The 1956 Chevrolet was the middle year of what has come to be known as the 'tri-fives', as such, it was the first refresh of the 1955 bodyshell. Notably the radiator grille was now leaned forward at the top, producing a longer hood (bonnet) profile.

Models were again arranged 150, 210 and Bel Air. The Bel Air Convertible shown here matched the only ope-top bodystyle with top-specification trim. The car shared a long arc chrome strip with the 210 model, which drooped at the tail and split the body in models with two-tone paint. The roof was paired to the upper bodysides (behind a vertical chromed trim feature half way along the car), along with the trunk, while the hood matched the upper bodyside, ahead of the vertical split (just behind the front door), along with the painted surface under the horizontal arc.

A range of six and vee-eight engines were available, the V8 was a 265 CID (4.3 L) rated at 170 bhp (127 kW), 210 bhp (157 kW) or 225 bhp (168 kW) depending on the carburetor configuration. Power was to jump considerable the following year with the introduction of the 283 CID (4.6 L ) small block.

Other GM divisions, picked up new bodies for 1957, with the exception of Chevrolet and Pontiac. The 1957 was a hasty refresh of the 1955/56, the top Bel Air trim becoming one of the most famous and sought after Chevrolet models.

Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais

Bonhams

Estimated : € 40.000 - 60.000

Sold for € 32.200

Parijs - Paris

Frankrijk - France

February 2018

- Delivered new to France

- Three owners from new

- Very well maintained

- Fully documented

- 29.307 km recorded

In the mid-1980s, Ford to renew its alliance with Cosworth to create the eponymous Sierra, assembly commencing in June 1986 at the company's Genk plant in Belgium. Based on the three-door Sierra bodyshell, the RS Cosworth combined the standard 1.993 cc Pinto engine's cylinder block with a forged steel crankshaft and connecting rods, the first time the latter combination had been seen in a production Ford engine. Topping it off was a Cosworth-developed, 16-valve cylinder head fed by a Garrett AiResearch turbocharger, the latter being deemed necessary to achieve a competitive power output for racing, which in time would amount to over 500bhp! Even in standard road trim the RS Cosworth produced a staggering 204bhp. Needless to say, the standard Sierra underpinnings were comprehensively up-rated to cope.

This Sierra RS Cosworth was delivered new in France on 25th April 1988 via the official Ford dealer, Durruty in Bayonne. Its first owner, Mr Pourvahab, a businessman living in Biarritz, paid a total of FF 175.000 for the car, and took delivery on a temporary registration (the original invoice and registration certificate are on file). Six weeks later, the car was registered by its owner in Biarritz, and at the same time received the anti-theft etching required by the insurance company (certificate on file).

The first owner took great care of the car for more than 20 years, covering 28.732 km (see bill of sale on file). The next owner, Mr André Lenoir of Berre-l'Etang (Bouches-du-Rhône), registered the Sierra in February 2009 and kept it for the next seven years. The car was well stored seldom be driven (the roadworthiness report of 2015 indicates 29.217 km). Finally, in 2016, the car was added to the stable of a prominent Belgian collector. Today, the car still sports its French second-owner registration plates from the Départment Bouches-du-Rhône ('308 BTS 13').

The car's current condition is a testimony to the great care it has enjoyed all its life. The interior shows almost no signs of wear, and the original Zandvoort Blue exterior colour presents beautifully. All books and instruction manuals are present, including the very rare 'Sierra Cosworth RS' supplement. The car is described as in generally excellent condition and runs extremely well.

The Sierra RS Cosworth has always been a coveted car as confirmed by a recent article in 'Octane' magazine dated January 2018, with record numbers stolen in their early days. Today, they are much sought after by discerning collectors, especially when presented in original, unmolested condition and with excellent provenance like this stunning example, which ticks all the boxes.

The remains of a circa early 1970s British-built Austin-Morris EA public service ambulance w/ bodywork by ‘Wadham Stringer’ coachbuilders, sitting abandoned and neglected in the woods on a country lane near Darlington, County Durham, U.K. The body was made entirely of fibreglass, and every other non-plastic component on this vehicle has long since been removed. All that remains is this bare cracked bodyshell, which after being decommissioned as an ambulance used to be painted light blue (as a mobile grocer shop), and has now deteriorated to “hearing aid beige” bare exposed fibreglass. The vehicle has been siting in this exact same spot for decades.

Examples of abandoned classic vehicles in the wilderness such as this one have become an increasingly rare sight in the United Kingdom nowadays. However, as these pictures prove, they still exist out there in the year 2025.

Often described as Britain's first supercar (a little late, Italy beat us to that like 5 years earlier!), but the Aston Martin V8 and the derivative Vantage helped keep the company afloat during those dark years of bankruptcy and recovery, even though it almost committed corporate suicide by developing the overly complicated Lagonda!

The original Aston Martin V8 was a coupé manufactured from 1969 to 1989, built to replace the Aston Martin DBS, a more angular car that killed off the DB6, and by extension the iconic design that had eminated through the James Bond DB5. As with all traditional Aston Martins, it was entirely handbuilt, with each car requiring 1,200 manhours to finish. Aston Martin's customers had been clamouring for an eight-cylinder car for years, so Aston Martin designed a larger car. The engine was not ready, however, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the straight-six Vantage engine from the DB6. Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8. With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades. It was retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.

The Aston Martin V8 Vantage on the other hand took the original bodyshell of this 60's sports coupé, and completely re-engineered it to create something that was not of this earth! The first series had 375hp, and series specific details such as a blanked bonnet vent and a separate rear spoiler, of which 38 of these were built.

The Vantage name had previously been used on a number of high-performance versions of Aston Martin cars, but this was a separate model. Although based on the Aston Martin V8, numerous detail changes added up to a unique driving experience. One of the most noticeable features was the closed-off hood bulge rather than the open scoop found on the normal V8. The grille area was also closed off, with twin driving lights inserted and a spoiler added to the bootlid.

Upon its introduction in 1977, the car's incredible speed and power was taken up with acclaim, and, as mentioned, was dubbed 'Britain's first supercar', with a top speed of 170 mph top speed. Its engine was shared with the Lagonda, but it used high-performance camshafts, increased compression ratio, larger inlet valves and bigger carburettors mounted on new manifolds for increased output. Straight-line performance was the best of the day, with acceleration from 0–60 mph in 5.3 seconds, one-tenth of a second quicker than the Ferrari Daytona.

The Oscar India version, introduced in late 1978, featured an integrated tea-tray spoiler and smoother bonnet bulge. Inside, a black leather-covered dash replaced the previous walnut. The wooden dashboard did find its way back into the Vantage during the eighties, giving a more luxurious appearance. The Oscar India version also received a slight increase in power, to 390hp. This line was produced, with some running changes, until 1989. From 1986 the engine had 403hp.

1986 saw the introduction of X-Pack was a further upgrade, with Cosworth pistons and Nimrod racing-type heads producing 403hp. A big bore after-market option was also available from Works Service, with 50mm carbs and straight-through exhaust system giving 432hp, the same engine as fitted to the limited-edition V8 Zagato. 16-inch wheels were also now fitted. A 450hp 6.3L version was also available from Aston Martin, and independent manufacturers offered a 7L version just to up the ante.

In 1986, the Vantage had its roof cut off into what would become the convertible Vantage Volante, basically identical. In 1987 The Prince of Wales took delivery of a Vantage Volante, but at his request without the production car's wider wheelarches, front air dam and side skirts. This became known as the 'Prince of Wales Spec' (or POW) and around another 26 such cars were built by the factory.

The Prince was obviously very specific about his motorcars!

304 Series 2 Vantage coupés were built, including 131 X-Packs and 192 Volantes. Volante's are often considered the most desirable of the Aston Martin V8 Vantage range. In all, 534 V8 Vantages were constructed during its 12 year production run, with the car being replaced in 1989 by the Aston Martin Virage, as well as a new generation V8 Vantage which remained somewhat faithful to the original design of the 60's (if not a little more bulky) and was the last Aston Martin design to incorporate a traditional style before changing to the style laid down by the DB7 in 1993.

However, the Vantage did find its way into movie fame as the first Aston Martin used in a James Bond movie since the DBS used in On Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1969. In 1987's 'The Living Daylights' (the first film to star Timothy Dalton as 007), Bond was treated to Q-Branch's Aston Martin V8 Vantage, complete with missiles, lasers to separate pesky Lada's from their chassis, and a heads-up display to assist in warding off evildoers. It also came with a 'Winter Pack', which included skis, a rocket propulsion and spiked tyres for better grip. The car however met an unfortunate demise after getting stuck in a snowdrift, forcing Bond to activate the self-destruct, engulfing the car in a fiery explosion. But at least everyone's favourite secret agent had finally been reunited with his faithful Aston Martin once again!

There is some slight incongruity with the film though, as at the beginning of the movie, the car is a convertible Volante, yet for the rest of the movie it's a hardtop regular Vantage. This confused me somewhat, or perhaps whilst Bond had the car shipped he had a roof welded on in the meantime!

Today there are a fair number of Vantages roaming the countryside, their popular design, pedigree Bond Car status and sheer raw power keeping them truly afloat. In fact, these cars are much more prominent than the Virage that replaced it, of which you barely see any!

Originally conceived by British Leyland, the Metro was built to similar principals as those of the Mini it was intended to replace, with a small, practical platform with as much use available to the passenger as was possible. The car came under various initial guises, including the Austin Metro, the Austin miniMetro, the Morris Metro van and the MG Metro, a version of the car with a 1.3L A-Series Turbo Engine.

Although the car was launched in 1980, development of a Mini replacement had dated back to the beginning of the 70's. Dubbed ADO88 (Amalgamated Drawing Office project number 88), the Metro was eventually given the go ahead in 1977, but wanted to have the appeal of some of the larger 'Supermini' (what a contradiction in terms) cars on the market, including cars such as the Ford Fiesta and the Renault 5. Designed by Harris Mann (the same guy who gave us the Princess and the Allegro), the car was given a much more angular body for the time, but despite its futuristic looks did share many features of the earlier Mini, including the 675cc BMC-A Series engine that dated back to 1959, and the gearbox. Initial cars also included the Hydragas Suspension system originally used on the Allegro and the Princess, though with no front/rear connection. The car was also built as a hatchback, which would eventually be a key part of its success as the Mini instead utilised only a small boot.

The Metro was originally meant for an earlier 1978 launch, but a lack of funds and near bankruptcy of British Leyland resulted in the car's launch being pushed back. This delay however did allow the folks at Longbridge to construct a £200m robotic assembly plant for the new Metro line, with the hope of building 100,000 cars per year. Finally the car entered sales 3 years late and got off to quite promising initial sales, often being credited for being the saviour of British Leyland. The Metro was in fact the company's first truly new model in nearly 5 years, with the 9 year old Allegro still in production, the 1980 Morris Ital being nothing more than a 7 year old Marina with a new face, and the 5 year old Princess not going anywhere!

