Rugd1022 Posted September 21, 2020 Share Posted September 21, 2020 Lovely! One thing though, the wheels are Mambas, not Cosmics, they're just as nice mind you and the wheel / arch combo she's chosen really suit the car.... 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Sidecar Racer Posted September 21, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 21, 2020 Aston Martin saved . https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-shropshire-54103467 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted September 21, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 21, 2020 25 minutes ago, Sidecar Racer said: Aston Martin saved . https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-shropshire-54103467 Was featured on BBC Breakfast TV as well. Did they really think that it would go on to series production? The bodywork and interior seemed rather crude, much more of a concept/prototype. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted September 21, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 21, 2020 A bit of a cross between a William Towns' Lagonda and a Lotus Esprit? 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted September 21, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 21, 2020 11 minutes ago, Oldddudders said: A bit of a cross between a William Towns' Lagonda and a Lotus Esprit? Yes, I was struck by the similarity with the Lagonda of that era. 2 hours ago, Sidecar Racer said: Aston Martin saved . https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-shropshire-54103467 Was featured on BBC Breakfast TV as well. Did they really think that it would go on to series production? The bodywork and interior seemed rather crude, much more of a concept/prototype. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doilum Posted September 22, 2020 Share Posted September 22, 2020 18 hours ago, Oldddudders said: A bit of a cross between a William Towns' Lagonda and a Lotus Esprit? AM owned Lagonda. Deloren anbody? 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted September 22, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 22, 2020 2 hours ago, doilum said: AM owned Lagonda. Indeed. Towns designed the DBS and the Bulldog. As well as the 1964 Le Mans Rover-BRM (with David Bache, later of Range Rover fame) and the Jensen Healey, among others. Some portfolio! 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Metr0Land Posted September 22, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 22, 2020 On 20/09/2020 at 11:52, Metr0Land said: There's a short documentary on Talking Pictures 6:30pm Mon 21Sep - Around the world in 21 days. It says it's a 1950's film using an Austin A40 but isn't specific about the date so it could be the Somerset/Devon type or the late 50's model. We shall see. It turned out to be this example. They said the body was a one-off but the mechanicals were straight off the production line. Not sure exactly what was one-off about the body as there are/were similar looking ones. Needless to say they was some airfreighting of the car over water, but saying it was a round the world drive, was a bit of a stretch when it was airfreighted from Calcutta to Los angeles 2 pairs of drivers were used. Quite impressive logistical planning and execution for the time period - 1951. https://www.alamy.com/1st-june-1951-a-british-austin-a40-car-licence-number-loe-990-at-london-heathrow-airport-beginning-its-three-week-round-the-world-tour-image221040274.html 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnlambert Posted September 22, 2020 Share Posted September 22, 2020 36 minutes ago, Metr0Land said: It turned out to be this example. They said the body was a one-off but the mechanicals were straight off the production line. Not sure exactly what was one-off about the body as there are/were similar looking ones. Needless to say they was some airfreighting of the car over water, but saying it was a round the world drive, was a bit of a stretch when it was airfreighted from Calcutta to Los angeles 2 pairs of drivers were used. Quite impressive logistical planning and execution for the time period - 1951. https://www.alamy.com/1st-june-1951-a-british-austin-a40-car-licence-number-loe-990-at-london-heathrow-airport-beginning-its-three-week-round-the-world-tour-image221040274.html As you said, definitely not a one-off (it's the Austin A40 Sports, which had bodywork by Jensen) but it isn't a standard saloon. I'll have to look out the program as it sounds interesting. I wouldn't mind having an A40 like that to go to local car shows but I can't imagine doing any serious distance in one! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted September 22, 2020 Share Posted September 22, 2020 42 minutes ago, johnlambert said: As you said, definitely not a one-off (it's the Austin A40 Sports, which had bodywork by Jensen) but it isn't a standard saloon. I'll have to look out the program as it sounds interesting. I wouldn't mind having an A40 like that to go to local car shows but I can't imagine doing any serious distance in one! We did Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Lyon and return in a Somerset of similar vintage. 30 mph on the way down to run in the engine, then the same for most of the way back, due to fog. This would have been in the early 1980s. The Somerset had replaced a Wolseley 1500, and was in turn was replaced by an A40 Farina; all did the Lyon run. 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted September 22, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 22, 2020 Way back (late 60's) a pal of mine had an A40 Sport. The only thing wrong with it was the convertible top was rotten. As it was summer that didn't matter too much except after every ride out in it I had to wash my hair of all the dead insects. They used to hit the windscreen and were taken over the top of it by the slipstream. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium boxbrownie Posted September 23, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 23, 2020 10 hours ago, PhilJ W said: Way back (late 60's) a pal of mine had an A40 Sport. The only thing wrong with it was the convertible top was rotten. As it was summer that didn't matter too much except after every ride out in it I had to wash my hair of all the dead insects. They used to hit the windscreen and were taken over the top of it by the slipstream. They say driving a sports car puts a smile on your face.......and a mouthful of bugs 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnlambert Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 Having seen an Austin A40 Sports with the roof up, I'd be surprised if it kept much of the rain out. Maybe it wasn't fitted correctly (although the car looked like it had receive an expensive restoration) but there were big gaps where the roof met the windscreen and side windows. And, yes, it was said that you could tell how much someone enjoyed driving their roadster by counting the bugs in their teeth; particularly true in the days when the fold down windscreen (or no windscreen) was far more common. 