Lotus Elite Type 75 (1974-80) Engine 1973cc S4 DOC Production 2398

Registration Number XNG 688 S (Norwich)

LOTUS SET

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First of the new generation cars from Lotus, still built around a backbone frame but now with a 98 inch wheelbase. Glass fibre body with concealed headlights and large glass hatch back.

The Elite type 75 was a larger and more upmarket car than its forbearers, intended to move the company away from its kit car past. and a replacement for the ageing Lotus Elan Plus 2. The Elite was configured as a small shooting brake with a glass rear hatch opening into the luggage compartment. It was front-engined with rear wheel drive. The Elite's fibreglass bodyshell was mounted on a steel backbone chassis evolved from the Elan and Europa. It had 4-wheel independent suspension using coil springs. The Elite was Lotus' first car to use the 907 aluminium-block 4-valve, DOHC, four-cylinder engine of 1973cc which had previously been used in the Jensen Healey. The Elite had a claimed drag co-efficient of 0.30 and at the time of launch it was the world's most expensive four-cylinder car. The Elite's striking shape was designed by Oliver Winterbottom. He is quoted as saying that the basic chassis and suspension layout were designed by Colin Chapman, making the Elite and its sister design the Eclat the last Lotus road cars to have significant design input from Chapman himself. The Elite went on to be the base for the Eclat, and the later Excel 2+2 coupés. and were available in 4 main specification variations, 501, 502, 503, and later on 504

In 1980 the Elite type 75 was replaced by the Elite Mark 2 Type 83 powered by a larger 2,174 cc (132.7 cu in) Lotus 912 engine. and continued until 1982

Many thanks for a fantabulous

44,257,715 views (adjusted and readjusted during FLICKR re-engineering, reduced by around 650,000)

Shot 23.08.2015 at Lupin Farm, Classic Vehicle Gathering, Orgreave, Alrewas, Staffordshire - Ref 109-940

310090 is working a northbound local service to Birmingham New Street and approches Birmingham International, 17th September 1979.

Unit History

On the completion of the West Coast Electrification into Euston in 1966 local and suburban services south of Birmingham were in the hands of forty nine, four car electric multiple units of class AM10. These later became class 310 and were built at Derby Carriage works between 1965 and 1967. They were the first EMUs to be based on the Mark II bodyshell, which featured semi-integral construction. They remained in service on West Coast Main Line duties (rarely operating north of Birmingham) until displaced by class 317 EMU’s in 1987. They were then cascaded to the London Tilbury and Southend lines displacing class 302 EMU’s (built in 1958) until again displaced, this time by class 357 EMU’s between 1999 and 2002 and withdrawn.

This Fiorano T48 Corsa Spyder, EYR 288J, was built using a Triumph Spitfire as the donor vehicle in combination with a GPR bodyshell.

Peugeot 304 (1969-74) Engine 1288cc S4 OC Tr Production 1,178,425 (all variants)

Registration Number UUL 28 M

PEUGEOT SET

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Launched at the 1969 Paris Motor Show to fill a gap in the mid sized car market. Based heavily on the Peugeot 204 sharing the same floorpan, running gear and bodyshell running gear and bodyshell but with different nose styling and larger more powerful engines but a reprofiled nose style and larger more powerful engines. Pininfarina styled Coupe and Cabriolet bodies took over from their 204 equivalents in 1979.

This car was offered at the H+H Brooklands Auction, 8th March 2014 with an Estimate of £ 4 - 6000, selling for £ 4,480

This car was restored in 1990 and has been dry stored since then finished in Pharaoh Gold with black trim

A big thankyou for an incredible 23.7 Million views

Shot 06:03:2014 at Brooklands REF 101-503

6V09 Tinsley - Coton. The scrapyard on the right is itself being scrapped. It used to have an Aston Martin bodyshell on its roof; guess that has not been scrapped!

310068 is a rare sight at Crewe as it passes through the station, 12th September 1981. In December 1975 came the first major change to the “Corporate Blue” policy when it was decided that suburban and local DMU’s and EMU’s will generally receive “blue/grey” intercity livery instead of plain corporate blue. This took time to implement and as late as 1981 many of the units that were plain blue in 1975 still had not been repainted. 310068 is recently ex works and has acquired blue/grey livery.

Unit History

The class 310 four car units were built at Derby Carriage works between 1965 and 1967. They were the first EMUs to be based on the Mark II bodyshell, which featured semi-integral construction. They were built for West Coast Main Line suburban duties from Euston (rarely operating north of Birmingham) and remained on these duties until displaced by class 317 EMU’s in 1987. They were then cascaded to the London Tilbury and Southend lines displacing class 302 EMU’s (built in 1958) until again displaced, this time by class 357 EMU’s between 1999 and 2002 and withdrawn.

W111

Chassis n° 111.027-12-004473

Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais 2020

Bonhams

Parijs - Paris

Frankrijk - France

February 2020

Estimated : € 300.000 - 350.000

Sold for € 299.000

"If you feel obligated to ask about the price you not only will never understand the car, you have branded yourself incapable of ever appreciating its virtues even if someone gave you one." – Car & Driver on the Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5.

The fact that the esteemed American motoring magazine felt compelled to remark on the 280SE's price is understandable when one considers that at $13,500 in 1970 it was not only $3,500 more than that of the equivalent Mercedes-Benz sedan but also more than double that of a Cadillac Deville Coupe!

The 3.5-litre version of the 280 SE typifies the resurgence of larger-engined Mercedes-Benz models that began in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when the progressive easing of fiscal constraints, which had dissuaded customers from buying cars with large capacity engines, encouraged the German manufacturer to offer bigger, more potent power units. Thus, the ultra-luxurious 280 SE Coupé/Cabriolet and 300 SEL saloon were the models chosen by Mercedes-Benz to launch its magnificent new 3.5-litre V8 engine in September 1969. An over-square design featuring a cast-iron block and aluminium-alloy cylinder heads, each equipped with a single overhead camshaft, this all-new, state-of-the-art power unit produced 200bhp courtesy of Bosch electronic fuel injection and transistorised ignition. The new V8 engine had particularly smooth-running characteristics and endowed the 280 SEs with performance superior to that of many out-and-out sports cars. Thus equipped, the Coupé/Cabriolet was good for 125mph (200km/h) with 60mph (97km/h) reachable in 9.5 seconds, a substantial improvement on the six-cylinder version's figures. As befitted top-of-the-range luxury models, the 280 SE 3.5 Coupé and Cabriolet came equipped with automatic transmission, air conditioning, power windows, and a stereo radio as standard.

Although the equivalent SEL saloon used the 'New Generation' bodyshell, the 280 SE Coupé and Cabriolet kept the elegant coachwork that had debuted back in 1959 on the 220 SE. Nevertheless, there had been some refinements made: the radiator shell was lower and wider, with a correspondingly flatter front end to the bonnet, a characteristic that has led to enthusiasts referring to these face-lifted cars as 'flat radiator' models, while the bumpers were now fitted with rubber strips. Significantly, the 280 SE 3.5 was to be the final model featuring this long-established and much-admired body style, and today these last-of-the-line classics are highly sought after by discerning Mercedes-Benz collectors.

One of 1,232 Cabriolets produced, this Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5 has the desirable floor-shift gearbox. This car was delivered new to the Cremer family in Schwarzenfeld, Germany and was first registered on 6th July 1971. The car later changed hands officially but stayed in the family, moving to Dr Gottfried Cremer in 1982 while keeping the same registration, 'NAB-L403'.

Sold to renowned collector Heiko Seekamp of Bremen in 1987, the Mercedes was purchased in 1999 by a Mr Wolfram Kruse, remaining in Germany. In 2007 the car was re-sprayed in a darker shade of blue and then in 2014 was sold to the current owner who returned it to its original and striking light blue colour scheme.

The accompanying DEKRA inspection/taxation report of 2017 confirms the Cabriolet's excellent condition and makes the following observation: "The car seems to have been restored to a very high standard with a recent professional re-spray in the original colour scheme, seemingly to excellent standard. Paint is hard to fault with a very good finish, paint thickness shows uniform results."

The report found the interior to be "lovely presented, with beautifully patinated seats and new carpets. Original dashboard and revised/restored correct switch gear (in working order). The dark blue soft top is new."

The engine started and ran instantly with no heavy smoke, and the report's overall conclusion was that the Mercedes had been restored to the highest standards, was presented in excellent condition, and was ready to be used.

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The Jensen Interceptor was a sporting GT-class car hand-built in the United Kingdom by Jensen Motors between 1966 and 1976. The Interceptor name had been used previously by Jensen for an earlier car made between 1950 and 1957. The car broke with Jensen tradition by having a steel bodyshell instead of glass-reinforced plastic and by having the body designed by an outside firm, Carrozzeria Touring of Italy, rather than the in-house staff. The early bodies were Italian-built, by Vignale, before production by Jensen themselves began – with subtle body modifications – in West Bromwich.

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(Wikipedia)

Coachwork by Henri Chapron

Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais

Bonhams

Estimated : € 180.000 - 220.000

Sold for € 201.250

Parijs - Paris

Frankrijk - France

February 2018

Just as it had done 21 years previously with the revolutionary 'Traction Avant', Citroën stunned the world again in 1955 with the launch of the strikingly styled 'DS'. Beneath the shark-like newcomer's aerodynamically efficient, low-drag bodyshell there was all-independent, self-levelling, hydro-pneumatic suspension; plus power-operated brakes, clutch, and steering. No European car would match the DS's ride quality for several years, the fundamental soundness of Citroën's ahead-of-its-time hydro-pneumatic suspension being demonstrated by its survival in top-of-the-range models until earlier this year. The DS's original 1.911 cc, overhead-valve, long-stroke engine was replaced in 1966 by a short-stroke 1.985 cc unit, also available in 2.175 cc and 2.347 cc versions, while other DS developments included swivelling headlights, fuel injection and a five-speed gearbox.

Other models offered alongside the original DS were the ID (a simplified, cheaper version), the cavernous Safari estate and the two-door Décapotable (convertible), the latter boasting coachwork by Henri Chapron. (Chapron's first convertibles had been produced independently of Citroën, but the factory eventually gave the project its blessing). Henri Chapron started his career in the motor industry as an upholsterer's apprentice, working for various coachbuilders in the Paris area. In 1919 he started his own business in the well-to-do Parisian suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine where his main activity was re-bodying cars that had been requisitioned in wartime by the French Government. Chapron moved to larger premises in Levallois-Perret in 1923 and became the official builder of coach and convertible models for Delage and Delahaye, going on to body many of the most elegant French and European automobiles of the inter-war period.

Despite a much-reduced demand for bespoke coachwork after WW2, Chapron survived thanks to his exemplary creations for Delahaye, Talbot and Salmson, switching to offering bespoke versions of unitary construction models when motor manufacturers began to abandon the traditional separate chassis frame. The arrival of the Citroën DS in 1955 presented Chapron with a fresh opportunity that would result in his name being forever linked with this remarkable car.

Citroën's own Décapotables were built on the longer, stronger chassis of the ID Break (Estate). In total, 1.365 usine (factory) convertibles were made with either the DS19 or DS21 engine between 1960 and 1971, while Chapron built a further 389 of his own, the last in 1973.

Equipped with the semi-automatic transmission, this beautiful DS21 was delivered new in Paris, France to its first owner, engineer Mr Gaston Westercamp, who had ordered it at the Quai André Citroën. The car cost 27.640 francs, and the original bill of sale is on file. Fastidiously maintained by Mr Westercamp, the DS had covered some 82.000 km when he sold it in 2000. The car was still in superb original condition, retaining its original dark green leather upholstery and original carpets, while the body - rust-free and undamaged - had been repainted in the original Carrara White in the 1990s.