As mentioned, an entire myriad of versions came with the Metro, including the luxury Vanden Plas version and the sporty MG with its top speed of 105mph and 0-60mph of 10.1 seconds. Eventually the original incarnation of the car, the Austin Metro, went on to sell 1 million units in it's initial 10 year run, making it the second highest selling car of the decade behind the Ford Escort. However, like most other British Leyland products, earlier cars got a bad reputation for poor build quality and unreliability, combined with the lack of rustproofing that was notorious on many BL cars of the time.

The show was not over however, as in 1990 the car was given a facelift and dubbed the Rover Metro. The 1950's A-Series engine was replaced by a 1.1L K-Series, and the angular bodyshell was rounded to similar principals as those by acclaimed styling house Ital to create a more pleasing look for the 90's. This facelift, combined with an improvement in reliability and build quality, meant that the car went on to win the 'What Car?' of the Year Award in 1991.

In 1994 the car was given yet another facelift, with once again a more rounded design and removal of the Metro name, the car being sold as the Rover 100. Engines were once again changed, this time to a 1.5L Peugeot engine and more audacious colour schemes were available for the even more rounded design of the new car. However, the car was very much starting to look and feel its age. Aside from the fact that the design dated back to 1977, the new car was not well equipped, lacking electric windows, anti-lock brakes, power steering, or even a rev counter! In terms of safety, it was very basic, with most features such as airbags, an alarm, an immobiliser and central locking being optional extras.

Eventually the curtain had to fall on the Metro, and in 1997, twenty years after the initial design left the drawing board, it was announced that the car would be discontinued. Spurred on by dwindling sales due to lack of safety and equipment, as well as losing out to comparative cars such as the ever popular Ford Fiesta, VW Polo and Vauxhall Corsa, with only fuel economy keeping the car afloat, Rover axed the Metro in 1998 with no direct replacement, although many cite the downsized Rover 200 a possible contender. Stumbling blindly on, the next car to fill the gap in Rover's market was the 2003 CityRover, based on the TATA Indica, which flopped abysmally and pretty much totalled the company (but that's another story).

In the end only 2,078,000 Metro's were built in comparison to the 5.3 million examples of the Mini that it was meant to replace. The main failings of the Metro were down to the fact that the car was too big compared to the Mini, and the rounded old-world charm of the Coopers and Clubmans was replaced by the angular corners. Because of this the car simply didn't have the novelty that the Mini continued to claim even 20 years after the first ones left the factory, and the Mini would even go on to outlive the Metro by another 2 years, ending production in 2000, then going on to have a revival in the form of BMW's New Mini Cooper that's still being built today. Unlike the Mini, the Metro also failed to conquer the international market in the same way, scoring its 2 million units pretty much in Britain alone, although some cars were sold in France and Spain, but only to the total of a few hundred.

The Metro however survived only on fuel economy and its spacious interior, but by the early 1990's, whilst other car manufacturers had moved on leaps and bounds, Rover continued to be stuck in the past with not the money or the enthusiasm to change what was a terribly outdated and extremely basic car. Towards the end the Metro, which had only a few years earlier won awards for its practical nature, was ending up on lists for Worst car on the market.

Today however you can still see Metro's, later editions are especially common on the roads of Britain. Earlier models built under British Leyland have mostly rusted away and are apparently only down to about a thousand nowadays, but the Rover 100's and Rover Metros continue to ply their trade, a lonely reminder of how here in Britain, we can never ever seem to move on!

The Hillman Avenger is a rear-wheel drive small family car originally manufactured under the Hillman marque by the Rootes Group from 1970–1976, and made by Chrysler Europe from 1976–1981 as the Chrysler Avenger and finally the Talbot Avenger. The Avenger was marketed in North America as the Plymouth Cricket.

The Avenger was initially produced at Rootes' plant in Ryton-on-Dunsmore, England, and later at the company's Linwood facility near Glasgow, Scotland.

1970: Hillman Avenger

Introduced in February 1970, the Avenger was significant as it was the first and last car to be developed by Rootes after the Chrysler takeover in 1967. Stylistically, the Avenger was undoubtedly very much in tune with its time; the American-influenced "Coke Bottle" waistline and semi-fastback rear-end being a contemporary styling cue, indeed the Avenger would be the first British car to be manufactured with a one piece plastic front grille. However, from an engineering prospective it was rather conventional, using a 4-cylinder all-iron overhead valve engine in 1250 or 1500 capacities driving a coil spring suspended live axle at the rear wheels. Unlike any previous Rootes design, there were no "badge-engineered" Humber or Singer versions in the UK market. The Avenger was immediately highly praised by the press for its good handling characteristics and generally good overall competence on the road and it was considered a significantly better car to drive than rivals like the Morris Marina.

Initially, the Avenger was available as a four-door saloon in DL, Super and GL trim levels. The DL and Super could be had with either the 1250 or 1500 cc engines, but the GL was only available with the 1500 cc engine. Since the DL was the basic model in the range, it featured little more than rubber mats and a very simple dashboard with a strip-style speedometer. The Super was a bit better equipped, featuring carpets, armrests, twin horns and reversing lights, though the dashboard was carried over from the DL. The top-spec GL model featured four round headlights (which was a big improvement over the rectangular ones from the Hillman Hunter that were used on the DL and Super), internal bonnet release, two-speed wipers, brushed nylon seat trim (previously never used on British cars), reclining front seats, and a round-dial dashboard with extra instrumentation.

Not only was the Avenger's styling totally new, but so were the engine and transmission units, which were not at all like those used in the larger "Arrow" series Hunter. Another novelty for the Avenger was the use of a plastic radiator grille, a first in Britain and at 4 ft 6 in (137 cm) wide claimed as the largest mass-produced plastics component used at this time by the European motor industry. The Avenger was a steady seller in the 1970s, in competition with the Ford Escort and Vauxhall Viva. Chrysler was attempting to make the Avenger to be a "world car", and took the ambitious step of marketing the Avenger as the Plymouth Cricket in the U.S. Complaints of rust, unreliability, plus apathy towards small cars amongst buyers in the U.S., saw it withdrawn from that market after only two years.

Introduction of body and trim variations

In October 1970, the Avenger GT was added to the range. It had a twin-carburettor 1500 cc engine, four-speed manual or three-speed automatic transmission (also optional on the 1500 DL, Super and GL). The GT featured twin round headlights, go-faster stripes along the sides of the doors and "dustbin lid" wheel covers, which were similar to those found on the various Datsuns and Toyotas of the 1970s.

The basic fleet Avenger was added to the range in February 1972. It was offered with either 1250 or 1500 cc engines (the latter available with the automatic transmission option). The fleet Avenger was very basic: it did not have a sun visor for the front passenger, and the heater blower had just a single speed. In October 1972, the Avenger GT was replaced by the Avenger GLS, which came with a vinyl roof and Rostyle sports wheels.

In March 1972, the five-door estate versions were introduced, in DL and Super forms (both available with either 1250 or 1500 cc engines) and basically the same specifications as the saloon versions. However, 'heavy-duty springing' was fitted and the estate had a maximum load capacity of 1,040 lb (470 kg), compared to 840 lb (380 kg) for the saloon.

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The two-door saloon models were added in March 1973, with all engine and trim options of the existing four-door range. Styling of the two-door was similar to the four-door, but the side profile was less curvaceous.

The car was extensively marketed in continental Europe, first as a Sunbeam. It was without the Avenger name in France, where it was known as the Sunbeam 1250 and 1500; later the 1300 and 1600. Some northern European markets received the car as the Sunbeam Avenger.

Both engine sizes were upgraded in October 1973. The 1250 became the 1300, while the 1500 became the 1600 with nearly all the same previous trim levels except for the basic fleet Avenger, which was discontinued at this point. The GL and GT trim levels were now also offered with the 1300 engine and two-door saloon body.

1972: Avenger Tiger

Named to evoke memories of the Sunbeam Tiger, the Avenger Tiger concept began as a publicity exercise. Avenger Super (four-door) cars were modified by the Chrysler Competitions Centre under Des O' Dell and the Tiger model was launched in March 1972. Modifications included the 1500 GT engine with an improved cylinder head with enlarged valves, twin Weber carburetors and a compression ratio of 9.4:1. The engine now developed 92.5 bhp (69 kW) at 6,100 rpm. The suspension was also uprated, whilst brakes, rear axle, and gearbox are directly from the GT.

A distinctive yellow colour scheme ("Sundance") with a bonnet bulge, rear spoiler and side stripes was standard, set off with "Avenger Tiger" lettering on the rear quarters.

Road test figures demonstrated a 0–60 mph time of 8.9 seconds and a top speed of 108 mph (174 km/h). These figures beat the rival Ford Escort Mexico, but fuel consumption was heavy. Even in 1972, the Tiger developed a reputation for its thirst.

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.

[Text from Wikipedia]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillman_Avenger

This miniland-scale Lego 1972 Hillman Avenger Tiger has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 91st Build Challenge, - "Anger Management", - all about cars with some link to being angry.

Green Lane allocated Atlantean 1501 tries to disguise itself as a Laird Street bus with its green lower front, replacement panel still in bare aluminium and a complete lack of destinations.

It is being followed by a Suzuki Carry, a van come minibus whose bodyshell was also built in the UK as the Bedford Rascal.

W111

Chassis n° 111026-12-001948

Zoute Sale - Bonhams

Estimated : € 80.000 - 120.000

Sold for € 143.750

Zoute Grand Prix 2024

Knokke - Zoute

België - Belgium

October 2024

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 chosen by Mercedes-Benz to launch its magnificent new 3.5-litre V8 engine in 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. Thus equipped, the Coupé/Cabriolet was good for 205km/h (127mph) with 100km/h reachable in 9.5 seconds, a substantial improvement on the six-cylinder version's figures. Although the equivalent SEL saloon used the 'New Generation' bodyshell, the Coupé and Cabriolet kept the elegant coachwork that had debuted back in 1959 on the 220 SE and, as befitted top-of-the-range luxury models, came equipped with automatic transmission, air conditioning, power windows and stereo radio as standard. Significantly, the 280 SE 3.5 was to be the final model to feature 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 only 3,720 Coupé examples produced, of which 3,025 were left-hand dive, this most elegant Mercedes-Benz, the top-of-the line 280 SE 3.5 V8 Coupe, was originally delivered to the United States and ordered in the stunning 'Tobacco Brown' colour scheme it is presented in today. It was bought by the immediately preceding owner - a UK-based enthusiast - for his impressive private collection in France. While there the car was maintained by his personal mechanic and saw only very limited use. The current vendor purchased the Mercedes in October 2016, since when it has benefited from considerable refurbishment. In 2017 the body was thoroughly restored and treated to a full professional respray at a cost of €12,490, photographs and details of which are on file. In 2021 various electrical and mechanical repairs plus a service were carried out at a cost of some €6,680. Early 2023 ignition and fuel injection systems were inspected and repaired at a cost of €4,385. Repairs have also been made to the air conditioning, suspension, interior, etc at a cost of €9,990, while the overhauled Becker Europa stereo is now functioning correctly. The total spend on the aforementioned works was approximately €35,000. The related invoices are on file together with various smaller bills. It should be noted that the Mercedes has been professionally converted to European specification, not only deleting the reflectors but also installing a km/h speedometer, etc. The replacement automatic gearbox had been installed already before the 1990s it is believed.

