpgreenwood]

My 1960 VW Beetle 1200 6 volt.
DSC_0189-tiltshift by jason greenwood, on Flickr

 

[Nod]

So, here is a proper Bentley for you:

View attachment 132681

Thank you! Possibly one of the first homologation specials - 50 were built in total in order for them to be eligible to race as production cars rather than specials. Never really did that well in terms of race wins but did get the Mercedes to chase them at Le Mans until the Mercs blew up, leaving the more reliable Speed 6 Bentleys to take the wins. Often referred to as Tim Birkin's cars, the race team at Le Mans was actually owned by Dorothy Padget.

 

[Byker28i]

That's a 1992 3.9 V8 manual with a genuine 46,000 miles on the clock and has been in the family since new; but sorry, it's not for sale.

the TVR 5.0 engines fit in very well.... just saying...

 

[justpix]

Thank you! Possibly one of the first homologation specials - 50 were built in total in order for them to be eligible to race as production cars rather than specials. Never really did that well in terms of race wins but did get the Mercedes to chase them at Le Mans until the Mercs blew up, leaving the more reliable Speed 6 Bentleys to take the wins. Often referred to as Tim Birkin's cars, the race team at Le Mans was actually owned by Dorothy Padget.

Thank you, for sharing your Bentley knowledge! - Vintage Bentleys are extremely rare here in Germany. - Later cars such as the Continental GT are offered used, starting at 60K €. But who knows about future repair/maintenance costs?

Typical Bentley owners do not care. Statistically, they own at least 5 cars ... ---

Bentley Speed 8 Special Le Mans 1946:

 

[seaodyssey]

Here is a modern classic and an Important car for Lotus. The Elise S1

Taken in Switzerland on the way to Stevio Pass before heading down to Lake Garda and my youngest daughters wedding in 2009.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/27xKUWY]Lotus S1 Elise Switzerland 20090909 by Peter, on Flickr[/URL]

 

[Nod]

Vintage Bentleys aren't that common anywhere (apart from Jay Leno's garage, that is!!!) these days. There are a few around locally - not as daily drivers now, although there were a few when I was a kid. My Grandfather had a Speed 6 which he picked up as a crashed vehicle soon after the 39/45 war - the chap who crashed it didn't survive the war so his parents sold the wreck for next to nothing. (Petrol was so heavily rationed after the war that thirsty vehicles like the Bentley were worth very little - and back then, they were regarded very much as "last year's model" so had very little perceived value!) Many years (and £) later, it was used as much as possible, doing several European tours and many holidays and days out in the UK in much style during the '70s and '80s, eventually being sold when my Grandmother could no longer get up into it after a stroke.

A few years back, I was considering buying an Elise but decided not to after discovering that a graceful exit from it (with the roof up) was impossible for me - hands and knees were the only way I could get out of it!

 

[troutfisher]

The 1905 V8 25.4 Litre Darracq which held the land speed record of 109.5 mph

Taken at the VSCC sprint at Courboro

 

[justpix]

Vintage Bentleys aren't that common anywhere (apart from Jay Leno's garage, that is!!!) these days. There are a few around locally - not as daily drivers now, although there were a few when I was a kid. My Grandfather had a Speed 6 which he picked up as a crashed vehicle soon after the 39/45 war - the chap who crashed it didn't survive the war so his parents sold the wreck for next to nothing. (Petrol was so heavily rationed after the war that thirsty vehicles like the Bentley were worth very little - and back then, they were regarded very much as "last year's model" so had very little perceived value!) Many years (and £) later, it was used as much as possible, doing several European tours and many holidays and days out in the UK in much style during the '70s and '80s, eventually being sold when my Grandmother could no longer get up into it after a stroke.

A few years back, I was considering buying an Elise but decided not to after discovering that a graceful exit from it (with the roof up) was impossible for me - hands and knees were the only way I could get out of it!

Hi, again, thank you for sharing your personal Bentley experiences! I never had any contact with Bentley owners. - My friends and acquaintances are very much "old school" (Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Porsche, Volvo, VW) ...

@troutfisher: An impressive car, I have never heard of, or seen before! I was looking for the brakes, could not see any. So, the driver needs courage ... ---

Coming to the Elise by seaoddyssey: I think the LOTUS Elise is a real sportscar: compact, nimble, fast, good power/weight ratio, requiring compromises on the driver's side ... ---

Two more recent Elise(s) (correct plural (?)):

 

[Nod]

Yup, Elises is the correct plural.

Not got many pics of Mrs Nod's recently sold Jaguar XK8, just loads of fond memories (it's Mrs Nod who has the bills to remember as well!!!)

 

[Byker28i]

My 1960 VW Beetle 1200 6 volt.

Nice - why leave it on 6v and not convert - originality?

 

[justpix]

Not got many pics of Mrs Nod's recently sold Jaguar XK8, just loads of fond memories (it's Mrs Nod who has the bills to remember as well!!!)

Hi, did not find an XK8 in my files. --- To bridge the gap, an XK 120:

 

[Nod]

And I would have swapped the 8 for the 120 in a heartbeat! The XK straight 6 engine is a work of art and I'd be happy to have one as an ornament (IF we had the space for one!)

 

[justpix]

Hi, or rather bon jour! Citroen D19 convertible. Technologically advanced when it was introduced. They had hydropneumatic suspension, others had coil or even leaf springs ... - Quality was less superior, so sales went down over the years ---

This one I saw last year at the MAC rallye, I am going to attend tomorrow again. I give my pics to the club to thank all members for the nice event.

 

[Nod]

Could run on flat tyres, as evidenced when terrorists tried to assassinate Charles de Gaulle. 2-4 of the car's tyres were shot out but it managed to escape. IIRC it had a brake button rather than a proper pedal. Gorgeous car.

 

[justpix]

Could run on flat tyres, as evidenced when terrorists tried to assassinate Charles de Gaulle. 2-4 of the car's tyres were shot out but it managed to escape. IIRC it had a brake button rather than a proper pedal. Gorgeous car.

One could even change a tyre by lifting a wheel hydraulically. (I have seen it done.) The decline of Citroen is due to quality problems. Few garages could fix the hydraulics in Germany (and in England, too). Ducellier electrics were unreliable, and there was rust ... ---

The Citroen cars I see in my area are mostly from the sout-west of Germany, close to the French border where they are taken for maintenance. ---

The SM was an attempt by Citroen to bring an upper class vehicle to market:

 

[Nod]

Used to see a couple of them at the local big show but at a guess, they've been eaten by the dreaded worm.

 

[justpix]

Hi, from the MAC yesterday. 120 cars, 25% British. It rained at the beginning, so I took the pictures sitting in my car. -

The oldest vehicle of the event, a 1951 Mercedes 170V:

 

[Quendil]

Apart from the pictures being stunning its lovely to see so many classic cars. Hardly see that many on the roads these days.

 

[justpix]

Apart from the pictures being stunning its lovely to see so many classic cars. Hardly see that many on the roads these days.

Hi, thank you for your friendly appreciation of my postings.

SAABs took part in rallyes, too. The handling was tricky, and this is how "Carlsson on the roof" became famous in the 60s ... ---