In 1975, Mr Westercamp had moved to Toulon, which is where the DS found its next owner: Mrs Jeltske Homan van der Heide, who continued to pamper the car for the next 17 years in the same manner as its first custodian. Now displaying a total of some 128.000 km on the odometer, this DS remains outstandingly original and in superb order, and as such is an exceptional rarity and an unusual find today. Fully serviced, it comes with all books, tools, service records, invoices, old Carte Grise, and the aforementioned 1967 sales invoice plus, of course, the all-important Attestation Chapron.

Gas Turbine locomotive 18000 stands in the shed at the Didcot Railway Centre, 29th July 2016.

Locomotive History

In 1946 the Great Western Railway ordered from Brown Boveri of Switzerland a prototype gas turbine locomotive. However the locomotive did not arrive at Swindon Works until February 1950, well after the Great Western Railway had been nationalised as part of British Railways. 18000 spent its working life under test hauling express passenger trains from Paddington before being officially withdrawn in December 1960. The engine proved to be un- reliable and expensive to operate and was competing with diesel hydraulic and diesel electric powered locomotives of a more proven design. After withdrawal the locomotive was offered to the European Office for Research and Development and moved back to Switzerland, where the gas turbine was removed and the locomotive modified for use as a testbed for experiments on rail-wheel interaction. Once these experiments were concluded the locomotive was put on display outside the Mechanical Engineering Testing building in Vienna in 1975 and was eventually secured for preservation in the UK in the early 1990s initially being stored at Crewe Heritage Centre. The current aim is to carry out body side repairs and to conserve the locomotive bodyshell as a static display.

Not exactly proving its environmental efficiency, DB Schenker Class 66, 66115, kicks out some smoke as accelerates away from a brief stop at Peterborough while working the Middleton Towers to Arpley Sidings loaded stone train. On this particular day I passed this train three times, the first when it was waiting for my Class 170 to overtake it at Ely, the second here at Peterborough, and the third time at Leicester as it awaited my Class 170 to overtake it again!

One of Britain's, and indeed Europe's, most numerous diesel locomotives, the Class 66 has become the face of nearly every freight operating rail company on the UK network, a simple, utilitarian design with an enormous, powerful engine. But with it's popularity among rail companies came a price, as it is often listed as one of the most hated locomotives ever to hit the UK rails, largely because of the slew of older BR classic locomotives it replaced from the late 1990's onward.

But is it really deserving of such a bum rap?

By the mid-1990's it was apparent that a majority of the ex-British Rail locomotives were well beyond their bloom of youth. Aside from the Class 58's of 1983, the Class 60's of 1989, and the American built Class 59's of 1985, most locomotives in the service of freight companies were coming up to 30 or 40 years old, and reliability was a major issue. Years of under-investment in the BR freight sector Railfreight Distribution, had resulted in a fleet comprised of decrepit diesels such as the Class 37's and Class 47's, being worked into the ground to keep the company rolling. Although the opening of the Channel Tunnel in 1994 was a catalyst to investments for freight trains working those particular trunk routes to the South East, with the construction of the Class 92's and the refurbishment of Wembley based Class 47's, the remainder of the freight operators, by this time led by shadow franchises Loadhaul, Transrail and Mainline, were left with a fleet that was slowly dying before their eyes. Class 47's, especially, needed a major overhaul every seven years, costing £400,000; yet had an average daily availability of less than 65% with only 16 days between major failures.

Enter Wisconsin Central, who, in 1996, bought the three franchises together with Railfreight Distribution and mail operator Rail Express Systems to create EWS, or English, Welsh & Scottish Railways. As part of the franchise commitment, the intention was to replace the ageing diesel fleet with a standard design that would reduce maintenance and operating costs substantially, with higher levels of reliability and efficiency. Looking at the fleet of diesels in general, it was noted that among the most reliable classes in the UK were the small fleet of 15 Class 59's, built by General Motors between 1985 and 1995 for private Aggregate operators such as Foster Yeoman and Hanson, as well as energy company National Power for the haulage of their coal trains between Collieries and Power Stations. These engines were, for the most part, substantially younger than the likes of the Class 20's, 31's, 37's and 47's, and more reliable than the early built Class 56's from Romania, which were infamous for their poor build quality.

Seeing their success, EWS placed an order in 1997 for 250 locomotives based on similar principles to that of the Class 59, often dubbed one of the biggest locomotive orders since the age of Steam. Locomotives were built at GM's factory in London, Ontario, and externally the bodyshell and design shared that with the Class 59. Internally though, the engines took many of GM's previous developments and updated the engine and traction motors to enable higher speeds. The new locomotive was fitted with the 20 year old design of the EMD 710 12-cylinder diesel engine, found originally in the GP60 freight locomotives of North America. However, some of GM's newer creations also made it into the mix, such as updated cab-control systems, the kind found in the Irish Railways Class 201 of 1994.

Originally designated Class 61, the first of these new locomotives arrived by boat at Immingham in June 1998, prior to proving tests at Derby. The locomotives then shipped at a rate of 11 per month into the UK via Newport Docks, until the order was completed in December 2001. After unloading, EWS engineers then simply took off the tarpaulin, unblocked the suspension, and finally as each was shipped with water and fuel, hooked up the batteries, before starting the engine and handing the locomotive into service. Almost immediately, other UK freight operators took interest in the Class, and operators such as Freightliner, GB Railfreight and Direct Rail Services also placed orders for the class.

Upon their introduction, reliability levels for EWS's operations improved substantially. Each locomotive is specified and guaranteed to 95% availability, aiming for a minimum of 180 days mean time between failures. It is designed to cover 1·6million km between major rebuilds, equivalent to 18 years' service, with each major rebuild costed at £200,000. But with their success came the sad reality that the much loved classes of yesteryear were going to be given the push, and this is where a majority of the Class 66's unpopularity comes from. It could have been understood the replacement of the 40 year old Class 20's, 31's, 37's and 47's, as it was quite clear they were past their prime, the same could equally be said for some of the earlier Class 56's of the late 1970's. However, the line was stepped across with the withdrawal of the Class 58's and Class 60's, as the desire of EWS to have a standardised fleet, resulted in the removal of locomotives that were nowhere near life-expired. The large-scale retirement of these extremely reliable and powerful locomotives that weren't even 20 years old was seen as a travesty, and whilst some Class 60's have seen a revival with other operators as of late, the Class 58's are all but extinct, whilst many Class 60's continue to languish in yards across the UK, mostly at Toton in the East Midlands.

Nevertheless, the class continued to grow over the years, and, upon the conclusion of Class 66 production in the UK in 2014, 446 of the class were eventually built. But we can't forget also that the class has seen major success across Europe as well, with dozens of engines in operation in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, France, and Poland, with certification pending in the Czech Republic and Italy.

Today, a majority of the class is still in service with a variety of operators. DB Schenker, the successor to EWS, continues to operate the largest fleet of 249 locomotives. Freightliner operates 141, DRS operates 19, GBRf operates 72 and Colas Rail operates 5. Not all of the locomotives however remain with us, as three have been written off.

The first was 66521 on the 28th February, 2001, where after hitting a Land Rover that had fallen down an embankment from the M62 motorway, a southbound GNER InterCity 225 set led by lightweight Class 82 DVT, 82221, derailed and ran straight into the path of the oncoming Class 66 which was working a northbound coal train. With an estimated closing speed of 142mph, the DVT was obliterated upon hitting the Class 66, and the freight locomotive was mangled and distorted as it was crushed between its loaded coal train behind and the passenger coaches in front. In the disaster, 10 people were killed, including 66521's driver Stephen Dunn, although his instructor Andrew Hill, who was also riding in the cab, was able to survive. The locomotive however was for the most part destroyed, and scrapped later that year.

The second was on the 4th January, 2010 involving 66048, which derailed at Carrbridge in snowy weather. Coming down the Highland Mainline with a loaded container train, it passed a signal at danger and was derailed at trap points, subsequently falling down an embankment into trees and injuring the two crew members.

The third was on the 28th June 2012, where GBRf 66734 derailed at Loch Treig whilst working Alcan Tanks. The inability of recovery crews to access the highly remote and dangerous location resulted in the engine being cut-up on site.

Additionally, many Class 66's have suffered low-speed collisions and derailments, either through faults in the track, driver error, or faults with the rolling stock.

However, despite the criticism, and often being dubbed as bland and utilitarian, the Class 66 is still a major part of the UK freight network, working behind the scenes without need of major attention so as to get the job done. Indeed it may find a home among rail enthusiasts, and perhaps one day it'll be dubbed a classic like the Class 37's and 47's it replaced, but at the moment it's the UK networks humble hero, plying its trade the best way it knows how.

To quote Colin Marsden from his excellent book 'Traction Recognition' (Ian Allan): "The Class 57 was the brainchild of Porterbrook Leasing in conjunction with Freightliner to provide a low-cost replacement for the ageing fleet of Class 47s. The project used the bodyshell of a Class 47, which was totally gutted to its main frame members and then rebuilt using refurbished equipment. The original Sulzer power unit was replaced with a 12-cylinder General Motors 645-series engine, purchased second or third hand from US rebuild companies". Delivered between 1998 and 2005, the 29-strong fleet has seen service with a variety of passenger and freight operators - but not, as far as I'm aware, with DB Schenker. This fictional image (based on DRS locomotive 57012) shows what a Class 57 might look like in DB corporate livery (28-Jul-11).

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Lancia Flavia 2000HF Coupe (1969-73) Engine 1991cc HO4 OHV Production 6791 (+ 15025 Saloons)

Registration Number LNG 602 L (Norfolk)

LANCIA SET

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The Lancia 2000 (Tipo 820) is a series of automobiles produced by Lancia between 1971 and 1975. Designed as a four door Saloon by Lancia Engineers under Piero Castagnero prior to the companies aquisition by the Fiat Group, and was a dirct evolution of the Lancia Flavia. The 2000 sedan kept the central part of the body (roof, doors, interior) and the entire drivetrain (except for some improvements to the fuel injection) of its predecessor, the second series of the Flavia, changes were made to the front and rear of the body where the designers updated its looks the tail was squared and simplified, and the nose lost its separate air intake and headlamp nacelles. The mechanics retained most of the Flavia's specifications including the front-wheel drive, 1991cc boxer engine, independent suspension and disc brakes all around, with vacuum-assist and split-circuits (called "Superduplex" by Lancia).

The Lancia two door 2000 and 2000 HF Coupé was designed by Pininfarina, who manufactured the cars bodyshell. The interior is also the work of Pininfarina bearing a close resembleance to that of the Ferrari 330 GT. The cosmetic changes to the 2000 Coupé were largely confined to a new grille (matte black instead of chrome) with headlamps incorporated into the now wider intake, new bumpers (with rubber strips on the HF), and the tail was shorn of its vestigial tailfins, with a raised and squared decklid. The Lancia 2000 and 2000 HF coupé were technologically advanced for the day with features such as 5 speed transmission, power assisted steering and electronic fuel injection on the 2000 HF.

The 2000 and 2000HF Coupé are considered to be some of the last true Lancia cars

Many thanks for a fantabulous

46,374,149 views

Shot Brooklands New Years Day Gathering, 01.01.2016 - Ref 111-265

The Fiat Tipo (Type 160) is a compact car, designed by the I.DE.A Institute design house, and produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat between 1988 and 1995.