Beautifully finished in a most attractive colour combination of dark brown and sumptuous tan leather interior, this stunning Mercedes-Benz comes with the desirable options of automatic transmission (column-mounted change), air conditioning, and electric tinted windows all round.

The CL Series Valiant was introduced in November 1976. Although it used the same bodyshell as the previous VK range, the front and rear ends were restyled. The front end used horizontally arrayed quad round headlamps flanking a central grille. The front guards and bonnet were also reworked accordingly. The new bootlid's curved leading edge flowed down to new taillights that sandwiched a simple centre garnish panel. The bumpers, however, were the same units as had been used on the 1969 VF series Valiants.

The 3.5 L (215 cu in) Hemi-6 and 5.9 L (360 cu in) V8 were dropped, and the only engine options were low- and high-compression versions of the 4.0 L (245 cu in) Hemi-6 and the 5.2 L (318 cu in) V8. The CL's introduction had closely coincided with that of the strict exhaust emission regulations contained in ADR 27A. With the 318 engine, a new emissions control system was introduced: Electronic Lean Burn.

Valiant and Regal sedans also benefited from the 1978 introduction of Radial Tuned Suspension in response to Holden's having marketed their suspension as particularly suited to radial tyres.

36,672 CL Valiants — including the last-ever Chargers — were built.

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

Registration Number LFM 184 D

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 to the Sceptre II with a larger 1725cc engine and an Automatic option.

Many Thanks for a fan'dabi'dozi 29,013,000 views

Shot 03:08:2014 at Stafford Castle Ref 102-539a

Ford Lotus Cortina Mk.1 (1963-66) Engine 1558cc S4 DOC Production 4012

Race Number 68 Michael Steele + Roger Buxton

FORD UK SET

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

The history of the Cortina Lotus began in 1961. Colin Chapman had been wishing to build his own engines for Lotus, mainly because the Coventry Climax unit was so expensive. Colin Chapman's chance came when he commissioned Harry Mundy (a close friend and designer of the Coventry Climax engine and technical editor for Autocar) to design a twin-cam version of the Ford Kent engine. Most of the development of the engine was done on the 997cc and 1,340cc bottom end, but in 1962 Ford released the 116E five bearing 1,499 cc engine and work centred on this. Keith Duckworth, from Cosworth, played an important part in tuning of the engine The engine's first appearance was in 1962 at the Nürburgring in a Lotus 23 driven by Jim Clark. Almost as soon as the engine appeared in production cars (Lotus Elan), it was replaced with a larger capacity unit of 1557cc

Whilst the engine was being developed, Walter Hayes (Ford) asked Colin Chapman if he would fit the engine to 1,000 Ford saloons for Group 2 homologation. The Type 28 or Lotus Cortina or Cortina Lotus (as Ford liked to call it) was duly launched. Ford supplied the 2-door Cortina bodyshells and took care of all the marketing and selling of the cars, whilst Lotus did all the mechanical and cosmetic changes. The major changes involved installing the 1,557 cc engine together with an Elan close ratio gearbox, he rear suspension was drastically altered and lightweight alloy panels were used for doors, bonnet and boot. Lightweight casings were fitted to gearbox and differential. All the Lotus factory cars were painted white with a green stripe (although Ford built some for racing in red, and one customer had a dark blue stripe due to being superstitious about green). The cars also received front quarter bumpers and round Lotus badges were fitted to rear wings and to the right side of the radiator grille.

Initially, the engines were built by J. A Prestwich of Tottenham and then Villiers of Wolverhampton. In 1966, Lotus moved to Hethel in Norwich where they had their own engine building facilities

To homologate the car for Group 2, 1000 were required to be built in 1963, and the car was duly homologated in September 1963. In the same month, in the car's first outing, in the Oulton Park Gold Cup, the car finished 3rd and 4th behind two Ford Galaxies, but beat the 3.8-litre Jaguars which had been dominant in saloon car racing for so long. Soon Ford were running cars in Britain, Europe, and the USA, with Team Lotus running cars in Britain for Ford, and Alan Mann Racing running cars in Europe, also on behalf of Ford. The Cortina Lotus was able to beat almost anything except the 7-litre V8 Ford Galaxies, and later, Ford Mustangs.

This car raced at Donington in the Pre-66 Under Two Litre Touring Car race.

A Big thankyou for an incredible 24 Million views

Shot 04:05:2014 at the Donington Historic Festival REF 102-150

With the recent release of a class 73/2 in Inter City livery, I decided to put together a Gatwick Express set. I needed a class 489 luggage van and bought a 3D printed version from N-Train. The headlight, pipes and multi working cables and sockets on the front were robbed from a spare class 73 bodyshell that I had laying around. The vehicles has been painted but the red and white stripes are transfers supplied by Fox Transfers.

Austin Allegro 3 (1979-82) Engine 1485cc S4 E Series Tr. Production 642350 (all models)

Registration Number CGN 878 X

AUSTIN SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623759808208...

The Austin Allegro was introduced in 1973, designed by Sir Alec Issigonis as a replacement for the popular 1100/1300 models. The Allegro used front-wheel drive, and was powered by the trusty BMC A Series engines with sump mounted transmission. The higher-specification models used the SOHC E-Series engine (from the Maxi), in 1500 cc and 1750 cc displacements. Its rounded shape bucked the trend of the more fashionable sharp edged designs of the time, that were becoming fashionable (largely led by Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro).

The Allegro was updated as the Allegro 2 and debuted at the 1975 London Motor Show as the Allegro 2 with the same bodyshell but featuring a new grille, reversing lights on most models and some interior changes to increase rear seat room. The Estate gained a new coachline running over the wing top lip and window edges. Changes were also made to the suspension, braking, engine mounts and drive shafts.

The Allegro 2 was replaced by the Allegro 3 in 1979, cosmetically refreshed with a new grille and revised Leyland badging, mechanically as before, but with the new 1 litre A Plus engine, developed for the forthcoming Metro added to the range .

Many Thanks for a fan'dabi'dozi 25,286,600 views

Shot 09:06:2014 ar The Luton Classic Car Show, Stockwell Park, Luton REF 102-248

Collection Freddy Deklerck

Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais

Bonhams

Parijs - Paris

Frankrijk - France

February 2019

Estimated : € 15.000 - 20.000

Sold for € 23.000

Mercedes-Benz introduced its new medium-sized, S-Class range at the International Motor Show, Frankfurt in 1979, there being no fewer than seven models with the new W126 body style. Launched at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 1985, the 560 SEC coupé was an addition to the line-up and the most powerful of the three luxury coupés then on offer. This new model retained the existing bodyshell virtually unchanged but was powered by the new 5.547cc version of the M117 all-alloy V8 engine producing 300bhp (DIN), though customers resident in the USA had to make do with a considerably less powerful version. As befitted one of Mercedes-Benz's flagships, the 560 SEC came standard with a host of desirable features while customers could choose from an equally lengthy list of options. Despite its elevated price, the 560 SEC would turn out to be the most popular of the W126 coupés.

First registered on 4th May 1988, this 560 SEC is believed to have been delivered new to France and thus is one of the rarer European-specification 300 horsepower models. Accompanying documentation includes with the Étoile booklet from Mercedes-Benz France giving six months warranty on a used vehicle and recording that this car had recorded only 32.000 kilometres in September 1990 when it was sold by Mercedes-Benz International Garage SA. Bought by the current owner to form part of his collection in 2007, this beautiful modern Mercedes is offered with French Carte Grise.

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]

This Lego miniland-scale 1986 Jaguar XJ6 (XJ40) has been created for Flickr LUGNuts 85th Build Challenge, - "Like, Totally 80s", - for vehicles created during the decade of the 1980s.

Often described as Britain's first supercar (a little late, Italy beat us to that like 5 years earlier!), but the Aston Martin V8 and the derivative Vantage helped keep the company afloat during those dark years of bankruptcy and recovery, even though it almost committed corporate suicide by developing the overly complicated Lagonda!

The original Aston Martin V8 was a coupé manufactured from 1969 to 1989, built to replace the Aston Martin DBS, a more angular car that killed off the DB6, and by extension the iconic design that had eminated through the James Bond DB5. As with all traditional Aston Martins, it was entirely handbuilt, with each car requiring 1,200 manhours to finish. Aston Martin's customers had been clamouring for an eight-cylinder car for years, so Aston Martin designed a larger car. The engine was not ready, however, so in 1967 the company released the DBS with the straight-six Vantage engine from the DB6. Two years later, Tadek Marek's V8 was ready, and Aston released the DBS V8. With the demise of the straight-six Vantage in 1973, the DBS V8, now restyled and called simply the Aston Martin V8, became the company's mainstream car for nearly two decades. It was retired in favour of the Virage in 1989.

The Aston Martin V8 Vantage on the other hand took the original bodyshell of this 60's sports coupé, and completely re-engineered it to create something that was not of this earth! The first series had 375hp, and series specific details such as a blanked bonnet vent and a separate rear spoiler, of which 38 of these were built.

The Vantage name had previously been used on a number of high-performance versions of Aston Martin cars, but this was a separate model. Although based on the Aston Martin V8, numerous detail changes added up to a unique driving experience. One of the most noticeable features was the closed-off hood bulge rather than the open scoop found on the normal V8. The grille area was also closed off, with twin driving lights inserted and a spoiler added to the bootlid.

Upon its introduction in 1977, the car's incredible speed and power was taken up with acclaim, and, as mentioned, was dubbed 'Britain's first supercar', with a top speed of 170 mph top speed. Its engine was shared with the Lagonda, but it used high-performance camshafts, increased compression ratio, larger inlet valves and bigger carburettors mounted on new manifolds for increased output. Straight-line performance was the best of the day, with acceleration from 0–60 mph in 5.3 seconds, one-tenth of a second quicker than the Ferrari Daytona.

The Oscar India version, introduced in late 1978, featured an integrated tea-tray spoiler and smoother bonnet bulge. Inside, a black leather-covered dash replaced the previous walnut. The wooden dashboard did find its way back into the Vantage during the eighties, giving a more luxurious appearance. The Oscar India version also received a slight increase in power, to 390hp. This line was produced, with some running changes, until 1989. From 1986 the engine had 403hp.

1986 saw the introduction of X-Pack was a further upgrade, with Cosworth pistons and Nimrod racing-type heads producing 403hp. A big bore after-market option was also available from Works Service, with 50mm carbs and straight-through exhaust system giving 432hp, the same engine as fitted to the limited-edition V8 Zagato. 16-inch wheels were also now fitted. A 450hp 6.3L version was also available from Aston Martin, and independent manufacturers offered a 7L version just to up the ante.

In 1986, the Vantage had its roof cut off into what would become the convertible Vantage Volante, basically identical. In 1987 The Prince of Wales took delivery of a Vantage Volante, but at his request without the production car's wider wheelarches, front air dam and side skirts. This became known as the 'Prince of Wales Spec' (or POW) and around another 26 such cars were built by the factory.

The Prince was obviously very specific about his motorcars!