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted September 23, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 23, 2020 A friend refers to "Morgan hair". He bought his 4/4 more than 50 years ago, and still prefers it to his Ferrari Mondial. 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killybegs Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 4 hours ago, boxbrownie said: They say driving a sports car puts a smile on your face.......and a mouthful of bugs Yeah, but I seem to recall that it impressed the girls! 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted September 23, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 23, 2020 13 minutes ago, Killybegs said: Yeah, but I seem to recall that it impressed the girls! They weren't called crumpet catchers for nothing. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatB Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 2 hours ago, johnlambert said: Having seen an Austin A40 Sports with the roof up, I'd be surprised if it kept much of the rain out. Maybe it wasn't fitted correctly (although the car looked like it had receive an expensive restoration) but there were big gaps where the roof met the windscreen and side windows. And, yes, it was said that you could tell how much someone enjoyed driving their roadster by counting the bugs in their teeth; particularly true in the days when the fold down windscreen (or no windscreen) was far more common. Doing hoods properly seems to be a lost art. I've seen quite a few, obviously expensive, replacements that have been, frankly, terrible in terms of fit and function. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Nick C Posted September 23, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 23, 2020 A friend of mine used to have a Triumph Spitfire, and reckoned that when driving in the rain, you'd stay drier with the roof down... 3 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnlambert Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 3 minutes ago, Nick C said: A friend of mine used to have a Triumph Spitfire, and reckoned that when driving in the rain, you'd stay drier with the roof down... I have driven a friend's Triumph Spitfire in the rain and I can confirm that as long as you keep moving you stay dry with the hood down. I've not driven it with the roof up but I can well imagine that the hood simply allows rain water to collect and drip into the car. 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 Another dash of Lotus nostalgia - cadged from one of the Lotus facebook groups : London in 1967, with an early S1 Europa, contrary to popular myth some of them were RHD from new.... interesting selection of older cars in the background which look quite ancient next to the newfangled fibreglass spaceship.... both photos feature the Lotus sales manager Graham Arnold who coined the phrase 'council house GT40' when describing the car to a journalist at the Earls Court Motor Show.... 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastairq Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 I have to say..............I much prefer the 'appearance' of the first Europas..Somehow more 'pure?' The fact that they had cooking Renault engines [note both photos have Renaults in the background? Rather a higher percentage than other brands?] was of little relevance to me..they still went well enough...especially on british roads? There was only so much horsepower that could be used before one came up behind yet another Morris Minor? 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcredfer Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 40 minutes ago, Rugd1022 said: Another dash of Lotus nostalgia - cadged from one of the Lotus facebook groups : London in 1967, with an early S1 Europa, contrary to popular myth some of them were RHD from new.... interesting selection of older cars in the background which look quite ancient next to the newfangled fibreglass spaceship.... both photos feature the Lotus sales manager Graham Arnold who coined the phrase 'council house GT40' when describing the car to a journalist at the Earls Court Motor Show.... AKA the Fastest Breadvans in the World..... I watched one at Brands Hatch, {BOAC 5,000 series??} having a ding with a 7 litre yank job [Lola, someone will know better]. Round the bends, which involved most of the course, the Lotus came out streets ahead, every time. Only to be put back behind again down the finishing straight... round again, same result. Julian 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 I like the simplicity of the S1 Europa too, but its short comings made the improved S2 a necessity - the body was bonded to the chassis which made repairs difficult (the insurance companies didn't like this either) and the non opening side windows were a pain, amongst other things. The S2 was a better car, but still had its foibles which weren't addressed until the Twin Cam model came along in late '71. 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium boxbrownie Posted September 23, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 23, 2020 5 hours ago, alastairq said: I have to say..............I much prefer the 'appearance' of the first Europas..Somehow more 'pure?' The fact that they had cooking Renault engines [note both photos have Renaults in the background? Rather a higher percentage than other brands?] was of little relevance to me..they still went well enough...especially on british roads? There was only so much horsepower that could be used before one came up behind yet another Morris Minor? They were like driving a van though, visibility wise.......the over the shoulder view was non existent, I tried a few and then decided on the S2 Twin Cam back in the early 70’s......but even then at the last minute I changed my mind and bought a TC Elan Sprint instead.....loved that little car. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium boxbrownie Posted September 23, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 23, 2020 In fact just recently I was sorting through a box of manuals and found the Lotus Factory manual on the Europa S2 I bought in anticipation, reading that manual I think put me off more than anything else.......anyone want to buy a manual? 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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