The Tipo was initially available only as a five-door hatchback. The car was made entirely out of galvanized body panels to avoid rust, and was built on a completely new Fiat platform, which was later also used in Alfa Romeo and Lancia models.

It also stood out because of its boxy styling that gave it innovative levels of packaging, rear passenger room being greater than that in a rear wheel drive Ford Sierra, but in a car that was of a similar size to the smaller Ford Escort. This type of design was comparable to the smaller Fiat Uno, which was launched five years before the Tipo.

The top of the range was the 2.0 Sedicivalvole (16 valves).

The Sedicivalvole gained its engine from the Lancia Thema, and with a much smaller and lighter bodyshell to house it, this power unit brought superb performance and handling, and a top speed of around 130 mph (210 km/h), which made it faster than the Volkswagen Golf GTI of that era.

Great Western Railway three car 150938 departs Bristol Temple Meads with 2F98, 16:44 Bristol Parkway – Warminster, 25th May 2016.

Unit History

150938 is a temporary unit formed of two car Class 150/2 unit 150238 with the addition of the undamaged vehicle from 150219 (57219). On the 3rd April 2016 150219 was involved in a collision with 43160 at Plymouth. 150219 and 150238 are from the final batch of eighty five class 150 two-car units which were built at York in 1986/87 with front-end gangway. They had different interiors to the earlier class 150/1 units and were used on longer-distance services. The end gangways make them very similar in appearance to later batches of the electric class 317 units, also based on the Mark III bodyshell.

Ehh look it's an Excel on stilts.

In the space of a few weeks this summer I managed to go from having no Optare model bus kits to having three. One of them was an Excel 1 metal kit, which I intended to convert into one of NCT's Excel 2s. This was one of my shortest lived model plans ever, as within a month I'd procured myself this Excel 2 resin kit.

I know I've bodged Excels out of OOC Deltas before, but I always thought that if I were to ever do an NCT Excel model, I'd want the proper kit. Never expected to have two of them, though!

Because the metal kit has the front, rear, sides and roof all as individual pieces, there isn't really a way I could mock it up for a photo, but the resin one just slides together. It's on stilts because of the things the wheels are moulded onto (it took AGES to get it to balance like this) but you can sort of see what it looks like.

Unfortunately, it's banana-shaped. The middle is noticeably higher than the front and rear, especially along the window line. The whole bodyshell is slightly warped. The idea I had to fix it was to steam the bodyshell over a pan of boiling water, and hope that it went soft enough to bend back into shape without some other part warping in the process. Now, I did that, and it looks like it's worked, but the question now is will it stay fixed or next time I get it out of the box, will it be banana shaped again?

See this train in the video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8HgVx4rjFE

This shot was something of an accidental success, with the cab and front being crisp and sharp, whilst the rest of the surrounding unit is blurred by motion.

But still, here we have Virgin Trains Class 390, 390135 'City of Lancaster', racing north with a train from London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street.

Since their introduction in 2002, the Class 390 tilting Pendolino sets have revolutionised services on the West Coast Mainline, bringing about an entirely new level of speed onto a route notorious for its laboriously winding route. But with such a technological leap, the Class 390 has sadly paid the price for its image due to what it was replacing.

The idea of a tilting train on the West Coast Mainline was however not a new one to Alstom when they developed the Pendolino sets in the late 1990's, with the concept being toyed way back in the early 1970's. British Rail first pioneered the concept of the tilting train with the ill-fated Advanced Passenger Train or APT of the mid-1970's. The idea was to create a train that could shift its centre of gravity whilst moving around sharp bends at high speeds, similar to how a motorcyclist leans into corners. This was to not only allow the train to travel at higher speeds on winding track without fear of it falling over, but also to improve passenger comfort levels and stop people being pressed against the windows when taking corners!

The original APT was a Gas-Turbine unit that operated on the Midland Region out of London St Pancras, and was later followed by the Class 370 electric multiple unit that began trials on the West Coast Mainline from 1980. A truly brilliant concept, the APT showed the world that the idea of a tilting train could be possible, that is, when it worked. The Class 370 was marred by teething problems and reliability issues, mostly consisting of the fact that the tilting mechanism wouldn't work properly or there would be just general train faults. Coupled with the winter of 1981, the worst winter for many years, and the train's image was damaged beyond repair. Even while developments were looking promising, and with only a few million Pounds required to complete the project, the British Government pulled the plug and the APT was axed in 1986, with only one complete set remaining as a rather sorry museum piece. The train of the future had become a thing of the past.

But the developments of the APT were picked up by none-other than Fiat Ferroviaria, who, following the failure of their British rival, developed their own and much more successful tilting train, the ETR-401 Pendolino, which began operations in 1988. This was later translated into a fleet of 15 ETR 450 production units which became the first revenue earning tilting trains.

In 2000, Fiat Ferroviaria was acquired by Alstom, who has been building their legendary tilting trains ever since. This coincided with the formation of Virgin Trains following privatisation of British Rail in 1994. As part of Virgin Trains' franchise requirements in 1997, the company intended the replacement of the ageing BR stock of the 1960's with a new fleet of high speed trains that would reduce journey times and up travel quality. As such, Virgin turned to Fiat Ferroviaria and later successor Alstom to provide them with a derivative version of the company's latest tilting Pendolino, the ETR 460.

Fiat Ferroviaria supplied much of the content of the Class 390 units, including the bodyshell and the bogies, while final assembly was carried out at Washwood Heath. The tilting technology was developed by SIG Switzerland (later Fiat-SIG, today Alstom). Two electromechanical actuators are used per car to achieve the desired tilting angle on curved stretches of track. The train can tilt to a maximum of eight degrees, at which point one side of the cabin train is 380 mm higher above the track than the other. In contrast to other Fiat Ferroviaria tilting trains which use hydraulic tilting actuators, the electromechanical systems offers lower maintenance cost and higher efficiency.

The new trains were intended to run at 140mph, but the West Coast Main Line modernisation programme, which was an upgrade to the infrastructure to allow faster line speeds, ran over budget. Consequently, plans were scaled back, and in a manner reminiscent of the introduction of the InterCity 225, the lack of signalling upgrades resulted in the maximum line speed being restricted to 125mph. Although this (and 140mph) are well below BR's hopes for APT of 155mph, it does match the maximum speed of 125mph for the APT in passenger service (although one APT set reached 162mph in testing).

The fleet was introduced into passenger services from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly on 23rd July, 2002, to coincide with the opening of the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. Over the next few months they took over the Manchester services, and were soon introduced on routes from London to Liverpool Lime Street, Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton and Preston.

With the start of Class 390 operations, the writing was very much on the wall for the ageing sets of trains it was replacing, and thus the Class 390's image began to be somewhat tarnished amongst the railway purists. First to go were the Class 86's of the 1960's, proud high-speed locomotives that were once the mainstay of the WCML, withdrawn from service in 2003 following both the introduction of the Class 390's, and the Class 220/221 Voyager units on Cross-Country services. Next were the newer Class 90's of 1989, replaced in 2004 once Class 390's had been allocated to routes north of Preston. The final locomotive hauled trains were provided by the Class 87's of the 1970's, which held strong until final replacement in 2005, bringing an end to locomotive hauled services on the West Coast Mainline. From then on, the Class 86's have mostly been scrapped, whilst Class 90's were transferred to Anglia to replace their Class 86 fleet. Class 87's on the other hand have since been exported largely to Bulgaria, the few remaining here in the UK either being scrapped, placed in storage, or made into museum pieces. This left a great deal of animosity towards the Class 390's by the railway enthusiast community, who, even after 10 years, still have a strong hatred towards these trains.

The service improvements however are something that can't be taken away from the Class 390's as these trains have taken the original and comparatively sluggish 110mph top speed and translated it into the extremely fast 125mph running speed that BR had dreamt of for years. In September 2006, the Pendolino set a new speed record, completing the 401 mile length of the West Coast Main Line from Glasgow Central to London Euston in 3 hours, 55 minutes, beating the 4-hour-14-minute record for the southbound run previously set in 1981 by the Class 370 APT. The APT however retains the ultimate speed record for this route, having completed the northbound journey between London Euston and Glasgow Central in 3 hours 52 minutes in 1984 which included a 5-minute delay due to a signal fault.

Since then the Pendolino has become very much a staple of high speed train travel in the UK, and still looks good even 15 years after the first ones hit the test tracks back in 2001.

The Class 390 was put to the test however with 390033 'City of Glasgow', which was written off after the Grayrigg derailment of February 23rd, 2007. The accident had been caused by a points malfunction, which, after a failure to inspect by Network Rail, changed the direction of travel from normal and thus resulted in the entire set derailing and plummeting down an embankment at 95mph. The sturdy design and robust nature of the Class 390 has been attributed to the fact that only one person, an elderly lady, was killed in the disaster, whereas if the previous MkII carriages had been involved, the death-toll could have been much higher. As said, the unit was written off, and the less damaged rear carriages of the set now reside at the Crewe Training Centre and are used for the instruction of drivers and train crew. The subsequent destruction of one of the units led to Virgin Trains reinstating a loco-hauled service to cover its diagrams, this being in the form of a hired Class 90 (usually from Freightliner), a set of 9 MkIII coaches, and a Driving Van Trailer. This train operated covering diagrams until November 2014, when it was retired and transferred to Greater Anglia.

Since 2007 the Class 390's have had their fleet enhanced from the original 53 sets to 57 with the addition of 4 new units between 2011 and 2012. The introduction of these new sets coincided with the extension of 31 sets to 11-cars, with new carriages built and imported from Alstom's factory in Italy, the first routine 11-car InterCity train to operate in the UK since the 1970's.

Today the Class 390's continue to ply their merry trade, and remain vital parts of the UK's high speed network, bringing Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and London closer together than they've ever been before.

Volkswagen Golf GTi Mk.2 (1983-92) Engine 1781cc S4 inj 16v 132bhp

Production 6,000,000 (all Golf Mk.2's)

Registration Number F 468 MHJ (Chelmsford)

VOLKSWAGEN SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623738785355...

The second-generation Volkswagen Golf was launched in Europe at the 1983 Frankfurt Motor Show.and launched into the British marketplace March 1984. It featured a larger bodyshell, and a wider range of engine options than the Mark 1 and a more rounded style. During the life of the Golf MK2, there were a number of external style revisions. Notable changes to the looks of the Golf MK2 included the removal of quarterlight windows in the front doors, and the introduction of larger grille slats with the August 1987 facelift. The most notable was the introduction of so-called "Big Bumpers", which were introduced in the European market with an August 1989 facelift.

The successful hot GTi model was continued with the Mk2 as a sporty 3- or 5-door hatchback. Like late Mk1 GTIs, it featured a fuel-injected and was later joined by the more powerful Golf GTi 16v marked by discreet red and black "16v" badges front and rear.

NB car in the background

Audi A6 TDi S line V6 Estate (3rd Gen) (2006) Engine 2698cc V6 TDI

Registration Number YY 06 VCP (Beverley)

Diolch yn fawr am 67,009,228 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mwynhewch ac arhoswch yn ddiogel

Thank you 67,009,228 amazing views, enjoy and stay safe

Shot 22.07.2018 at the Curborough Sprint, Curborough, Staffordshire Ref 135-346

Ford Escort Mk.II (1975-80) Engine 1297cc S4 OHV Production 631,828 (in the UK - over 2 million worldwide)

Registration Number FCT 656 V (Boston, Lincilnshire)

FORD of BRITAIN SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623665118181...