304 Series 2 Vantage coupés were built, including 131 X-Packs and 192 Volantes. Volante's are often considered the most desirable of the Aston Martin V8 Vantage range. In all, 534 V8 Vantages were constructed during its 12 year production run, with the car being replaced in 1989 by the Aston Martin Virage, as well as a new generation V8 Vantage which remained somewhat faithful to the original design of the 60's (if not a little more bulky) and was the last Aston Martin design to incorporate a traditional style before changing to the style laid down by the DB7 in 1993.

However, the Vantage did find its way into movie fame as the first Aston Martin used in a James Bond movie since the DBS used in On Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1969. In 1987's 'The Living Daylights' (the first film to star Timothy Dalton as 007), Bond was treated to Q-Branch's Aston Martin V8 Vantage, complete with missiles, lasers to separate pesky Lada's from their chassis, and a heads-up display to assist in warding off evildoers. It also came with a 'Winter Pack', which included skis, a rocket propulsion and spiked tyres for better grip. The car however met an unfortunate demise after getting stuck in a snowdrift, forcing Bond to activate the self-destruct, engulfing the car in a fiery explosion. But at least everyone's favourite secret agent had finally been reunited with his faithful Aston Martin once again!

There is some slight incongruity with the film though, as at the beginning of the movie, the car is a convertible Volante, yet for the rest of the movie it's a hardtop regular Vantage. This confused me somewhat, or perhaps whilst Bond had the car shipped he had a roof welded on in the meantime!

Today there are a fair number of Vantages roaming the countryside, their popular design, pedigree Bond Car status and sheer raw power keeping them truly afloat. In fact, these cars are much more prominent than the Virage that replaced it, of which you barely see any!

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

*Registration Number FRB 353 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 price.

This looks every inch the genuinue article, but the DVLA has its first registered date as 08:04:1986.

Shot at Brooklands Bus Museum New Years Day meeting 01:01:2013 REF 90-298

A brand new purchase for ConnexionsBuses, the first in 2 years, is of Mercedes-engined Euro 6 compliant Optare Solo SR YJ67 GGO - seen here at the Holgate railway bridge working HCT service 16 to and from Acomb. This has gained the new-style Connexions logo with the union flag 'big X'; but the vehicle bodyshell itself is different from the other Solos as this has curved-top skirt panels as would normally be seen on a Versa, in addition to a new latch fitted between the front wipers. Audibly this bus sounds as if it has the same engine as a Wright Streetdeck, it certainly sounds almost identical to First York's 35100.

Morris Six MS (1948-53) Engine 2215cc S6 S6 OHC Production 12,400

Registration Number JWV 833

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

Thanks for 15.3 million views

Shot taken 05:08:2012 at The Shugborough Classic Car Meeting. Ref: 83-214

W111

2.192 cc

120 PS

2.729 ex.

Bonhams : the Zoute Sale

Sold for € 103.500

Zoute Grand Prix 2017

Knokke - Zoute

België - Belgium

October 2017

'In the design of the 220 SE coupé, practical considerations have sometimes been given up for better looks, but the car gives passengers as well as the driver a fine feeling of safety, based in fact on first-class road-holding, excellent brakes and precise steering, not to mention the extreme comfort of the wide, well-upholstered individual front seats.' – Car & Driver.

Mercedes-Benz debuted four new models at the Frankfurt Show in 1959 - the 220 SEb among them - all of which shared the same basic unitary-construction bodyshell and all-round independent suspension. Longer than their predecessors, these elegant newcomers featured a wider radiator shell, wrap-around windscreen, wider rear window, and vertically positioned twin headlamps. The new 220 SEb retained the fuel-injected, single-overhead-camshaft engine of the previous 220 SE, though maximum power of the 2,195cc six was increased by five horsepower to 120bhp (DIN). Top speed was now 107mph (170km/h) with 60mph (97km/h) attainable in under 14 seconds. Coupé and Cabriolet models appeared in 1960 and 1961 respectively, minus the already dated-looking tail fins of the saloon. More modern in style, the luxurious 220 SEb Coupé and Cabriolet were better appointed too, being equipped as standard with a rev counter and leather upholstery, while four-speed automatic transmission with floor-mounted gearchange lever was avaiable as an option. Front disc brakes were fitted from the start of production, a benefit not enjoyed by the 220 SEb saloon until 1962. By the time production ceased in October 1965, fewer than 17,000 220 SEb Coupé and Cabriolet models had been manufactured, and today these stylish and luxuriously equipped Grand Tourers are highly prized.

Delivered new via the Mercedes-Benz sales organisation in Switzerland on 29th May 1963, this 220SEb Cabriolet has been in the vendor's private collection since 1999. We are advised that the previous owner's widow stated that her husband was the sole owner in Switzerland, but here are no documents surviving from this stage of the car's life.

Since 1999, restoration and maintenance have been documented by invoices and photographs. Having commenced in 2003, restoration of the bodywork was completed in 2009 using original Mercedes-Benz panels as far as possible, while any unobtainable panels were made by hand (no off-the-shelf panels were used). The car was then repainted in the original colour (DB 190 graphite grey) with subsequent cavity sealing. These works are documented by numerous photographs in addition to the invoices. The mechanicals were fully tested and, where necessary, reconditioned; since then, only regular maintenance has proved necessary as no repairs have been needed. A list of the works carried out is available on request.

The bumpers and sill trim strips were newly chromium-plated during the restoration; the remaining trim is described by the vendor as in a good-to-very-good original condition. The red leather upholstery is still largely original as are the nicely patinated door panels and carpets. All wood trim was re-veneered, and the interior also features a period-correct Blaupunkt Frankfurt radio with MP3 adapter and Hirschmann electric antenna. The rebuilt convertible hood is made of original-specification 'Sunland' fabric with horsehair padding, while the tonneau cover is new (shrunken original with car). An original power steering system as well as the obligatory hazard-warning flasher has been retrofitted. The wheels are shod with new Vredestein Sprint Classic tyres (185/80 R14) and the battery likewise is new. In March 2017, a cosmetic and mechanical overhaul of the engine ancillaries was carried out, though no repairs were found necessary. Driven regularly and ready to enjoy, this elegant Mercedes-Benz soft-top is offered with copy data card, German 'Historic' registration papers, and TüV.

DB Schenker Rail (UK) Ltd's class 92 number 92031 works 6B20 from Dollands Moor to Wembley European Freight Operations Centre on 15 September 2014 hauling G.E. Rail Services owned IZA (GE117CT Hfirrs 3) semi-perminantly coupled 4-wheeled CARGOWAGGON vans with shared running numbers built by Duewag. Having started out in France and passed through the channel tunnel these vans are used to transport Danone bottled mineral water (eau minerale) including Evian imported from the French Alps, Volvic from the Massif Central and Perrier which is loaded into the vans near Nimes in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France (the source of Perrier being at Vergeze about 15 km southwest of Nimes). (and Badoit?). From Wembley this train continues on route to Crick under headcode 6B41 and is ultimately unloaded at a distribution warehouse at Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT).

Wagons being hauled included numbers 8029291586, 8029291990, 8028292890, 23 80 2929 014-1, 23 80 2929 069-5, 23 80 2829 294-0, 23 80 2829 278-3, 23 80 2929 030-7, 23 80 2929 182-6, 23 80 2929 108-1, 23 80 2829 243-7, 23 80 2929 180-0, 23 80 2929 020-8, 23 80 2929 095-0, 23 80 2929 011-7, 23 80 2829 226-2, 23 80 2829 299-9, 23 80 2929 197-4, 23 80 2929 042-2, 23 80 2929 167-7 and 23 80 2829 242-9 (thanks to Noisynoel for filling in the gap).

A similar set of cargowaggon vans was photographed by Nicolas Villenave on 9 May 2014 returning empty passing through Écaillon (department Nord) on their way from Calais Frethun to Culoz railway junction in the Ain department in the Rhône-Alpes region of France, by Mattias Catry at Boisleux-au-Mont on 9 September 2012 and by Laurent Knop at Béthisy-St.-Pierre, Picardie in the Oise department on 12 March 2014.

92031 (works number BT1091) was assembled by the BRUSH Traction Company Loughborough in 1995, from sub-contracted components e.g. Procor UK bodyshell, Asea Brown Boveri (ABB Rail) traction converters and GTO (Gate Turn-Off thyristor) controlled via the MICAS-S2 electronics system, retractable third rail collector shoes and pantographs made by Brecknell Willis, the engraved aluminium BRUSH traction works plates made by J M Ranger Limited of Leicester and cast aluminium based alloy Crew Depot plaque produced by David Newton of Nottingham. For track to train communications class 92s were fitted with the Siemens International Train Radio (ITR) "chameleon" system which could automatically change over to match local ground systems e.g. at international boarders and allowed the driver to select from a range of language settings. STS Signals Ltd supplied electronic Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS) control units for class 92s as an add on to the Automatic Warning System (AWS) equipment. STS Signals Ltd also developed a twin-lightweight AWS receiver for use on class 92s so that only one receiver was needed to detect both standard strength magnets on lines powered by AC overhead wires (Rx1) as well as the extra strength magnets used on DC third rail lines (Rx2). All non-metallic components of the class 92 were either certified for Eurotunnels fire regulations by the manufacturers or where suppliers could not provide this information products such as the divers seat (made by Chapman Seating Limited) and plastic push buttons were fire tested by BRUSH.

After working to Wembley 92031 continued to Daventry as 6B41 (92031 WFBC WEMBLEYYD 726B41CJ15 8 * DAVTRYREC N 20D A) and then returned southwards as 0A42 (92031 WFBC DAVTRYREC 700A42CP15 F WEMBLEYYD N).

According to Realtime Trains the route and timing in the UK was;

Dollands Moor Sidings [XLM]..................0646.........0735..........49L

Ashford International [AFK]......................0700.........0752 1/2...52L

Maidstone East [MDE] 1.............................0733 1/2...0823 1/4...49L

Otford Junction[XOT]................................0818..........0851 3/4...33L

Swanley [SAY] 1...........................................0830.........0904 1/4...34L

St Mary Cray Junction[XMU]...................0835.........0908 3/4..33L

Bickley Junction[XLY]...............................0836 1/2..0909 1/2...33L

Bromley South [BMS].................................0840.........0911 3/4.....31L

Shortlands [SRT].........................................0842.........0917...........34L

Shortlands Junction[XOR]........................0843.........0918..........35L

Bellingham [BGM].......................................0846 1/2..0920 1/2...34L

Nunhead [NHD] 1........................................0855.........0928.........33L

Peckham Rye [PMR] 3...............................0859.........0931..........32L

Crofton Road Junction..............................0901.........0933 1/4...32L

Denmark Hill [DMK] 1.................................0902........0934..........32L

Voltaire Road Junction [XVJ]..................0906 1/2..0938..........31L

Latchmere Junction...................................0911 1/2....0952 1/2....41L

Imperial Wharf [IMW] 2..............................0915 1/2...0956 1/2....41L

West Brompton [WBP] 4...........................0918..........0958 3/4..40L

Kensington Olympia [KPA].......................0922........1003 1/4.....41L

Shepherds Bush [SPB] 2..........................0923.........1006 3/4...43L

North Pole Signal Vc813...........................0924 1/2..1008 3/4...44L

North Pole Junction...................................0925........1008 1/2....43L

Mitre Bridge Junction[XMB].....................0926 1/2..1012...........45L

Willesden West Londn Junction[XWI]...0928.........1013 1/2.....45L

Wembley Eur Frt Ops Cntre.....................0939.........1020...........41L

In France the bottled water trains travelling to and from England may take a number of different routes after leaving or before arriving at Calais Frethun but pass through;

Gare de Arras………………………………

Boisleux-au-Mont……………….

