LANCASTER CLASSIC CAR NEWS
Meet The Owner – Mark Ashbridge and his Mazda 1800
To say Mark Ashbridge is an enthusiast of Japanese cars would be an understatement. However, owning a 1968 B10-Series Sunny 1000, one of the original Datsun press cars in the UK, was not enough, so he acquired a 1971 Mazda 1800. 52 years ago, this was the sort of transport for motorists with BMW 2000 aspirations and a Ford Cortina GXL income.
MEET THE OWNER – JEFF DAY’S 60 YEAR OLD HILLMAN IMP
On 3 May 1963, the Rootes Group unveiled the Hillman Imp. Two months later, Jeff Day’s example left the factory – “This was one of their first Imps, sold on 2 July 1963, and it still wears its original number plates”. Today it is one of the oldest surviving examples of a fascinating vehicle.
MEET THE OWNER – BEN CURTIS AND HIS ROVER 3500 ESTOURA
Ten years ago, I invited readers of Classic & Sports Car to “imagine a landowner of the Alan Clark school of tact and diplomacy driving an Estoura at speed around his properties, a 1961 Château Latour being waved out of the open driver’s window and curses being aimed at those who had bought their own furniture.”
Land Rover’s Freelander is a forgotten modern classic in waiting
Think of the green oval logo and images come thick and fast; wax jackets and mud-covered Land Rovers remain entrenched in the hearts and minds of enthusiasts. When Land Rover appealed to urban families with the Freelander 1 however, it struck gold.
CELEBRATING THE SUNBEAM STILETTO
Continuing our celebration of 60 years of the Hillman Imp is one of the most desirable members of the line-up. In 1967 the new Stiletto had no domestic rival as a 2+2 rear-engine coupe. Furthermore, it boasted an “ace-bred Sunbeam engine, ZOOM fastback styling, vinyl covered roof, twin carburettors, rally instrumentation and servo-assisted brakes”.
TWENTY FACTS ABOUT LIFE IN 1948
To celebrate the coronation of Charles III on the 6th of May, and Coronation Day on the 8th of May, here are twenty facts about life in the UK in the year of his birth:
THE DAVID WALKER COLLECTION
Collecting can be an insidious hobby. You start with modest ambitions, only to realise 12 months later that your entire house is filled with back-issues of The Motor, Bee-Keeper Weekly or Pylon Enthusiast Monthly.
THE 1953 ROYAL TOUR HUMBER SUPER SNIPE MK.IV DROPHEAD
Lancaster’s Car Club manager Stephanie Hoy recently visited the Isle of Man Motor Museum, where she encountered one of the most exclusive vehicles to wear the Humber badge – the 1953 Super Snipe Mk. IV drophead built for the Royal Tour of the Commonwealth.
MEET THE OWNER - DAVID SCAIFE AND HIS YUGO 513
Nearly 40 years ago, motorists with limited funds were urged to “Fill in the Ticket to Ride” in their local newspaper and take it to their nearest Yugo dealer. There, they would find the 311, the second cheapest new car in the UK after the Fiat 126 and the line-up’s 513.
MEET THE OWNER – RAJAN PAYMASTER AND THE WORLD’S OLDEST VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI
Rajan’s Golf is not just a superlative example of the Golf GTI Mk. 1, it is the oldest surviving in the world. Every detail is virtually perfect, from the red-edged radiator grille and the tartan upholstery to that ‘golf ball’ gear knob. This is the car that re-defined the term ‘sports hatchback’, despite Volkswagen’s early concerns.
THE ORIGINAL METRO FROM LONGBRIDGE – THE METROPOLITAN
1953 saw the introduction of so many fine British cars, from the Jensen 541 and the MG Magnette ZA to the Standard Eight and the Ford Zephyr-Zodiac. And in October of that year, the first examples of an Anglo-American 'compact' – the remarkable Metropolitan.
THE TRIUMPH TR2 AT 70
It is often tempting to issue sweeping statements about motoring history, but here is one I will attempt to justify. Without the TR2, which debuted seventy years ago today at the Geneva Motor Show, the Triumph name would probably have gone the way of Lanchester or Jowett by the end of the 1950s.