The Escort Mk.II was launched in 1975, redesigned with a more square shaped body on the existing Escort underside and running gear. Built in Britain at Halewood and a number of other countries. Unlike the first Escort (which was developed by Ford of Britain), the second generation was developed jointly between the UK and Ford of Germany. Codenamed "Brenda" during its development, The car used a revised underbody, which had been introduced as a running change during the last six months production of the Mark I. Rear suspension still sat on leaf springs

The "L" and "GL" models (2-door, 4-door, estate) were in the mainstream private sector, the "Sport", "RS Mexico", and "RS2000" in the performance market, the "Ghia" (2-door, 4-door) for a hitherto untapped small car luxury market, and "base / Popular" models for the bottom end.

A cosmetic update was given in 1978 with L models gaining the square headlights (previously exclusive to the GL and Ghia variants) and there was an upgrade in interior and exterior specification for some models. Underneath a wider front track was given.

In 1979 and 1980 three special edition Escorts were launched: the Linnet, Harrier and Goldcrest.

As with its predecessor, the Mark II had a successful rallying career. All models of the Mark I were carried over to the Mark II, though the Mexico gained the RS badge and had its engine changed to a 1.6 L (1,593 cc) OHC Pinto instead of the OHV. A "Sport" model was also produced using the 1.6 L Crossflow. A new model was released, the RS1800, which had a naturally aspirated 1,833 cc. The works rally cars were highly specialised machines. Bodyshells were heavily strengthened and characterised by the wide wheelarch extensions, and fitment of four large spotlights for night stages. The Mark II Escort continued its predecessor's run on the RAC Rally, winning every year from 1975 to 1979 and racing in a variety of other events around the world.

Production ended in Britain in August 1980, other countries following soon after.

Many thanks for a Marmalising

51,242,366 views

Shot 01.05.2016 Shot at Catton Hall, nr. Weston on Trent Derbs. REF 116-054

For my video; youtu.be/c0YytwtxbGU,

2-door hardtop

Oakridge Easter Car show, 2012,

Oakridge, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

The Buick Riviera is a personal luxury car produced by Buick from 1963 to 1999. GM's first entry into that prestige niche, the Riviera was highly praised by automotive journalists upon its high-profile debut. While early models stayed close to the original form, subsequent generations varied substantially over the Riviera's thirty-year lifespan. In all, 1,127,261 were produced.

First generation (1963–1965)

The production Riviera's distinctive bodyshell was unique to it, unusual for a GM product. It rode a cruciform frame similar to the standard Buick frame, but shorter and narrower, with a 2.0 in (51 mm) narrower track. Its wheelbase of 117 in (3,000 mm) and overall length of 208 in (5,300 mm) were 6.0 inches (150 mm) and 7.7 in (200 mm) shorter, respectively, than a Buick LeSabre, but slightly longer than a contemporary Thunderbird. At 3,998 lb (1,813 kg), it was about 390 pounds (180 kg) lighter than either. It shared the standard Buick V8 engines, with a displacement of either 401 cu in (6.57 L) or 425 cu in (6.96 l), and the unique continuously variable design twin turbine automatic transmission. Power brakes were standard, using Buick's massive "Al-Fin" (aluminum finned) drums of 12 in (300 mm) diameter. Power steering was standard equipment, with an overall steering ratio of 20.5:1, giving 3.5 turns lock-to-lock.

The Riviera's suspension uses Buick's standard design, with double wishbones front and a live axle located by trailing arms and a lateral track bar, but the roll centers were raised to reduce body lean. Although its coil springs were actually slightly softer than other Buicks, the Riviera's lighter weight made its ride somewhat firmer. While still biased towards understeer, contemporary testers considered it one of the most driveable American cars, with an excellent balance of comfort and agility.

Rather than the "Sweepspear" used on beltlines of earlier Buicks with the Riviera package, the new Rivera sported new "Coke bottle styling", with the middle of the body exhibiting a tapered tucked-in appearance.

The Riviera was introduced on October 4, 1962, as a 1963 model, with the 325 hp (242 kW) 401 cu in (6.6 l) "Nailhead" V-8 as the only available engine fitted with dual exhaust as standard equipment, and the turbine drive the only transmission, at a base price of $4,333;[5] typical delivered prices with options ran upwards of $5,000. Buick announced in December, 1962, the availability of a 340 hp (254 kW) 425 cu in (7.0 l) version of the Nailhead as an option. Total production was deliberately limited to 40,000 vehicles (in a year that Buick sold 440,000 units overall) to emphasize its exclusivity and to increase demand; only 2,601 of them were delivered with the 425 cu in (7.0 l) engine in the 1963 model year.

With the same power as the larger Buicks and less weight, the Riviera had sparkling all-around performance: Motor Trend found it capable of running 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) in 8 seconds or less, the standing quarter mile in about 16 seconds, and an observed top speed of 115 miles per hour (185 km/h). Fuel economy was a meager 13.2 miles per US gallon (17.8 L/100 km; 15.9 mpg-imp). Front leg room was 40.1 inches.

Inside, the Riviera featured a four-place cabin with front bucket seats separated by a center console with floor shifter and storage compartment that was built into the instrument panel, and bucket-style seats in the rear. Upholstery choices included all-vinyl, cloth and vinyl, or optional leather. A deluxe interior option included real walnut inserts on the doors and below the rear side windows. Popular extra-cost options included a tilt steering wheel, power windows, power driver's seat, air conditioning, a remote-controlled side view mirror, and white sidewall tires.

The Riviera continued with minimal trim changes for 1964 including the discontinuation of leather upholstery from the option list, differing mainly in substitution of the old Dynaflow-based twin turbine for the new three-speed Super Turbine 400, which was marketed as Turbo Hydra-Matic by other GM divisions. This was the first year that the Stylized "R" emblem was used on the Riviera, a trademark that would continue throughout the remainder of Riviera's 36-year production run. Under the hood, the 401 cu in (6.6 l) was dropped as the standard power plant in favor of the previously optional 340 hp (254 kW) 425 cu in (7.0 l) V8. A 'Super Wildcat' version was optionally available, with dual Carter AFB four-barrel carburetors, rated at 360 hp (268 kW).

Changes for 1965 included the introduction of the "Gran Sport" option, which included the dual-quad Super Wildcat 425 V8, a numerically higher 3.42 axle ratio, and stiffer, heavy-duty suspension. The stock dual exhaust pipes were increased from 2.0 inches (51 mm) to 2.25 inches (57 mm) inside diameter and had fewer turns to reduce backpressure. The 401 cu in (6.6 l) V8 returned as the standard Riviera engine and the Super Turbine 400 transmission now had a variable pitch torque converter like the old twin turbine Dynaflow had two years before. Externally, the headlamps were concealed behind clamshell doors in the leading edges of each fender, as in the original design. Further back, the non-functional side scoops between the doors and rear wheel arches were removed, and the taillights were moved from the body into the rear bumper. A vinyl roof became available as an option, initially offered only in black, and the tilt steering wheel optional in previous years was now standard equipment.

Total sales for the three model years was a respectable 112,244. All in all, the Riviera was extremely well received and considered a great success, giving the Thunderbird its first real competition.

The 1963–1965 Riviera met with approval from all quarters, and has since earned Milestone status from the Milestone Car Society. Jaguar founder and designer Sir William Lyons said that Mitchell had done "a very wonderful job," and Sergio Pininfarina declared it "one of the most beautiful American cars ever built; it has marked a very impressive return to simplicity of American car design." At its debut at the Paris Auto Show, Raymond Loewy said the Riviera was the handsomest American production car—apart from his own Studebaker Avanti, that is, the Riviera's only real competition for 1963. The first-generation Riviera is considered a styling landmark, and is quite collectible today.

Coachwork by Zagato

Chassis n° 000590

Zoute Sale - Bonhams

Estimated : € 60.000 - 90.000

Sold for € 93.150

Zoute Grand Prix 2021

Knokke - Zoute

België - Belgium

October 2021

"With little in the range of much performance intent, out of nowhere Alfa Romeo showed something called the ES30 design study at the 1987 Geneva motor show. The Alfa Romeo SZ was born. Those of a younger disposition might know Alfa Romeo products to be attractive, but underwhelming to drive. Well, the SZ was the other way around. Affectionately nicknamed 'Il Mostro', Alfa Romeo's Frankenstein shocked for many reasons, not least its brutalist styling." – evo magazine.

Reviving its tradition of building special-bodied Alfa Romeos, including the original SZ (Sprint Zagato) competition coupé of the late 1950s and early 1960s, Carrozzeria Zagato unveiled the outrageous new SZ at the Geneva Salon in March 1989. Under development for the preceding 19 months, the SZ was a joint project that also involved the styling departments of both Alfa Romeo and its parent company, FIAT, whose Robert Opron, formerly with Citroën, was responsible for the initial sketches. There are examples of other Opron-inspired masterpieces – the Citroën SM and Citroën CX – in this very sale. Opron's colleague Antonio Castellana was largely responsible for the final styling details and interior. The SZ lacked Zagato's characteristic 'double bubble' roof, while it has been suggested that its controversial styling resulted from early experiments with CAD/CAM (computer-aided) design. The SZ was built at Zagato's factory at Terrazano di Rho.

Originally typed 'ES 30' (Experimental Sports 3.0-litre) but known popularly as 'Il Mostro' (The Monster) the aggressive-looking two-seater coupé eschewed the rounded styling and aluminium-alloy coachwork hitherto associated with Zagato's high-performance Alfas in favour of an angular bodyshell crafted in lightweight moulded plastic - alloy roof excepted - which was bonded to the floor pan of the existing Alfa 75. Nowadays, smaller multiple light sources are relatively commonplace, which makes the controversial SZ, with its two clusters of three small headlights, recessed into the wide front grille, a design was ahead of its time.

Lessons learned from the latter's IMSA racing programme influenced the SZ's suspension, which endowed the car with superlative handling and roadholding, some drivers recording lateral cornering forces of up to 1.4G during testing. Suspension development was overseen by engineer Giorgio Pianta, formerly team manager of the FIAT and Lancia works rallying teams. There were Koni adjustable hydraulic dampers all round and power assisted steering, but no ABS.

Powering the SZ to its highly respectable 245km/h top speed was a 210bhp version of Alfa's superb 3.0-litre four-cam V6. Designed by Giuseppe Busso, Alfa's V6 is widely recognised as one of the finest power plants of recent times, and it is certainly one of the most glorious sounding sixes ever.

The SZ's excellent performance was achieved thanks partly to the body's exceptionally low drag coefficient of 0.30 Cd, the product of many hours spent in FIAT's wind tunnel. The engine was mounted longitudinally and drove the rear wheels via five-speed manual transaxle transmission.

Demand for the 1,000-or-so SZs scheduled for series production greatly exceeded supply. There was also an even rarer open spyder version: the RZ. By the time production ceased, Zagato had built only 1,036 SZ coupés, and today this rare and highly individual supercar is much sought after

The limited edition Alfa Romeo SZ was only manufactured in left-hand drive form, and this pristine example was delivered new in its native Italy and first registered in 1994. It has covered fewer than 1,300 kilometres from new. As such, it is presented in wonderful condition both inside and out. Importantly, it is accompanied by a set of original owner's manuals, car cover and Italian registration papers. A wonderful opportunity to acquire one of these ultra-rare Zagato-built Alfa Romeos that can only become increasingly collectible.

Porsche 911 Carrera RS (1973-74) Engine 2687cc HO6 OC Production 1580

Registration Number ABW 359 L

PORSCHE SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623690528015...