Gare de Achiet-le-Grand………..

Gare de Beaucourt………………

Gare de’Albert…………………..

Gare de Montigny……………….

Ecaillon, Nord-Pas-de-Calais……

Gare de Somain………………….

Culoz Junction…………………...

Gare de Volvic (freight only)......

A brand new purchase for ConnexionsBuses, the first in 2 years, is of Mercedes-engined Euro 6 compliant Optare Solo SR YJ67 GGO - seen here exiting the Holly Bank loop working HCT service 16 to and from Acomb. This has gained the new-style Connexions logo with the union flag 'big X'; but the vehicle bodyshell itself is different from the other Solos as this has curved-top skirt panels as would normally be seen on a Versa, in addition to a new latch fitted between the front wipers. Audibly this bus sounds as if it has the same engine as a Wright Streetdeck, it certainly sounds almost identical to First York's 35100.

The bodyshell of Class 60 No. 60014 stands at the head of a pair of stored Class 69s in the form of 69003 'The Railway Observer' & 69007 'Richard Trevithick'.

10-04-2026

Finished for the day it waits to be taken in for overnight.

1:76 Scale, OO Gauge.

Made by Bachmann.

2 Car DMU (Using the 158 bodyshells and chassis)

Irish Class 2700 unit.

The model, launched in 2010, came a part of a boxed train set with track and controller at a price circa £122. It sold out from most suppliers and is now very hard to find new or second hand.

At a glance: technical highlights* of the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

Aluminium spaceframe: this design realised for the first time by Mercedes-Benz combines intelligent lightweight construction with great strength – thereby supporting the outstanding driving dynamics of the SLS AMG. The bodyshell weighs a mere 241 kilograms.

Standard

Adaptive front airbags: the front airbags can deploy in two stages, depending on the severity of the impact.

Standard

Aerodynamic balance: the SLS AMG combines optimum handling stability with a low drag coefficient and low wind noise.

Standard

AMG alubeam silver: this new process - a world first - makes the paint finish shine like liquid metal, with specific light reflections that give even more life to the painted surface. Thius effect is made possible by microscopic, 30 to 50-nanometer small pigment particles.

Optional

AMG DRIVE UNIT: integrated into this are the rotary control for the transmission modes, the engine starter button and keys for the ESP® functions, the AMG memory function and the extendable rear aerofoil.

Standard

Bi-xenon headlamps: gas-discharge lamps for low and main beam improve safety at night.

Standard

Carbon-fibre drive shaft: as in the Mercedes-Benz C-Class DTM racing touring cars, the drive shaft is of carbon-fibre. Although the shaft has to transfer 650 newton metres of torque from the engine to the double-declutch transmission, it weighs only 4.7 kilograms.

Standard

Differential lock: the mechanical multi-plate differential lock ensures improved traction in any road conditions.

Standard

Diffusor: integrated into the rear bumper, the diffusor directs the airflow from the underfloor upwards, acting together with the aerofoil to prevent unwanted uplift at the rear axle.

Standard

Double-declutch transmission: the AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7‑speed sports transmission has four driving modes including the RACE START function. Other attributes: fast gearshift response with virtually no interruption in tractive power, a tailor-made control strategy and increased gearshifting comfort.

Standard

Double wishbone suspension: with this technology familiar from motor racing, the wheel location and suspension functions are separate.

Standard

E-SELECT lever: its shape is reminiscent of a jet plane's thrust control. The driver is conveniently able to change between R, N and D by touch-control of the drive-by-wire system.

Standard

3-stage ESP®: the three modes "ESP ON", "ESP SPORT" and "ESP OFF" are available at the touch of a button.

Standard

Flow-formed light-alloy wheels: the manufacturing process allows lower wall thicknesses in the area of the rim base, while improving long-term rigidity. The weight saving versus conventional light-alloy wheels is around 1.1 kilograms per wheel.

Standard

Gullwing doors: with an opening angle of 70 degrees, the unique gullwing doors allow convenient access and egress.

Standard

Front-mid-engine: the AMG V8 engine installed behind the front axle provides the ideal conditions for perfect handling dynamics, with precise self-steering characteristics, first-class agility, low inertia during fast directional changes and outstanding traction.

Standard

Generator management: whenever the engine is on the overrun, kinetic energy is used to charge the battery rather than being uselessly converted to heat in the usual way. Conversely, the generator is switched to load-free mode when accelerating, which relieves the engine load. The result is a reduction in fuel consumption.

Standard

Smooth underbody: the almost completely panelled underbody reduces aerodynamic drag and helps to avoid uplift at the rear axle.

Standard

Rear aerofoil: attractively integrated into the boot lid, the aerofoil extends at 120 km/h aus and avoids unwanted uplift at the rear axle.

Standard

High-performance composite braking system: with this composite technology derived from motor racing, the grey cast iron discs are mounted on an aluminium bowl. This ensures perfect heat conduction and first-class fade resistance even in the gruelling conditions of the racetrack.

Standard

LED gearshift indicator: seven LEDs coloured white, yellow and red indicate the need for an upshift if the SLS AMG driver has selected the manual transmission mode and the engine speed is approaching its maximum.

Standard

High-performance ceramic composite braking system: by virtue of their greater hardness, the ceramic brake discs have even higher temperature resistance, and also contribute the benefits of 40 percent less weight.

Optional

Kneebag: in the event of a frontal impact, an additional airbag can help to protect the legs of the vehicle occupants.

Standard

Twin-wire arc spray coating (LDS): the advantages of this technology patented and exclusively used by AMG are extremely low friction and wear, as well as long-term durability of the cylinder walls.

Standard

Magnesium backrests: the backrests of the sports seats are of magnesium, a high-tech material that excels with low weight and high strength. This has considerable advantages in terms of the weight balance and a lower centre of gravity.

Standard

Matt paint finishes: with their matt silk surface, "designo magno allanite grey" and "AMG monza grey magno" reinforce the sporty character of the Gullwing model through specific contouring of the crease lines.

Optional

Performance suspension: with an approx. ten percent stiffer spring setup and 30 percent stiffer damper setup, the Performance suspension is recommended for the racetrack.

Optional

Forged pistons: the eight forged pistons of the AMG M159 engine weight a total of 0.5 kilograms less than the cast pistons of the basic M156 engine.

Standard

Forged wheels: forged AMG light-alloy wheels are 14 percent lighter than the Flow Forming wheels fitted as standard, thereby reducing the unsprung mases even further.

Optional

Tubular steel exhaust headers: with their precisely coordinated tube lengths, these improve the gas cycles for a considerable increase in output and torque. These exhaust headers are another technology borrowed from motor sports.

Standard

Superplastic forming: this enables multi-part components to be dispensed with during the production process for the outer door skin and interior. This not only saves weight, but also simplifies the production process.

Standard

Surround sound system: the Bang & Olufsen BeoSound AMG surround sound system with Dolby Digital 5.1 provides an exclusive listening experience at the highest level. The system has an amplifier with a total output of 1000 watts, 11 loudspeakers and a digital sound processor.

Optional

Transaxle arrangement: locating the double-declutch transmission at the rear axle allows a weight distribution of 47 percent (front) and 53 percent (rear) which benefits handling dynamics.

Standard

Dry sump lubrication: this technology derived from motor racing allows a lower installed position for the V8 engine. As a positive side-effect, the engine is reliably lubricated even under the high lateral acceleration encountered on the racetrack.

Standard

Topology optimisation: the cast components of the aluminium spaceframe are specifically weight-optimised: ribbed structures precisely follow the force paths, and wall thicknesses are reduced to a minimum in less highly stressed areas.

Standard

Torque tube: this forms a rigid connection between the engine and transmission, ensuring the best possible transfer of forces.

Standard

Ultra-high strength, hot-formed steel: this is used in the A‑pillars to improve occupant safety even further.

Standard

Four-way lumbar supports: these provide the driver and passenger with effective lower back support.

Optional

Two-zone seat cushions: prominent side bolsters with a harder foam filling provide optimal lateral support, while the inner areas of the seat cushion and backrest are softer for a high level of comfort on long journeys.

Standard

156472 is stabled “on the stops” in platform 5 at Liverpool Lime Street, 22nd November 2008.

Unit History

A hundred fourteen class 156 units were built from 1987-89 by Metro-Cammell at their Washwood Heath Works in Birmingham. The vehicles are based on the Mark III bodyshell, and are powered by 6-cylinder Cummins NT855-R5 diesel engines through Voith T211r hydraulic automatic transmissions and Gmeinder final drive units. 156472 was built in 1989 and delivered to Cardiff Canton for Cardiff – Portsmouth/Brighton duties. By January 1990 it had moved to Norwich for East Anglia – Birmingham/Liverpool duties. Its stay at Norwich was equally short as by July 1990 it had migrated to Haymarket for Scotrail duties and by January 1991 it was at Neville Hill for West Yorkshire duties where it settled down for a long stay before moving over the Pennines to Newton Heath where it is currently allocated.

Jensen Interceptor III (1971-73) Engine 440cu (7212cc) Production 3419

Registration Number XPV 500 L

JENSEN SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157624203748256...

The Jensen Interceptor is a sporting GT class car, hand built at West Bromwich, England with the body designed by Carrozzeria, Touring in Italy and powered by a US Chrysler V8.

The Interceptor broke with Jensen tradition by having a steel bodyshell rather than one of GRP.

The original specification included electric windows, reclining front seats, a wood rimmed steering wheel, radio with twin speakers, reversing lights and an electric clock. Power steering was included as standard from September 1968.

The Mark II (1969-71) shared the same Chrysler engine as the original Interceptor but offered revised front styling and ventilated disc brakes

The Mark III had a larger 440cu (7212cc) Chrysler V8 with four barrel carburettor. The Interceptor sold well until sales were hit by the OPEC oil crisis of 1974.

Shot at The Enfield Pagaent 30.05.2010 Ref 69-249

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Jensen Interceptor III (1971-73) Engine 440cu (7212cc)

Production 3419

Registration Number CRY 44 K (Leicester)

JENSEN ALBUM

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157624203748256...

The Jensen Interceptor is a sporting GT class car, hand built at West Bromwich, England with the body designed by Carrozzeria, Touring in Italy and powered by a US Chrysler V8.

The Interceptor broke with Jensen tradition by having a steel bodyshell rather than one of GRP.

The original specification included electric windows, reclining front seats, a wood rimmed steering wheel, radio with twin speakers, reversing lights and an electric clock. Power steering was included as standard from September 1968.

The Mark II (1969-71) shared the same Chrysler engine as the original Interceptor but offered revised front styling and ventilated disc brakes

The Mark III had a larger 440cu (7212cc) Chrysler V8 with four barrel carburettor. The Interceptor sold well until sales were hit by the OPEC oil crisis of 1974.

Diolch am 91,501,773 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr.

Thanks for 91,501,773 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated.

Shot 17.04.2022 Weston Park (Classic Car Show), Weston-under-Lizard, Salop 157-176

TVR Tuscan V6 (1969-71) Engine 2994cc V6 Ford Essex Production 101

Registration Number FWJ 350 J

TVR SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623722776067...

The TVR Tuscan was itroduced in 1967 as the Tuscan V8 (4727cc and 4942cc) and V6 (2994cc) forms, and was the second TVR introduced during the Martin Lilley era,

The V8 was introduced in 1967 powered by a 4727cc V8 Ford Windsor engine simular to that of the Ford Mustang with 271bhp, and a top speed of 155mph. The V8 was redesigned in 1970 as wide body Tuscan V8 (LWB SE) featured a restyled body shell that gave a preview to the upcoming M-series body style. The widebody Tuscan was powered by the larger 302 cu in (4,942 cc) version of the small block Ford V8, with a total of only 10 cars produced. Most of the Tuscan V8s were sold in the United States, with only the occasional vehicle being built with right-hand drive for the home market.

The V6 was launched in mid 1969, to provide a mid range performance car. Powered by a Ford Essex V6 engine of 2994cc (with 138bhp) as used in the Ford Zodiac and Ford Capri 3 litre. The V6 had front disc and rear drum brakes rather than the all round discs of the V8 cars, and used the same narrow bodyshell and chassis as the four-cylinder Vixens. Though it did, , receive the same Salisbury differential as the Tuscan V8 The V6 was not exported to the US due to the Essex engine not meeting US emission requirements, therefore most of the 101 cars produced were RHD for the home market.

The V6 Tuscan was replaced in 1971 by the Vixen 2500. . .

Many Thanks for a fan'dabi'dozi 28,054,500 views

Shot 27:07:2014 at Silverstone Historic Festival REF: 103-487 .

In early 1963 Giovanni Michelotti was commissioned by Standard-Triumph to design a GT version of their recently introduced Spitfire 4 (also designed by Michelotti). An unmodified Spitfire 4 was delivered to Michelotti's design studios in Italy and late in 1963 the prototype Spitfire GT4 was returned to England for evaluation. The styling of the vehicle was a success but the extra weight of the GT bodyshell resulted in extremely poor performance from the Spitfire's 1,147 cc (70 cu in) Standard SC engine, and plans for producing the Spitfire GT4 were shelved.

Michelotti's fastback design for the Spitfire GT4 prototype was adopted by the Triumph racing programme for the 1964 season, as it was deemed to provide an aerodynamic benefit over the standard Spitfire body shape. Fibreglass copies of the Spitfire GT4's fastback were grafted on to the race-modified Spitfires destined for competition. The Spitfire racing programme was successful, and in 1965 resulted in 13th overall and a 1st in class at the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans (beating their main rivals, the MG Midgets).

To overcome the lack of performance inherent in the heavier body style the Spitfire's 4-cylinder engine was replaced with the more powerful 2-litre (1998 cc) Triumph inline 6 originally derived from the SC and then in use in the Triumph Vitesse (which shared a similar chassis with the Spitfire and Triumph Herald). The car was further developed and refined and eventually launched as the Triumph GT6 (dropping the "Spitfire" prefix) to emphasise its GT styling and its 6-cylinder engine.

The new car was introduced in 1966 and called the Triumph GT6. The new body was a sleek fastback design with an opening rear hatch, earning the GT6 the nickname of poor man's E-Type. It was really a 2-seater, but a small extra rear seat could be ordered, large enough for small children. The family resemblance to the Spitfire Mk II was strong, the longer 6-cylinder engine necessitated a new bonnet top with a power bulge and the doors were provided with opening quarter light windows and squared-off glass in the top rear corner. The 6-cylinder engine was, like the Vitesse 2-litre, tuned to develop 95 bhp (71 kW) at 5000 rpm, and produced 117 lb⋅ft (159 N⋅m) of torque at 3000 rpm.

The very last of British Leyland's attempt to replicate the success of the Mini. Though the Metro did sell strong on the domestic market, it's ability to woo the international market like its predecessor was sadly not meant to be. Here is the very last Rover 100 Metro, signed by members of the production team as it left the Longbridge factory for the last time.

Originally conceived by British Leyland, the Metro was built to similar principals as those of the Mini it was intended to replace, with a small, practical platform with as much use available to the passenger as was possible. The car came under various initial guises, including the Austin Metro, the Austin miniMetro, the Morris Metro van and the MG Metro, a version of the car with a 1.3L A-Series Turbo Engine.

Although the car was launched in 1980, development of a Mini replacement had dated back to the beginning of the 70's. Dubbed ADO88 (Amalgamated Drawing Office project number 88), the Metro was eventually given the go ahead in 1977, but wanted to have the appeal of some of the larger 'Supermini' (what a contradiction in terms) cars on the market, including cars such as the Ford Fiesta and the Renault 5. Designed by Harris Mann (the same guy who gave us the Princess and the Allegro), the car was given a much more angular body for the time, but despite its futuristic looks did share many features of the earlier Mini, including the 675cc BMC-A Series engine that dated back to 1959, and the gearbox. Initial cars also included the Hydragas Suspension system originally used on the Allegro and the Princess, though with no front/rear connection. The car was also built as a hatchback, which would eventually be a key part of its success as the Mini instead utilised only a small boot.

The Metro was originally meant for an earlier 1978 launch, but a lack of funds and near bankruptcy of British Leyland resulted in the car's launch being pushed back. This delay however did allow the folks at Longbridge to construct a £200m robotic assembly plant for the new Metro line, with the hope of building 100,000 cars per year. Finally the car entered sales 3 years late and got off to quite promising initial sales, often being credited for being the saviour of British Leyland. The Metro was in fact the company's first truly new model in nearly 5 years, with the 9 year old Allegro still in production, the 1980 Morris Ital being nothing more than a 7 year old Marina with a new face, and the 5 year old Princess not going anywhere!

As mentioned, an entire myriad of versions came with the Metro, including the luxury Vanden Plas version and the sporty MG with its top speed of 105mph and 0-60mph of 10.1 seconds. Eventually the original incarnation of the car, the Austin Metro, went on to sell 1 million units in it's initial 10 year run, making it the second highest selling car of the decade behind the Ford Escort. However, like most other British Leyland products, earlier cars got a bad reputation for poor build quality and unreliability, combined with the lack of rustproofing that was notorious on many BL cars of the time.

The show was not over however, as in 1990 the car was given a facelift and dubbed the Rover Metro. The 1950's A-Series engine was replaced by a 1.1L K-Series, and the angular bodyshell was rounded to similar principals as those by acclaimed styling house Ital to create a more pleasing look for the 90's. This facelift, combined with an improvement in reliability and build quality, meant that the car went on to win the 'What Car?' of the Year Award in 1991.

In 1994 the car was given yet another facelift, with once again a more rounded design and removal of the Metro name, the car being sold as the Rover 100. Engines were once again changed, this time to a 1.5L Peugeot engine and more audacious colour schemes were available for the even more rounded design of the new car. However, the car was very much starting to look and feel its age. Aside from the fact that the design dated back to 1977, the new car was not well equipped, lacking electric windows, anti-lock brakes, power steering, or even a rev counter! In terms of safety, it was very basic, with most features such as airbags, an alarm, an immobiliser and central locking being optional extras.

Eventually the curtain had to fall on the Metro, and in 1997, twenty years after the initial design left the drawing board, it was announced that the car would be discontinued. Spurred on by dwindling sales due to lack of safety and equipment, as well as losing out to comparative cars such as the ever popular Ford Fiesta, VW Polo and Vauxhall Corsa, with only fuel economy keeping the car afloat, Rover axed the Metro in 1998 with no direct replacement, although many cite the downsized Rover 200 a possible contender. Stumbling blindly on, the next car to fill the gap in Rover's market was the 2003 CityRover, based on the TATA Indica, which flopped abysmally and pretty much totalled the company (but that's another story).

In the end only 2,078,000 Metro's were built in comparison to the 5.3 million examples of the Mini that it was meant to replace. The main failings of the Metro were down to the fact that the car was too big compared to the Mini, and the rounded old-world charm of the Coopers and Clubmans was replaced by the angular corners. Because of this the car simply didn't have the novelty that the Mini continued to claim even 20 years after the first ones left the factory, and the Mini would even go on to outlive the Metro by another 2 years, ending production in 2000, then going on to have a revival in the form of BMW's New Mini Cooper that's still being built today. Unlike the Mini, the Metro also failed to conquer the international market in the same way, scoring its 2 million units pretty much in Britain alone, although some cars were sold in France and Spain, but only to the total of a few hundred.

The Metro however survived only on fuel economy and its spacious interior, but by the early 1990's, whilst other car manufacturers had moved on leaps and bounds, Rover continued to be stuck in the past with not the money or the enthusiasm to change what was a terribly outdated and extremely basic car. Towards the end the Metro, which had only a few years earlier won awards for its practical nature, was ending up on lists for Worst car on the market.

Today however you can still see Metro's, later editions are especially common on the roads of Britain. Earlier models built under British Leyland have mostly rusted away and are apparently only down to about a thousand nowadays, but the Rover 100's and Rover Metros continue to ply their trade, a lonely reminder of how here in Britain, we can never ever seem to move on!

The Bedford J2/Plaxton Embassy, commonly nicknamed the 'peanut', is one of my favourite minicoaches and I never expected to own a model of one, but in 2004 an example scratchbuilt from brass was discovered at a model railway exhibition and its bodyshell was used by Paragon Road Services as a master for a resin casting. This was never publicly available as the entire production run quickly sold out within the MBF and I regret only buying the one example. 644 HAA is a much-loved member of the Quicksilver heritage fleet and has a scratchbuilt chassis, modified interior from an EFE Bedford SB, and wheels of unknown origin from the spares box.

Standard 8 (Mod) (1953-56) Engine *803cc S4 OHC Production 136317

Registration Number 922 YUD

STANDARD SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623722503183...

Introduced in 1953 the new Standard 8 and 10 were a completely new design with unit construction and an overhead-valve engine. It was offered only as a 4-door saloon. The new engine of 803 cc produced slightly less power than the outgoing larger sidevalve unit with 26 bhp but was increased in 1957 to 40bhp. The 4-speed gearbox, with synchromesh on the top three ratios, was available with optional overdrive from March 1957. Girling hydraulic drum brakes were fitted. To keep prices down, the car at launch was very basic with sliding windows, single windscreen wiper and no external boot lid. Access to the boot was by folding down the rear seat, which had the backrest divided in two. The 1954 De luxe got wind up windows and the Gold Star model of 1957 an opening boot lid. From mid-1955 all the Eights finally got wind up windows. At launch the car cost £481 including taxes on the home market

The Standard Ten of 1954 shared the bodyshell and running gear and would outlast the Eight by continuing until 1961.