The Carrera name was reintroduced to in 1973, originally applied to the 356 Carrera and in turn came from Porsche class victories in the Carrera Panamerica races accross Central America in the 1950's. The RS was built so that Porsche could enter racing formulae that demanded that a certain minimum number of production cars were made. Compared with a standard 911S, the Carrera 2.7 RS had a larger engine (2687 cc) developing 210bhp. With revised and stiffened suspension, a "ducktail" rear spoiler, larger brakes, wider rear wheels and rear wheel arches. In RS Touring form it weighed 1075 kg, in Sport Lightweight form it was about 100 kg (220 lb) lighter, the saving coming from the thin-gauge steel used for parts of the bodyshell and also the use of thinner glass. In total, 1580 were made, comfortably exceeding the 500 that had to be required to qualify for FIA Group 4 Class.

49 Carrera RS cars were built with 2808 cc engines

In 1974, Porsche created the Carrera RS 3.0 with K-Jetronic Bosch fuel injection producing 230 PS It was almost twice as expensive as the 2.7 RS but offered a fair amount of racing capability for that pric

Many thanks for a fantabulous

50,826,310 views

Shot 23.04.2016 Shot at VSCC Spring Start Meeting, Silverstone REF 115-641

With the front corridor connection door partly open on a sultry evening, Class 442 'Wessex' 2415 in worn Network South East livery with temporary South Western Trains (SWT) branding, was stood at New Milton whilst working the 15.50 London Waterloo to Poole service on May 28th 1998.

Based on the BR Mk.3 bodyshell the 24 x 5-car units were introduced in 1988. SWT withdrew the entire class in 2007 when their duties on the South Western main line from Waterloo were operated by new Class 444's built by Siemens. Following their use on Gatwick Express services and some use on the Brighton Line, 18 of the fleet have now passed to South Western Railway for use between Waterloo and Portsmouth. Unit 2401 holds the World speed record for an electric train powered from a live rail, 108 mph acheived on April 11th 1988.

Humber Sceptre II (1966-67) Engine 1725cc S4 OHV

Production 11,983

Registration Number LFM 184 D (Chester)

HUMBER SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623665287863...

The Sceptre I was introduced in 1965 with a shape somewhere between the Hillman Super Minx and the Sunbeam Rapier, with the former's bodyshell and the latter's grille, quad head lights, dual overdrive and servo front disc brakes.

For 1966 the model was upgraded as the Sceptre II with a larger 1725cc engine and an Automatic option, and revised front end styling.

A Humber Sceptre Mk II series was tested by Motor magazine, published April 1966, with performance figures of a top speed of 94.8mph, a 0-60 mph time of 12.5 seconds and 19.5 seconds for the standing quater mile

Diolch yn fawr am 71,253,366 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mwynhewch ac arhoswch yn ddiogel

Thank you 71,253,366 amazing views, enjoy and stay safe

Shot 21.04.2019 at the annual Weston Park, Easter car show Ref 138-362

The 2000 London-Sydney Marathon winner- Stig Blomqvist/Ben Rainsford

Built by Basil Green Motors - Johannesburg

5,0 Liter

V8

ca. 500-550 ex.

Built by Basil Green Motors of Johannesburg exclusively for the South African market, the 'Perana' is the only V8-engined Capri officially sanctioned by the Ford Motor Company. Basil Green used the Ford 302ci (5.0-litre) Windsor V8 engine, modifying the chassis and running gear to cope with the extra power, and the result was a high-performance car with an excellent power-to-weight ratio that was soon cleaning up in domestic racing. Indeed, so successful was the Perana that after a single season's dominance it was banned. For the road, the Perana came with 281bhp on tap and a top speed of 147mph. It was also extraordinarily flexible. How British and European enthusiasts would have loved to get their hands on the Perana, and Ford surely missed a trick by not offering such a car in other markets. It is estimated that around 500-550 were produced between 1970 and 1972. This Capri Mk1 to full house Perana specification cost in excess of AUD200,000 (approximately £116,000 at the current rate of exchange) to build in 1999, before winning the 2000 London-Sydney Rally driven by former World Rally Champion Stig Blomqvist and preparer Ben Rainsford. Since then, the Marathon rally coupe has participated in several other long-distance events. These include the 2004 London-Sydney Rally, 2004 Carrera Sudamericana Marathon, 2007 Classic East African Safari Rally, 2010 International Rally du Maroc and the 2011 Sol Rally Barbados. Specification highlights include a 302ci 'Windsor' Cobra type V8 engine; 'Jerico' type top-loader 4-speed gearbox; Marathon-specification bodyshell; full roll cage with side-bars; live five-link rear axle; all round disc brakes; rack-and-pinion steering; glassfibre bonnet; Perspex side windows; and Bilstein-damped suspension currently set up for 'Tarmac' events. An alternative Proflex-type Safari high-ride 'Gravel' suspension is included in the spares kit, together with a spare set of wheels. Offered with Ford dating letter confirming September 1969 manufacture of donor car, fresh MoT valid to August 2014, current historic vehicle eligible road fund licence and Swansea V5C, this unique Perana-specification Capri represents a wonderful opportunity to acquire a well-sorted car with a proven record in long-distance rallying that awaits preparation for the next long haul.

Metropole Classic Cars

Meubellaan 1

Druten

Nederland - Netherlands

June 2021

The Jaguar XJ (XJ40) is a luxury sedan manufactured by Jaguar Cars between 1986 and 1994. Officially unveiled on 8 October 1986 it was an all-new redesign of the XJ to replace the Series III, although the two model ranges were sold concurrently until the Series III was discontinued in 1992. The XJ40 used the Jaguar independent rear suspension arrangement, and featured a number of technological enhancements (such as electronic instrumentation)

Development:

Throughout the 1970s Jaguar had been developing "Project XJ40", which was an all-new model intended to replace the original XJ6. Scale models were being built as early as 1972. Due to the 1973 oil crisis and problems at parent company British Leyland, the car was continually delayed. Proposals from both Jaguar's in-house designers and Pininfarina were received. Eventually, it was decided an internal design would be carried through to production and, in February 1981, the British Leyland board approved £80 million to produce the new car.

Jaguar historians claim that the XJ40 was the last car which company founder Sir William Lyons had contributed to during its protracted development phase. The previous generation XJ had been the final Jaguar to be developed wholly under Lyons' leadership - although he continued to take an active consultative role within Jaguar design, long after had retired from the day to day management of the firm following its merger in 1966 with the British Motor Corporation.

During development, the XJ40 pioneered significant improvements to the way Jaguar designed, built, and assembled cars. Among these improvements was a 25 per cent reduction in the number of bodywork panels required per car (e.g. three pressings needed for a Series 3 door compared with one for a XJ40 door), resulting in not only a more efficient assembly process, but also a weight saving and a stiffer structure. Greater attention to panel gaps improved the drag factor (reduced from 0.849 Cd to 0.762 Cd), while also improving the fuel economy and lowering wind noise inside the cabin.

Mechanicals:

AJ6 4.0 L engine (in a 1990 Daimler)

Initially, only two engines were offered across the XJ40 models: a 2.9 L and a 3.6 L version of the AJ6 inline-six. In 1990, these were changed to 3.2 L and 4.0 L versions. In 1993, the XJ12 and Daimler Double Six (both equipped with the Jaguar V12 engine) were added to the available models.

During the development of the XJ40, British Leyland had considered providing the Rover V8 engine for the car, which would have eliminated the need for future Jaguar engine production. The XJ40 bodyshell was allegedly engineered to prevent fitting V-configuration engines such as the Rover V8; this delayed the introduction of the V12-powered XJ12 until 1993.

The automatic gearbox used in the 2.9 L, 3.2 L and 3.6 L six-cylinder cars was the four-speed ZF 4HP22. On the 4.0 L, the four-speed ZF 4HP24 was used. A stronger automatic gearbox was required for the V12-equipped cars, and the four-speed GM 4L80-E was selected. The manual gearbox fitted to early cars was the five-speed Getrag 265, while later cars received the Getrag 290.

The automatic transmission selector was redesigned to allow the manual selection of forward gears without accidentally selecting neutral or reverse. This new feature was dubbed the "J-Gate" and has carried over to more recent Jaguar models.

Exterior:

The curvaceous lines of the outgoing Series XJ were replaced by the more angular, geometric shape of the XJ40. The nose of the car would accommodate either matched pairs of round headlights, or rectangular single units; the latter were fitted to the higher-specification Sovereign and Daimler trim levels, and also to all cars for the US market.

The bumper is a visually distinct black-rubber-covered bar that runs the full width of the car and incorporates the sidelights and indicator lights. The bonnet is hinged at the front. Window frames are either chromed or black, depending on model. Rain gutters, door mirrors, and door handles are also finished in chrome. All XJ40s have a chrome surround for the windscreen and a single windscreen wiper.

Early low-specification cars were fitted with metric-sized steel wheels and plastic wheelcovers. From 1991, the wheels were changed to non-metric sizing.

[Text from Wikipedia]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguar_XJ

I had to pay a bit more for this kit than I usually spend. A few things have been put together, but quite neatly and the bodyshell hasn't been painted so it'll be an easy one to build.

Barons Classic American Auction info:

The second series Fulvia Sport was launched at the 1970 Turin Motor Show. Changes included a five-speed gearbox, revised suspension geometry, taller ride height, a taller final drive and wider tyres. The body was now all-steel and seated 2+2 passengers. Some of the Zagato's most unusual features were lost; the bonnet was now hinged at the front and the spare wheel compartment hatch was deleted.

Sport 1.3S (Tipo 818.650/651): 1970-72. Same engine as Series 1 1.3S but five-speed transmission. Very early versions of these Series 2 cars were fitted with Series 1 bodyshells with a separate spare-wheel hatch, smaller rear lights and aluminum bonnets and doors. Later versions have all-steel bodyshells, no spare wheel hatch and larger rear lights.

This 1975 1.3S was imported from Italy and has participated in the Giro d'Italia, a classic car rally organised once every four years that only totally original classic cars are eligible for.

Buster Lang's All-American Classic, Custom, Hot Rod & Bike Show

Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey

13th-14th August 2016

As we near Christmas, I felt that a festive railway piece was in order, and thus I give you the unsung hero of the British Christmas season, the Class 325 Parcels Unit. If you have relatives in the North of England who need to transport Christmas Cards and other presents to relatives in the south or Vice Versa, chances are it will travel aboard one of these plucky units that will scoot it up the West Coast Mainline at 100mph overnight, or rarely during the day.

In this scene we see a trio of Class 325 units trundling through the countryside near Crawford in Scotland, working a northbound mail service from Willesden Railnet Terminal in North London to Shieldmuir Railnet Terminal in Southern Glasgow, speeding through a snow covered South Lanarkshire countryside.

The Class 325's were built as a joint venture between BREL and ABB of Italy using the traction motors and bodyshell design of a Class 319 Thameslink unit in order to create a parcels unit to replace the ageing Travelling Post Officer (TPO) stock of the 1960s. Built to the same external design as a Class 365 Networker unit, inside they are literally an empty shell in which is stored trolleys full of precious cargo and mail. In days gone by this would have been filled with shelves and rows of workers meticulously sorting letters and parcels for their individual destinations, but since all the sorting is now done by computer, they are no longer necessary. Built to travel at 100mph, 16 of these 4-car units were built to run on both 25kv Overhead AC electric wires, and on 1500 volt DC 3rd rail on the Southern Region, although this was never common practice.