The cars were sold as Standards utility models, and rivals for the Austin A30, Morris Minor.

This car has been modified with a 1200cc engine

A big thanks for 21.7 million views

Shot 20:04:2014 at Weston Park Ref 99a-424

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]

This Lego miniland-scale 1986 Jaguar XJ6 (XJ40) has been created for Flickr LUGNuts 85th Build Challenge, - "Like, Totally 80s", - for vehicles created during the decade of the 1980s.

The Austin-Healey Sprite is a small open sports car that was announced to the press in Monte Carlo by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) on 20 May 1958, just before that year's Monaco Grand Prix. It was intended to be a low-cost model that "a chap could keep in his bike shed", yet be the successor to the sporting versions of the pre-war Austin Seven. The Sprite was designed by the Donald Healey Motor Company, which received a royalty payment from the manufacturers BMC. It first went on sale at a price of £669, using a mildly tuned version of the Austin A-Series engine and as many other components from existing cars as possible to keep costs down.

The Sprite was made at the MG sports car factory at Abingdon and it was inevitable that the success of the design would spawn an MG version known as the Midget, reviving a popular pre-war model name. Enthusiasts often now refer to Sprites and MG Midgets collectively as "Spridgets."

The little Sprite quickly became affectionately known as the Frogeye in the UK and the Bugeye in the US, because its headlights were prominently mounted on top of the bonnet, inboard of the front wings. The car's designers had intended that the headlights could be retracted, with the lenses facing skyward when not in use; a similar arrangement was used many years later on the Porsche 928. But cost cutting by BMC led to the flip-up mechanism being deleted, therefore the headlights were simply fixed in a permanently upright position, giving the car its most distinctive feature. The body was styled by Gerry Coker, with subsequent alterations by Les Ireland following Coker's emigration to the US in 1957. The car's distinctive frontal styling bore a strong resemblance to the defunct American 1951 Crosley Super Sport.

The problem of providing a rigid structure to an open-topped sports car was resolved by Barry Bilbie, Healey's chassis designer, who adapted the idea provided by the Jaguar D-type, with rear suspension forces routed through the bodyshell's floor pan. The Sprite's chassis design was the world's first volume-production sports car to use unitary construction, where the sheet metal body panels (apart from the bonnet) take many of the structural stresses. The two front chassis legs projecting forward from the passenger compartment mean the shell is not a full monocoque however. The front sheet-metal assembly, including the bonnet (hood) and wings, was a one-piece unit, hinged from the back, that swung up to allow access to the engine compartment. The 43 bhp, 948 cc OHV engine (coded 9CC) was derived from the Austin A35 & Morris Minor 1000 models, also BMC products, but upgraded with twin 1⅛" inch SU carburettors. The rack and pinion steering was derived from the Morris Minor 1000 and the front suspension from the Austin A35. The front suspension was a coil spring and wishbone arrangement, with the arm of the Armstrong lever shock absorber serving as the top suspension link. The rear axle was both located and sprung by quarter-elliptic leaf springs, again with lever-arm shock absorbers and top links. There were no exterior door handles; the driver and passenger were required to reach inside to open the door. There was also no boot lid, owing to the need to retain as much structural integrity as possible, and access to the spare wheel and luggage compartment was achieved by tilting the seat-backs forward and reaching under the rear deck, a process likened to potholing by many owners, but which resulted in a large space available to store soft baggage.

Engine:

1958–61: 948cc cc A-Series I4, 43 hp (32 kW) at 5200 rpm and 52 lbf·ft (71 Nm) at 3300 rpm

A car was tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1958. It had a top speed of 82.9 mph (133.4 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 20.5 seconds. Fuel consumption of 43 miles per imperial gallon (6.6 L/100 km; 36 mpg-US) was recorded. The test car cost £678, including taxes of £223.[5]

The BMC Competition Department entered Austin Healey Sprites in major international races and rallies, their first major success coming when John Sprinzel and Willy Cave won their class on the 1958 Alpine Rally. Private competitors also competed with much success in Sprites. Because of its affordability and practicality, the Austin Healey Sprite was developed into a formidable competition car, assuming many variants by John Sprinzel, Speedwell and WSM. The Sebring Sprite became the most iconic of the racing breed of Austin Healey Sprites. Many owners use their Austin Healey Sprites in competition today, fifty years after its introduction.

Fiat began designing the Ritmo hatchback – as a replacement for the 128 sedan – in 1972, following the body style of its 127 supermini as European manufacturers began launching small family hatchbacks, notably the Volkswagen Golf in 1974.

Prior to its launch, the press speculated that the project codename 138 would be the final production name, however, Fiat instead gave its new car the Ritmo name, rather than another three digit number. Offered in 3- and 5-door hatchback and cabriolet body styles – from 1978 to 1988 with two facelifts.

The Ritmo was manufactured at the Cassino plant using a system developed by its subsidiary Comau, the "Robogate" system – which automated the bodyshell assembly and welding process using robots, giving rise to its advertising slogan "Handbuilt by robots", immortalised in a television advertising campaign showing the robots assembling the Ritmo bodyshells to the strains of Rossini's The Barber of Seville. The exterior has plastic bumper fascias integrated into the styling which combined strong round shapes with overall sharp lines, achieving a drag coefficient of Cd=0.38.

Fiat began designing the Ritmo hatchback – as a replacement for the 128 sedan – in 1972, following the body style of its 127 supermini as European manufacturers began launching small family hatchbacks, notably the Volkswagen Golf in 1974.

Prior to its launch, the press speculated that the project codename 138 would be the final production name, however, Fiat instead gave its new car the Ritmo name, rather than another three digit number. Offered in 3- and 5-door hatchback and cabriolet body styles – from 1978 to 1988 with two facelifts.

The Ritmo was manufactured at the Cassino plant using a system developed by its subsidiary Comau, the "Robogate" system – which automated the bodyshell assembly and welding process using robots, giving rise to its advertising slogan "Handbuilt by robots", immortalised in a television advertising campaign showing the robots assembling the Ritmo bodyshells to the strains of Rossini's The Barber of Seville. The exterior has plastic bumper fascias integrated into the styling which combined strong round shapes with overall sharp lines, achieving a drag coefficient of Cd=0.38.

Originally Charles Roberts & Company's wagon works was located at Horbury Junction southeast of Horbury, West Yorkshire, England. It became part of the Procor group in the 1970s as Procor Engineering Ltd. and, subsequently, part of Bombardier Inc.'s European railway businesses in 1990 as Bombardier Prorail, closing in 2005.

the plant produced bodyshells for the British Rail Class 60 during the Procor period, and British Rail Class 92 during Bombardier's ownership. During the Second World War the factory was involved in the production of the Churchill Tank.

The plant was involved in the passenger vehicle construction and refurbishment. In the 1950s tram bodies were constructed for Blackpool Tramways 'Coronation Cars', and Sheffield Tramways. In the early 2000s Bombardier Voyager trains were built at Horbury and at Bombardier's BN plant in Bruges, Belgium. Refurbishment of GNER's Mark 4 coach fleet took place at Horbury in the mid-2000s.

Ford Escort (5th Gen) (1990-97) Engine 1392cc S4 S4 CVH

Registration Number K 49 MCA

FORD EUROPE

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

The Escort Mark V was launched in September 1990 with an all-new bodyshell and a simplified torsion beam rear suspension Initially the 1.3 L HCS, 1.4 L and 1.6 L CVH petrol and 1.8 L diesel units were carried over from the old model.

The 5th Generation however was poorly received by the motoring press, and was panned by journalists for its mediocre driving dynamics and unremarkable styling. The engines which had been carried over from the previous generation largely unmodified were also heavily criticised for their poor refinement. In early 1992, an all new Zetec 16-valve engine was launched bringing improved driveability, while also marking the return of the XR3i

Stung by the criticism of the original Mark V Ford facelifted the Escort and Orion in September 1992, giving the revised cars a new grille, bonnet and, in the Escort hatchback's case, a new rear end. A new 1.6 L 16-valve 90 bhp (66 kW) Zetec engine was introduced, replacing the previous CVH.

The Dash was a limited edition Cabrio,launched in 1993 but based on the pre-facelift car.

Many Thanks for a fan'dabi'dozi 25,530,100 views

Shot 09:06:2014 ar The Luton Classic Car Show, Stockwell Park, Luton REF 102-406

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.

The Manta A was released in September 1970, two months ahead of the then new Opel Ascona on which it was based. A competitor to the Ford Capri, it was a two-door "three-box" coupé, and featured distinctive round tail lights, quite similar to those on the Opel GT and which in fact were used on the GT in 1973, its final model year. In the UK market, the first Manta was sold only as an Opel: there was no Vauxhall-branded Manta (or Ascona) until after the launch, in 1975, of the Manta B1 and Ascona B.

The second car to use the Manta name was launched in August 1975. This two-door "three-box" car was mechanically based directly on the then newly redesigned Opel Ascona, but the overall design was influenced by the 1975 Chevrolet Monza. The Manta had more "sporty" styling, including a droop-snoot nose not seen on the Ascona, although it was standard, on the UK version of the Ascona, the Vauxhall Cavalier. There was still no "Vauxhall Manta", with the car remaining an Opel in the UK. However, a Vauxhall Cavalier was available with the same coupé bodyshell.

In 1977, a three-door hatchback version appeared to complement the existing two-door booted car. This shape was also not unique, being available on the Vauxhall Cavalier Sports Hatch variant.

Both Manta versions received a facelift in 1982, which included a plastic front spoiler, sideskirts for the GT/E and GSi models, a small wing at the rear and quadruple air intakes on the grille.

(Wikipedia)

- - -

Der Opel Manta ist ein fünfsitziger Pkw der Adam Opel AG, der als Manta A im September 1970 auf den Markt kam. Der Wagen ist die technisch identische Coupé-Version der zwei Monate später vorgestellten Opel Ascona A-Limousine. Das Coupé mit wassergekühltem Vierzylinder-Frontmotor und Hinterradantrieb wurde als Konkurrent des bereits seit 1968 erfolgreichen Ford Capri auf den Markt gebracht.

Der Manta A wurde zunächst mit drei verschiedenen CIH-Motoren angeboten, die auch in der größeren Rekord C-Limousine Verwendung fanden: zwei 1,6-l-Varianten mit 68 PS bzw. 80 PS sowie der 1,9-l-Version mit 90 PS.

Als im August 1988 der letzte Manta B vom Band lief, war seine Technik mit der aus dem Kadett B von 1967 stammenden Starrachse (Zentralgelenkachse) und den seit 1965 produzierten CIH-Motoren überholt, obwohl die letzten Modelle schon mit ungeregeltem Katalysator und 5-Gang-Getriebe ausgerüstet wurden. Für Opel war der Manta ein Erfolg: Von beiden Modellreihen wurden zusammen 1.056.436 Wagen gebaut.