However, as it turns out, the construction of these units was one of the biggest wastes of time and money ever to be done by British Rail as when things were starting to look up for mail borne rail traffic, the operator of the mail train, Royal Mail, decided in 2004 it would withdraw the Mail Train contract, and send everything by gas-guzzling lorries. Overnight, the ever popular mail train that had run since the Victorian days was axed and the millions of pounds worth of purpose built locomotives and stock found itself immediately redundant. The Class 325's were put into storage after only 9 years of service, and would not return to the rails until 2005, when a contract was struck between GBRF (Great British Rail Freight) and Royal Mail to operate a small number of trains between the Willesden Railnet, Warrington and Shieldmuir, and thus mail traffic returned to the mainline, but not in the way it had done previously. Since then there have been plans to return operations to the East Coast Mainline as well, working trains to Newcastle from London.

Since there are now so many spare sets available, these units usually operate as triplets of 12-cars in order to increase capacity, whereas before they would often run as single or double sets. Today, the surviving 15 units (325010 being scrapped in 2012 after being stripped for spares) are not a common sight in the day, although in the run up to Christmas these units are given extra diagrams to operate more services in the morning and afternoon, which means that whenever there's on out and about, I'll usually go and try to grab some shots of these rare but vital little units.

The Opel Kadett C was launched in 1973. Available in hatchback, saloon (limousine), estate (caravan) and coupe body styles, it was replaced by the Kadett D in 1979.

Marking the beginning of Vauxhall and Opel models becoming increasingly similar, the Chevette was introduced in 1975. The bodyshells were shared, the main difference being the front end treatment which mirrored the Opel Ascona B and Vauxhall Cavalier Mk1 series. The Chevette was also available in commercial format (Chevanne) but not in coupe form.

The Kadett D replaced the C in 1979, the same time as the now identical Astra Mk1, although Chevette production continued until 1984.

Other versions of the Opel Kadett C include Buick Opel (USA),

Chevrolet Chevette (BRA - used above to represent the Opel), Daewoo Maepsy (ROK), Holden Gemini (AUS), Isuzu Gemini (J), Opel K-180 (ARG) and GMC Chevette (ARG).

In 1970 a new Taunus, the Taunus Cortina (TC), was introduced, as a two- or four-door sedan, station wagon (or Turnier) and coupé. It was very similar to the British Ford Cortina Mk III but without the "coke bottle" belt line. Also, the Taunus was available as a coupe, a bodystyle that the Cortina was never made in.

Both cars were developed under the auspices of Ford of Europe, and most major components including key parts of the bodyshell were identical. From 1976 Taunus and Cortina models were identical in all but name, 'Taunus' being the name used in left hand drive (LHD) markets, and 'Cortina' in right hand drive ones, although the Cortina name was used in LHD South Korea and Taiwan. The Mk III was also sold in Scandinavia, alongside the Taunus.

The Ford Taunus TC series was conceived in the late 1960s to be a "world car" alongside its technical sibling the Cortina Mk III, with construction and design work taking place on both sides of the Atlantic. As with the design of the first generation, it was done under the supervision of Semon "Bunkie" Knudsen, of former General Motors fame. The car is often nicknamed "Barock 2" (pointing back to the Taunus P2 series of the late 1950s, commonly known as the "Barock-Taunus") or "The Knudsen Nose" by its German owners because of the pointy hood scoop that, as the legend has it, was put there on direct order from Knudsen. Otherwise the major design work is rumoured to have been done by German car designer Luigi Colani, who also did design concepts for BMW's motorcycle division in the late 1970s.

(Wikipedia)

Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais 2020

Bonhams

Parijs - Paris

Frankrijk - France

February 2020

Estimated : € 130.000 - 160.000

Sold for € 149.500

Few sports cars have proved as versatile as Porsche's perennial 911, a model that, for the past 50 years, has proved equally capable as a Grand Tourer, circuit racer or rally car. A 'modern classic' if ever there was one, the 911 first appeared at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show as the '901', but shortly after production proper commenced in 1964 had become the '911' following Peugeot's complaints about the use of '0' model numbers. The preceding Type 356's rear-engined layout was retained but the 911 switched to unitary construction for the bodyshell and dropped the 356's VW-based suspension in favour of a more modern McPherson strut and trailing arm arrangement. In its first incarnation, Porsche's single-overhead-camshaft, air-cooled flat six engine displaced 1,991cc and produced 130bhp; progressively enlarged and developed, it would eventually grow to more than 3.0 litres and, in turbo-charged form, put out well over 300 horsepower.

Manufactured in January 1966, this 1st Series (pre-A Programme) Porsche 911 was delivered new finished in Aga Blue with black leatherette interior, and left the factory equipped with a Webasto heater and radio loudspeaker, as confirmed by its accompanying Porsche Certificate of Authenticity. Chassis number '303509' is one of the very early, short-wheelbase cars of the type much favoured by the historic rallying fraternity, a situation that has led to unmodified examples such as this one becoming a great rarity and consequently much in demand.

In 2012 the car was imported into the Netherlands where the current vendor, a Porsche collector, commissioned a full restoration with no corners cut. Undertaken by Dutch specialists, the rebuild was completed in 2016 and was photographically documented (see history file). This restoration included a full engine and gearbox rebuild, a six-coat re-spray in the original Aga Blue livery, re-chroming of the brightwork, a new Pepita interior, and an overhaul of the instruments. The body restoration was carried out by Houvers of Winterswijk, while the matching engine and gearbox were rebuilt by Koban Tuning of Lichtenvoorde, Holland. Closest attention to detail was taken to bring everything back to original specification. In total, some €140,000 were spent to return the car to the effectively 'as new' condition it is presented in today, with many invoices available. Only a relative handful of kilometres have been covered since the restoration's completion and this beautiful Porsche 911 is presented in commensurately excellent condition.

Volkswagen Golf GL 4+E (Mk.2) (1983-92) Engine 1781cc S4 GU (EA827) 89bhp

Production 6,3000,000

Registration Number C 590 PCH (Nottingham)

VOLKSWAGEN SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623738785355...

The second generation VW Golf was designed by Herbert Schäfer, introduced at the 1983 Frankfurt Motorshow, with homeland sales begining almost immeadiatly in LHD form, and from March 1984 in the RHD British market. It featured a larger bodyshell, and a wider range of engine options, including a GTD turbodiesel and the 1781cc DOHC unit in both 8 valve and 16 valve forms the supercharged 8v "G60" with front- and four-wheel drive options, and a racing homologated variant of this, the "Rallye Golf".

The Golf Mk2 was available as a 3- and 5-door hatchback. The 2-door and 4-door sedan variants of the Golf Mk2 were marketed under the Volkswagen Jetta name. No cabriolet version was developed from the Mk2; instead, the Mk1-based convertible continued to be produced, with minor changes.

Diolch yn fawr am 71,721,692 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mwynhewch ac arhoswch yn ddiogel

Thank you 71,721,692 amazing views, enjoy and stay safe

Shot 21.04.2019 at the annual Weston Park, Easter car show Ref 138-543

Ford Escort Mk.II RS1800 (1975-80) Engine 1840cc Cosworth BDE S4

Production 631,828 all models. (in the UK - over 2 million worldwide)

Registration Number UCP 382 R (Huddersfield)

FORD of BRITAIN SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/albums/72157623665118181/

The Escort Mk.II was launched in 1975, redesigned with a more square shaped body on the existing Escort underside and running gear. Built in Britain at Halewood and a number of other countries. Unlike the first Escort (which was developed by Ford of Britain), the second generation was developed jointly between the UK and Ford of Germany. Codenamed "Brenda" during its development, The car used a revised underbody, which had been introduced as a running change during the last six months production of the Mark I. Rear suspension still sat on leaf springs

The "L" and "GL" models (2-door, 4-door, estate) were in the mainstream private sector, the "Sport", "RS Mexico", and "RS2000" in the performance market, the "Ghia" (2-door, 4-door) for a hitherto untapped small car luxury market, and "base / Popular" models for the bottom end.

A cosmetic update was given in 1978 with L models gaining the square headlights (previously exclusive to the GL and Ghia variants) and there was an upgrade in interior and exterior specification for some models. Underneath a wider front track was given.

In 1979 and 1980 three special edition Escorts were launched: the Linnet, Harrier and Goldcrest.

As with its predecessor, the Mark II had a successful rallying career. All models of the Mark I were carried over to the Mark II, though the Mexico gained the RS badge and had its engine changed to a 1.6 L (1,593 cc) OHC Pinto instead of the OHV. A "Sport" model was also produced using the 1.6 L Crossflow. A new model was released, the RS1800, which had a naturally aspirated 1,833 cc. The works rally cars were highly specialised machines. Bodyshells were heavily strengthened and characterised by the wide wheel arch extensions, and fitment of four large spotlights for night stages. The Mark II Escort continued its predecessor's run on the RAC Rally, winning every year from 1975 to 1979 and racing in a variety of other events around the world.

Diolch yn fawr am 67,361,022 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mwynhewch ac arhoswch yn ddiogel

Thank you 67,361,022 amazing views, enjoy and stay safe

Shot 02.09.2018 at Himley Hall, Wolverhampton Ref 136-074

See more car pics on my facebook page!

Completely new body in very modern style. The look of car reminded some critics of a bath tub, and it consequently gained the soubriquet "Taunus Badewanne". At a time when competitors boasted that all four corners of the vehicles were visible from the driver's seat, the new Taunus instead offered a streamlined form. However, in Germany the concept of streamlining in cars was associated with narrow passenger cabins reminiscent of the 1930s and of the still popular Volksagen Beetle. The new Taunus, however, provided greater interior width than its predecessor despite being no wider on the outside. Although the 1.7 litre version was launched with the same 60 PS power output as the outgoing model, the new model was a full 10 km/h (6 mph) faster, which was attributed to improved aerodynamics and a lighter bodyshell.

(Wikipedia)

Hillman Avenger Tiger (1972-73) Engine 1498cc S4 OHV Production 600 approx

Registration Number DTR 222 K (Southampton)

HILLMAN SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623789458598...

Limited production version of the Hillman Avenger intended for racing and rallying

Standard specification includes twin Weber carburettor engine, and alloy wheels. Up to 110 mph in favourable conditions, formed the basis of a successful race/rally saloon. Homologated as a Group 1 race car, winning the RAC Championships. A few competition cars fitted with 1.8 and 2.0 litre engines

All Avenger Tigers were assembled by the Chrysler Competitions Centre and production figures are vague but around 200 of the initial Mark 1 seems likely. In October 1972, Chrysler unveiled the more "productionised" Mark 2 Tiger. The Avenger GL bodyshell with four round headlights was used. Mechanically identical to the earlier cars, the bonnet bulge was lost although the bonnet turned matt black, and there were changes to wheels and seats. These cars went on sale at £1,350. Production was around 400. Red ("Wardance") was now available as well as yellow ("Sundance"), both with black detailing

Many thanks for a fantabulous

48,151,729 views

Shot at the NEC Classic Car Show 13:11:2015 Ref. 112-274

Chassis n° 303232

Zoute Sale - Bonhams

Estimated : € 160.000 - 200.000

Sold for € 178.250

Zoute Grand Prix 2021

Knokke - Zoute

België - Belgium

October 2021

"Those now-immortal three numbers, 911, have come to signify the benchmark by which every other sports car is measured. Just as it was 30 years ago, sports cars are still all about excitement and speed. And this the 911 provides in abundance," – Peter Morgan, Original Porsche 911, 1995.

Few sports cars have proved as versatile as Porsche's perennial 911, a model that, for the past 50-plus years, has proved equally capable as a Grand Tourer, circuit racer or rally car. A 'modern classic' if ever there was one, the 911 first appeared at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show as the '901', but shortly after production proper commenced in 1964 had become the '911' following Peugeot's complaints about the use of '0' model numbers. The preceding Type 356's rear-engined layout was retained but the 911 switched to unitary construction for the bodyshell and dropped the 356's VW-based suspension in favour of a more modern McPherson strut and trailing arm arrangement. In its first incarnation, Porsche's single-overhead-camshaft, air-cooled flat six engine displaced 1,991cc and produced 130bhp; progressively enlarged and developed, it would eventually grow to more than 3.0 litres and, in turbo-charged form, put out well over 300 horsepower.

This particular Porsche 911 is one of the early, short-wheelbase cars of the type much favoured by the historic rallying fraternity, a situation that has led to original examples such as this one becoming a great rarity. It belongs to the '0-Programme' series built from the start of production in August 1964 up to the introduction of the longer-wheelbase 'A-Programme' model in August 1967, and thus represents the Porsche 911 in its earliest and purest form.

According to the accompanying documentation issued by Porsche Italia, this car was built for the 1965 model year (1st August 1964 to 31st July 1965) with an invoice date of 16th December 1965. The specified colour scheme was Polo Red (colour code 6602) with a brown vinyl interior, while the only other factory option listed was Webasto heating. The country of first registration was Italy, in the province of Macerata in the Marche region, and the car has remained in Italy ever since. The Certification of Origin, again issued by Porsche Italia, confirms engine number '903335' was the original (it is still fitted to the car).

The current owner, an avid classic car enthusiast with a small stable of cars, purchased the Porsche in 2004, initially to race it, which he did. But then he decided that a 911 from 1965 was far too valuable to race and commissioned respected Porsche specialists Pentacar of Colico near Milan to carry out a no-expense-spared restoration, commencing in March 2017. The body was stripped back to bare metal, repaired where necessary and professionally repainted to a very high standard in the original colour of Polo Red. The interior was restored at the same time, as of course were the mechanicals and the original matching-numbers engine. The result is described as excellent in all respects, and since the restoration's completion in May 2020 the car has been driven only a little over 1,200 kilometres at the time of cataloguing. As icing on the cake, the owner purchased a new tool kit and jack from Porsche Classic to complete the picture. The car is offered with the Italian libretto and Certificato di Proprietà as well as ASI Targa Oro certification. An original, Italian-delivered Porsche 911 from 1965, with matching engine and colour, this is a car for the true Porsche connoisseur.

Morris Six MS (1948-53) Engine 2215cc S6 S6 OHC

Production 12,400

Registration Number CSU 419 (Re-registered 1986, on a date related number, first allocated to Kincardineshire)

MORRIS SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623690377489...

The Morris Six MS was a six-cylinder midsize car made from 1948 to 1953. It was the company's first post war six-cylinder car. At launch the car was priced at £671 on the UK market.

The car was very similar to the 1948 Issigonis designed Morris Oxford series MO sharing the same bodyshell from the windscreen backwards. The bonnet was lengthened to take the overhead camshaft, single SU carburettor, 2215 cc six-cylinder engine which produced 70 bhp.

The whole car was longer than the Oxford with a wheelbase of 110 inches Suspension was independent at the front using torsion bars and at the rear there was a conventional live axle and semi elliptic springs. The steering was not by the rack and pinion fitted to the Oxford but used a lower geared Bishop Cam system. The 10 inches (250 mm) drum brakes were hydraulically operated using a Lockheed system.

The design was shared with Nuffield Organisation stable-mate Wolseley as the 6/80

Many thanks for a fantabulous 32,706,700 views

Shot on 01.01.2015 at Brooklands New Years Day Classic Car Gathering Ref 104-204

The Mazda Luce (Italian for 'light') was the largest Mazda model available, at launch in 1969, through to 1991. The second generation car was launched in 1972, the LA2.

The car was still compact by US standards, at 1660 mm wide and approximately 4500 mm long.

Mazda installed their 12A and 13B twin-rotor rotary engines to produce the Mazda RX4 performance coupe (using the Luce 2-door bodyshell).

Conventional Luces used a conventional 94 PS 1.8 L, or 103 PS 2.0 litre 4-cylinder engine.

The car received a more conventional styling update in 1976 (LA3), losing some of the period cool of the LA2. The overall body form though, still reflected a Japanese interpretation of the period coke-bottle styling.

The LA2 Luce Coupe is shown here.

The badge on the rear left is from Walker Bodywork, who seem to have supplied kits for various DIY van conversions.

OUF 216R

✓ Taxed - Tax due: 1 April 2018

✓ MOT Expires: 27 October 2017

Vehicle make: TOYOTA

Date of first registration: August 1976

Year of manufacture: 1976

Cylinder capacity (cc): 1587 cc

Fuel type: PETROL

Export marker: No

Vehicle status: Tax not due

Vehicle colour: WHITE

Number of owners: 2

Current owner since Sep 1987

Mileage at last MOT: 57,999

Mileage since previous MOT unknown (Stuck odometer)

Advisories in recent years include:

- heavy rust formed at underside of body

- body panel(s) corroded to excess but not within the prescribed areas. n/s/f o/s/f

-various body corrosion

-corrosion at offside rear inner sill

-various underside corrosion

-corrosion at rear axle brake pipes

-vehicle body shell heavily rusted.

-excessive corrossion detected at offside & nearside inner sill sections not considered to be supportive panelling

-vehicle bodyshell is heavily corrodded

-offside & nearside panel sections outside prescribed areas corroded to excess

- plated repairs in seat belt prescribed areas have been covered in underseal

- BODY VERY RUSTY AND REPAIRED WITH TAPE

Ford Escort 1300 (Mk.1) 2 door Base (Mexico replica) (1967-75) Engine 1298cc S4 OHV Production 1,076,118 all UK Mk.1's)

Registration Number BUJ 59 K (Shropshire)

FORD (UK) SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623665118181...

The first Escort is bigger and more roomy than the outgoing Anglia and availble in 2 or 4 door saloons. Massive seller, designed in the UK but manufactured in Britain and Germany. MacPherson strut front end cross flow head engine.

There was a 1300GT performance version, with a tuned 1.3 L Crossflow (OHV) engine of 63hp against the standard 1300cc models 51hp, with a Weber carburetor and uprated suspension. this was uprated to 71hp for model years 1970-74 the same as the Escort 1300 Sport that also featured flared front wings from the AVO range of carsbut with a lower range of trim This version featured additional instrumentation with a tachometer, battery charge indicator, and oil pressure gauge.

,

Later, an "executive" version of the Escort was produced known as the "1300E". This featured the same 13" road wheels and flared wings of the Sport, but was trimmed in an upmarket, for that time, fashion with wood trim on the dashboard and door cappings.

This car is an excellent replica of a Mk.1 Ford Escort, albeit with a 1300cc engine. The Ford works team was practically unbeatable in the late 1960s / early 1970s, and arguably the Escort's greatest victory was in the 1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally, driven by Finnish legend Hannu Mikkola and Swedish co-driver Gunnar Palm. This gave rise to the Escort Mexico (1598cc "crossflow"-engined) special edition road versions in honour of the rally car. Introduced in November 1970, 10,352 Mexico Mark Is were built using bodyshells using additional strengthening panels in high stress areas making them more suitable for competition

Diolch yn fawr am 71,151,323 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mwynhewch ac arhoswch yn ddiogel

Thank you 71,151,323 amazing views, enjoy and stay safe

Shot 21.04.2019 at the annual Weston Park, Easter car show Ref 138-313

I know this custom-built "truck" quite well, it was built many years ago now by a local micro car collector, around the remains of a rusty Isetta 600 bodyshell and a modified VW water-cooled chassis, and it is very well built!

Trekked down to the weekly cruise night, a smaller crowd this week... Perhaps due to possibility of rain in the forecast...

Chassis n° 1E1944

Coachwork by Lynx

This car started life as number 3 short nose D Type built by LYNX in 1977. The car was then converted by LYNX into a LYNX XKSS in the 80s.

Bonhams : The Autumn Sale 2020

Estimated : € 250.000 - 350.000

Sold for € 184.000

Autoworld

www.autoworld.be

Brussels - Belgium

September 2020

"The factory fire in February 1957 extinguished the career of the XK SS, a road-going sports car based on the D-Type. As a result of the hiatus in production, and dislocations of plans for new product lines as important as the 3.4 saloon, the XK SS was abandoned. It was a cruel fate for a car that was a true thoroughbred, made in the image of the Le Mans winner, and one of the classic might-have-beens of motoring history." – Eric Dymock, The Jaguar File.

One of the rarest Jaguars of all, the XK SS was a spin-off from the D-Type racing programme. To satisfy the FIA's sports car regulations, the D-Type had been built in numbers greatly exceeding the demand for such a specialised piece of racing equipment, and conversion to road trim was viewed as the best way of clearing unsold stocks, hence the XK SS. The idea of a road-equipped D-Type is credited to Jaguar works driver Duncan Hamilton, who fitted a windscreen and hood to his ex-factory 1954 Le Mans car ('OKV 1') in 1956.

Modifications to make the D-Type acceptable for road use included installing a seat and door on the passenger side; removing the division between driver and passenger; fitting a full-width wraparound windscreen; and heat-shielding the side-exit exhaust system. A mohair hood and detachable side screens provided weather protection, and, as twin fuel tanks and the spare wheel occupied the boot space, a luggage rack was provided on the tail. The 3.4-litre XK engine remained pretty much to racing specification, producing around 250bhp, which, in a car weighing just 18cwt (914kg), made for electrifying performance. Production commenced during the winter of 1956, but the loss of a number of bodyshells in the fire at the Brown's Lane works in February 1957 severely curtailed the XK SS programme, with the result that only 16 had been made when production ceased in November of that year.

Testing an XK SS in 1957, the esteemed American motoring journal Road & Track recorded figures of 5.2 seconds and 13.6 seconds for the 0-60mph and 0-100mph times respectively, which are none too shabby even by today's standards. With an estimated top speed in excess of 150mph, the XK SS remained the fastest catalogued Jaguar sports car for many years.

Like many other legendary sports cars, the Jaguar XK SS inspired a number of imitations. An acknowledged master in this highly specialised field is the Sussex-based firm of Lynx Engineering, which enjoys an international reputation for accuracy and quality second to none. The car we offer is the third chassis manufactured by Lynx and the first of the exclusive series of only nine such replicas built to Jaguar XK SS specification (see email correspondence on file from Lynx and the company's co-founder Chris Keith-Lucas). Its history is known from new; indeed, this XK SS served as Chris Keith-Lucas's wedding car!

Built in the late 1980s, this XK SS takes its identity from a 1967 Jaguar E-Type, chassis number '1E1944', which was registered in the UK as 'PEH 670F'. Of riveted aluminium sheet, the coachwork conforms to the original method of construction. Unlike the original, however, the Lynx XK SS is powered by a larger, 3.8-litre XK six fitted with triple-Weber induction and a stainless-steel sports exhaust system. (Its original engine was a 4.2-litre XK unit taken from a Series 1½ E-Type.) Finished in British Racing Green, the car also features competition wheels and a nicely patinated black leather interior.

Previously owned by Roland Urban, founder of the French Jaguar Drivers' Club, the XK SS was completely overhauled in the early/mid-2000s and was purchased by the current vendor in 2008. In 2009 the engine was overhauled by Paris-based Cecil Cars, while earlier this year the car received new tyres and the carburetion system was overhauled as part of a general check over (see invoice on file for €4,617 from Prestige Garage in Vence, South of France). Offering breathtaking performance with classic Jaguar style, this beautifully executed XK SS re-creation comes with valid French Carte Grise.