(Wikipedia)

The Manta A was released in September 1970, two months ahead of the then new Opel Ascona on which it was based. A competitor to the Ford Capri, it was a two-door "three-box" coupé, and featured distinctive round tail lights, quite similar to those on the Opel GT and which in fact were used on the GT in 1973, its final model year. In the UK market, the first Manta was sold only as an Opel: there was no Vauxhall-branded Manta (or Ascona) until after the launch, in 1975, of the Manta B1 and Ascona B.

The second car to use the Manta name was launched in August 1975. This two-door "three-box" car was mechanically based directly on the then newly redesigned Opel Ascona, but the overall design was influenced by the 1975 Chevrolet Monza. The Manta had more "sporty" styling, including a droop-snoot nose not seen on the Ascona, although it was standard, on the UK version of the Ascona, the Vauxhall Cavalier. There was still no "Vauxhall Manta", with the car remaining an Opel in the UK. However, a Vauxhall Cavalier was available with the same coupé bodyshell.

In 1977, a three-door hatchback version appeared to complement the existing two-door booted car. This shape was also not unique, being available on the Vauxhall Cavalier Sports Hatch variant.

Both Manta versions received a facelift in 1982, which included a plastic front spoiler, sideskirts for the GT/E and GSi models, a small wing at the rear and quadruple air intakes on the grille.

(Wikipedia)

- - -

Der Opel Manta ist ein fünfsitziger Pkw der Adam Opel AG, der als Manta A im September 1970 auf den Markt kam. Der Wagen ist die technisch identische Coupé-Version der zwei Monate später vorgestellten Opel Ascona A-Limousine. Das Coupé mit wassergekühltem Vierzylinder-Frontmotor und Hinterradantrieb wurde als Konkurrent des bereits seit 1968 erfolgreichen Ford Capri auf den Markt gebracht.

Der Manta A wurde zunächst mit drei verschiedenen CIH-Motoren angeboten, die auch in der größeren Rekord C-Limousine Verwendung fanden: zwei 1,6-l-Varianten mit 68 PS bzw. 80 PS sowie der 1,9-l-Version mit 90 PS.

Als im August 1988 der letzte Manta B vom Band lief, war seine Technik mit der aus dem Kadett B von 1967 stammenden Starrachse (Zentralgelenkachse) und den seit 1965 produzierten CIH-Motoren überholt, obwohl die letzten Modelle schon mit ungeregeltem Katalysator und 5-Gang-Getriebe ausgerüstet wurden. Für Opel war der Manta ein Erfolg: Von beiden Modellreihen wurden zusammen 1.056.436 Wagen gebaut.

(Wikipedia)

Nº 39.

Ford Galaxie Taxi (Quebec, 1964).

Escala 1/43.

"Taxis del Mundo" - Altaya (España).

Ixo.

Año 2014.

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"El taxi Ford Galaxie 500 - GRANDE Y ESPACIOSO

En 1964, los Ford Fairlane y Galaxie eran los dos modelos de la marca ofrecidos a los taxistas con todo el equipamiento necesario. El Galaxie era un coche de enorme tamaño y conducción muy suave, por lo que era muy apropiado para el servicio de transporte de personas."

- See more at: www.planetadeagostini.es/colecciones-altaya/miniaturas/ta...

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Ford Galaxie

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"The Ford Galaxie was a full-size car built in the United States by the Ford Motor Company for model years 1959 through 1974. The name was used for the top models in Ford's full-size range from 1959 until 1961, in a marketing attempt to appeal to the excitement surrounding the Space Race. In 1962, all full-size Fords wore the Galaxie badge, with "500" and "500/XL" denoting the higher series. The Galaxie 500/LTD was introduced for 1965 followed by the Galaxie 500 7-Litre in 1966. The Galaxie 500 part was dropped from the LTD in 1966, and from the XL in 1967; however the basic series structuring levels were maintained. The "regular" Galaxie 500 continued below the LTD as Ford's mid-level full-size model from 1965 until its demise at the end of the 1974 model year.

The Galaxie was the high volume counterpart to the Chevrolet Impala. Some Galaxies were high-performance, racing specification machines, a larger forebear to the muscle car era. Others were plain family sedans."

(...)

Second generation 1960–1964.

"The 1960 Galaxie was all-new in style, abandoning the ostentatious ornamentation of the 1950s for a futuristic, sleek look. A new body style this year was the Starliner, featuring a huge, curving rear observation window on a pillarless, hardtop bodyshell. The formal roofed 2-door hardtop was not available this year, but the roofline was used for the Galaxie 2-door pillared sedan, complete with chromed window frames."

(...)

1961

"For 1961, the bodywork was redone again, although the underpinnings were the same as in 1960.

(...) the 1961 Galaxie offered a new 390 CID (6.4 L) version of Ford's FE series pushrod V8, which was available with either a four-barrel carburetor or, for serious performance, three two-barrel carburetors."

(...)

1962

"For 1962, the Galaxie name was applied to all of Ford's full size models, as the Fairlane moved to a new intermediate and Custom was temporarily retired. New top-line Galaxie 500 (two-door sedan and hardtop, four-door sedan and hardtop, and "Sunliner" convertible) models offered plusher interiors, more chrome trim outside, and a few additional luxury items over and above what was standard on the plainer Galaxie models. Base Galaxie models were available in two- and four-door sedans as well as the plain Ranch Wagon.

(...) The 292 cu in (4.8 l) V8 was standard on the 500/XL. The XL had as sportier trim inside and out as part of the package. "

(...)

1963

"For 1963, Ford saw no reason to radically change a good thing, and the 1963 model was essentially unchanged save for some freshening and added trim; windshields were reshaped and a four-door hardtop 500/XL was added."

(...)

1964

"Model year 1964 was the fourth and final year of this body style. Interior trim was much altered, and the exterior featured a more sculpted look which was actually designed to make the car more aerodynamic for NASCAR. The formal-roof "boxtop" style was replaced by a slanted-roof design for all non-wagon or convertible models, including sedans. Ford's quality control, spotty when the first Galaxie was introduced, was now as good as it ever was, and many 1964 Fords passed the 100,000-mile (160,000 km) mark intact. The 1964 models gained an enviable reputation as durable, comfortable cars that offered decent handling and road-ability at a reasonable price, so it is no wonder they sold so well."

(...)

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Galaxie

Audi 90 Quattro Sport 20v (1987-90) Engine 2309cc S5 20v

Registration Number H 65 EKL

AUDI SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/albums/72157623635550501/

The Type 89 Audi 80 (1986-91) was joined by the in line five cylinder Audi 90 in 1986 as more luxurious variant of the 80. They were based on a new platform which broke away from Volkswagen B3 platforms of the Passat. It introduced a new aerodynamic look in a fully galvanised bodyshell. The zinc coated body encouraged Audi to offer a 12 year anti-perforation guarantee. The platform was re-designated Type 8A in 1990.

The Audi 90 differs from the 80 by its full width tail light panel, head lights which feature additional high beam lights, and a different grille. The side indicators are repositioned from being alongside the head light to a position in the bumpers alongside the fog lights. The 20 valve engine is the first offered by Audi since the Audi Quattro Sport.

The smaller 2.0ltr 115bhp ws joined by a larger 2.2ltr 136bhp in mid 1989 with the extr capacity making up for the power loss caused by the standard catalytic converter. At the same time Sport version of the two and four wheel drive 90s were added, the 20 valve version of the 2,3 ltr engine producing 170bhp with lowered suspension and fatter tyres to handle the extra performance

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Shot taken 05:08:2012 at The Shugborough Classic Car Meeting. Ref: 93a-29

DRS 'Bodysnatchers' 57004 and 57008 'Telford International Railfreight Park June 2009' heading the 6C22 06:40 Kingmoor Depot to Sellafield nuclear flask train. The trailing load of this service, which included an 'MoD' flask near the rear of the train, obtained some pleasing exhaust as the locomotives accelerated away from a signal check. English Damside, Carlisle City Centre on 15th July 2011.

57004 began life in March 1965 as D1828 in the Toton (D16) District. It has carried dual-green, BR Blue and Railfreight liveries, being converted to a class 57 with General Motors traction for Freightiner in March 1999. It was the first Class 57 to be scrapped. moving from LSL Crewe to a Stafford scrapyard on 5th July 2023, the stripped bodyshell then being immediately disposed of.

57008 began life as D1644 in December 1964 and was allocated to Newport Ebbw Junction. It has carried dual-green, BR Blue. Railfreight and Freightliner (Railfreight grey) liveries before conversion to General Motors class 57 in December 1999 with Freightliner. As 47060 it also carried the name 'Halewood Silver Jubilee 1988' between 1988 and 1995. Surplus to DRS' requirements, it was acquired by WCRC in early 2022.

In 2007 Freightliner started to replace its Class 57s with new Class 66 locos. Initially six Class 57s (the second batch) were returned to their leasing company, and were redeployed with DRS in July 2007. Direct Rail Services owned nine examples of the class, comprising 57002 (47322), 57003 (47317), 57004 (47347), 57007 (47332), 57008 (47060), 57009 (47079), 57010 (47231), 57011 (47329), 57012 (47204). These locomotives worked alongside the Class 20/3s, 37's and 66's which were also operated by the company then. All the 57's were painted in the DRS 'Compass' Blue livery.

© Gordon Edgar - All rights reserved. Please do not use my images without my explicit permission

The British Rail Class 156 Super Sprinter is a diesel multiple unit train. A total of 114 sets were built between 1987 and 1989 for British Rail by Metro-Cammell's Washwood Heath works. They were built to replace elderly first-generation DMUs and locomotive-hauled passenger trains. The design of the Class 156 was more conservative than Metro-Cammell's earlier Class 151 design. The bodyshell was made of steel instead of aluminium, and the cab design was deliberately similar to the Class 150 to ease union acceptance.

In late 1985, British Rail placed an order with Metro-Cammell for 114 two-carriage units.

Construction of the welded bodyshells was subcontracted out with Procor Engineering, Wakefield completing 118, WH Davis 60 and Standard Wagon 50. Aston Martin Tickford were awarded the interior fitout contract. The units were all built as two-car sets, numbered 156401-514. Each unit was formed of two driving motors, one of which contained a toilet. Individual carriages numbered as follows:

52401-52514 - Driving Motor Standard Lavatory (DMSL)

57401-57514 - Driving Motor Standard (DMS), containing an area for storing wheelchairs, bicycles, bulky luggage etc.

The vehicles are powered by 6-cylinder Cummins NT855-R5 diesel engines through Voith T211r hydraulic automatic transmissions and Gmeinder final drive units. They have a top speed of 75 mph.

At privatisation the Scottish fleet passed to the National Express owned ScotRail franchise, which used them until 2004 when the franchise was taken over by First ScotRail. All passed to Abellio ScotRail with the franchise in 2015. They operate both on short-distance commuter routes and on services of up to five and a half hours, such as Glasgow to Fort William and Mallaig.

Units 156500-514, were operated by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport and originally wore its orange and black livery. This was replaced with a carmine and cream livery in 1997, that was also applied to another 14. All have since been repainted into ScotRail's standard Saltire livery.

Despite their past liveries, the former SPT units were not confined to any specific route and thus worked in tandem with the rest of the 156 fleet on other routes.

Well, a little bit of it anyway!