Stripped of every useful component after its withdrawal due to accident damage, the empty bodyshell of 37273 awaits disposal from Canton depot yard.

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Taking a day off at Butterley is preserved British Rail Class 141 Pacer unit, 141113.

The Class 141 has often gone down in British Railway history as one of the worst trains to ever be used on the UK network, a cheap alternative to replace ageing stock that turned out to be more trouble than it was worth.

The concept of Pacer units goes back to a multitude of prototypes created during the late 1970's and early 80's through a partnership between British Rail and nationalised car manufacturer British Leyland. The concept was to create a set of diesel multiple units that would be based on the bodyshell of the highly successful Leyland National bus with the underpinnings of redundant 4-axle goods wagons fitted with Leyland engines.

The first mainstream prototype of the Pacers were early railbuses known as LEV1 and RB004. LEV1 was built in 1978, and was, for all intents and purposes, a Leyland National bus on train wheels. This was followed by several other LEV (Leyland Experimental Vehicles) derivatives until 1984, when single railcar RB004 was built, its external design matching that of the Class 141. At the same time, a boxy two-car prototype designated Class 140 was launched and operated between 1980 and 1981, being only a proof of concept and not intended for mass production.

The Class 141 was designed between 1983 and 1984, taking the external styling of the RB004 railbus and combining it with the two-car bodyshell and layout of the Class 140. The primary intention of the Class 141 was to replace the many ageing DMU's from the early 1950's, with their main area of operation being in the West Yorkshire region around Leeds, York and Sheffield. Seeing as British Rail were very short on cash, having suffered the lowest year for rail ridership ever in 1982, the Class 141 was deemed the only option for replacing their extensive fleet of increasingly tired trains.

The units were formed of semi-permanently coupled two-car sets, each powered by a Leyland TL11 engine producing 205hp, whisking the Class 141 to a top speed of 75mph. As mentioned, the units were built of lightweight bodies placed upon what were essentially repurposed four-axle chassis donated from redundant freight wagons. The trains had a total capacity of 94 passengers.

The Class 141 was launched on services out of Leeds to York, Huddersfield, Halifax, Doncaster, Wakefield and Sheffield from mid-1984, with an eventual 20 units being built for the task. Originally, units were outshopped in a tasteful version of the BR Blue and Grey, but, as sectorisation began to take hold, the units were repainted into a variety of colours, including the rather dreary Green and Buttermilk, before eventually being repainted into the West Yorkshire PTE (Passenger Transport Executive) Red and White.

However, almost immediately, the quality issues of the Class 141's did nothing to help the already very low opinion of the railways. These trains were noisy, slow, underpowered, uncomfortable and highly unreliable. Their four-axle design, with the axle attached directly to the chassis rather than on separate bogies like on other trains, meant that on jointed track the trains would bump violently up and down, making the train riding experience similar to that of a 8.5 earthquake!

The engines on these units made the carriages vibrate and resonate with an irritating humming, and the poorly fitted panels and other parts of the unit's interior meant that the train would squeak and rattle as it went along.

There were other issues too, primarily with the gearbox. These were prone to failure after only a few hundred miles of service, which meant that many of the units were out of service being repaired. The continuous unreliability of these mechanisms eventually saw the entire fleet stored in 1988, with units sent north to the Andrew-Barclay Ltd workshops in Kilmarnock for refurbishment. The refurbishment also included the addition of BSI couplers, so as to make the units more compatible with Class 142 and 143 derivative Pacers, as well as the newer Sprinter units such as Class 150's and 156's. The units eventually returned to work in 1989, but their careers weren't exactly long in the grand scheme of things.

By the mid-1990's, it was apparent that these units, that weren't even 10 years old, were in no way fit for purpose, and in 1997 all units were retired from operation, being replaced by the aforementioned derivative Pacer variants, the Class 142, 143 or 144, or by Sprinters such as Class 150, 153, 155, 156 or 158. One unit, however, was converted into a weedkilling train for Serco, its seats being removed and replaced with tanks to spray weedkiller onto the line so as not to be overgrown.

One would've hoped that the Class 141's were just quietly sent to the scrapheap like they deserved, but the trains did somehow get themselves a new lease of life in Iran of all places!

This wasn't the first time Pacer units had been considered for export, the original LEV1 had been offered for sale in the USA, and RB004 was sent to Canada for a while. One Class 141 was trialed in Malaysia in 1984 before being later sent to Thailand, but neither country was impressed by its performance.

12 units were eventually exported to Iran to work commuter trains out of the nation's capital Tehran, the first units being sent there between 2001 and 2002. Once these units had left our shores, little was known about what became of them. Two were noted to still be in service as of 2005, while another two somehow wound up in the Netherlands and are now in storage somewhere. It is largely assumed that the Iranian units have all been withdrawn and put into storage following the introduction of newer DMUs.

Here in the UK, 3 units are preserved; one at Butterley, one on the Colne Valley Railway, and one at the Weardale Railway, while the remains of another unit are also at the Weardale but has been stripped for spare parts. Two units are known to have been scrapped, one of which due to accident damage. 141104 was involved in a head-on collision with a Class 156 at Huddersfield in November 1989, resulting in 33 injuries. While the 156 was returned to work in 1990 after minor repairs, the lightweight 141 was apparently so badly damaged that it was written off and promptly scrapped.

So there we are, the Class 141, the pioneering Pacer that let lose a slew of underpowered, cheaply built little railbuses onto the UK network. There is nothing much redeemable about these trains, they were slow, unreliable and unpleasant to ride one. Perhaps as a novelty you can travel aboard the few preserved units, but for an everyday commute, these trains could induce seasickness the likes of which you'd never seen before!

Standing in the rain at Manchester Oxford Road is Northern 156422 ready to work 2O89, 15:46 Manchester Oxford Road – Liverpool Lime Street, 23rd May 2024.

Unit History

Built by Metro-Cammell at Washwood Heath in 1988 the Class 156 is based on the Mark III bodyshell and is powered by 6-cylinder Cummins NT855-R5 diesel engine through Voith automatic transmissions. I first saw 156422 on the 15th July 1988 at Sheffield, over thirty five years ago.

Having covered trains in the east of the city on the first day, we turned our attention west on the second day and took a ride out from Paris Montparnasse to complete a circuit up to Mantes-la-Jolie. Whilst changing trains at Versialles Chantiers I was very pleased to see SNCF Z 5300 no.359 and 349 roll in on a stopping service to Paris Montparnasse. These ageing EMU's resemble New York Subway cars due to their aluminium bodyshells and are gradually being replaced by refurbished BB7600's for Transilien.

The 2000 London-Sydney Marathon winner- Stig Blomqvist/Ben Rainsford

Built by Basil Green Motors - Johannesburg

5,0 Liter

V8

ca. 500-550 ex.

Built by Basil Green Motors of Johannesburg exclusively for the South African market, the 'Perana' is the only V8-engined Capri officially sanctioned by the Ford Motor Company. Basil Green used the Ford 302ci (5.0-litre) Windsor V8 engine, modifying the chassis and running gear to cope with the extra power, and the result was a high-performance car with an excellent power-to-weight ratio that was soon cleaning up in domestic racing. Indeed, so successful was the Perana that after a single season's dominance it was banned. For the road, the Perana came with 281bhp on tap and a top speed of 147mph. It was also extraordinarily flexible. How British and European enthusiasts would have loved to get their hands on the Perana, and Ford surely missed a trick by not offering such a car in other markets. It is estimated that around 500-550 were produced between 1970 and 1972. This Capri Mk1 to full house Perana specification cost in excess of AUD200,000 (approximately £116,000 at the current rate of exchange) to build in 1999, before winning the 2000 London-Sydney Rally driven by former World Rally Champion Stig Blomqvist and preparer Ben Rainsford. Since then, the Marathon rally coupe has participated in several other long-distance events. These include the 2004 London-Sydney Rally, 2004 Carrera Sudamericana Marathon, 2007 Classic East African Safari Rally, 2010 International Rally du Maroc and the 2011 Sol Rally Barbados. Specification highlights include a 302ci 'Windsor' Cobra type V8 engine; 'Jerico' type top-loader 4-speed gearbox; Marathon-specification bodyshell; full roll cage with side-bars; live five-link rear axle; all round disc brakes; rack-and-pinion steering; glassfibre bonnet; Perspex side windows; and Bilstein-damped suspension currently set up for 'Tarmac' events. An alternative Proflex-type Safari high-ride 'Gravel' suspension is included in the spares kit, together with a spare set of wheels. Offered with Ford dating letter confirming September 1969 manufacture of donor car, fresh MoT valid to August 2014, current historic vehicle eligible road fund licence and Swansea V5C, this unique Perana-specification Capri represents a wonderful opportunity to acquire a well-sorted car with a proven record in long-distance rallying that awaits preparation for the next long haul.

Metropole Classic Cars

Meubellaan 1

Druten

Nederland - Netherlands

June 2021

Chassis n° NJT164STJ500014916

Toyota Team Europe

Didier Auriol / Bernard Occelli

Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais

Bonhams

Parijs - Paris

Frankrijk - France

February 2019

Estimated : € 190.000 - 230.000

Sold for € 207.000

Following the success of the Celica GT4 ST165, the Turbo 4WD ST185 would build on its predecessor's foundations and be the class of the field throughout its three years of service in the World Rally Championship (WRC). It was the car to beat, scoring a hat trick of drivers' titles for Carlos Sainz, Juha Kankkunen, and Didier Auriol respectively. Of equal, if not greater, importance to the Japanese manufacturer was the fact that in 1993 the ST185 delivered Toyota its first ever WRC Manufacturer's Championship, a feat it repeated in 1994.

The all-conquering ST185 featured a stiffer bodyshell, improved cooling, an up-rated turbo intake system, X-Trac six-speed transmission and, most importantly, a suspension package that permitted a wide range of adjustment. They were sometimes headed by other cars on unfavourable surfaces but the ST 185 Celica was, arguably, the best all-round package.

Until its exclusion from the series after 2002, the Safari was the toughest rally on the WRC calendar - a gruelling event on difficult terrain in a variety of conditions, which has always made it a signature event. The ST185 Celica was unbeaten on the Safari as a works entry and scored a trio of overall victories for Sainz (1992), Kankkunen (1993) and Ian Duncan (1994).

Its chassis stamped 'TC572-11/93', the Celica offered here is an original ex-works car campaigned by Toyota Motorsport GmbH under the 'Toyota Team Europe' banner and registered 'K-AM6983'. Didier Auriol drove this car to victory in the San Remo Rally in 1994 (photographs on file) and went on to become World Rally Champion that same year, the first Frenchman to do so.

At the end of the 1994 season, this car was sold to Grifone in Italy and the following year participated in national events in Esso livery. The current vendor acquired the Celica in 1996 from Grifone, who had by then returned it to the original Castrol livery, the same as it is today, as part of a complete overhaul and restoration to original works specification. Since then the car has been maintained by the vendor's own team of experts, has been run regularly and is 'on the button'. It should be noted that a new ATL fuel cell was installed in 2016.

Described by the vendor as original and in very good condition, this rare survivor of one of international rallying's most exciting eras is offered with a copy of the original German registration papers; Grifone Verifica Tecnica (1994); Grifone's 1996 sales invoice; and the aforementioned photographs. It is an ideal entry for a variety of retrospective rally events such as those organised by 'Slowly Sideways' and 'Rally Legend', and is ideally suited to the rally stage at the Goodwood 'Festival of Speed'. A rare opportunity to acquire an ex-works rally car with in-period competition history at the highest level.