LANCASTER CLASSIC CAR NEWS
THE FORD CORTINA AT SIXTY
On the 20th September 1962, Ford of Great Britain unveiled the ‘Consul-Cortina’. And so, to celebrate its 60th birthday, here are 20 facts about “The small car with a big difference”.
MEET THE OWNER – KEVIN HIRST AND HIS TRIUMPH 1500
Some cars, through no fault of their own, are frequently neglected compared to a more glamorous stablemate. The 1500 was only the second FWD Triumph and a highly attractive small saloon in its own right, yet much of the classic press coverage seems to focus on the Dolomite Sprint.
MEET THE OWNER - JOHN MELLOR AND HIS POLICE TRIUMPH TR4
“I’m not a collector, I just wanted a TR - having had a 2 and a 6 in my youth - I realised that it was my local police force. In fact, the supplying dealer was about 400 metres from where I now live”.
DO YOU REMEMBER – THE HILLMAN IMP HUSKY?
You might occasionally find yourself glancing at a bygone street scene, only to suddenly notice a car almost entirely vanished from our roads. It could be a Yugo Sana or a Rover 623 from a 1990s image, or possibly a Vauxhall Belmont or a Peugeot 305 from a 1980s photo.
THE DAY MY DAD WON A FORD CONSUL CAPRI
It is Friday 9th March 1962, and a young Mountain Ash resident named Martyn Williams has been allowed to watch television that evening. The ITV line-up includes Rawhide, starring Eric Fleming, and a young actor named Clint Eastwood, at 730pm, followed by a screening of Cat and Mouse, an undistinguished 1958 B-feature featuring Lee Patterson and his amazing quiff.
The Great Classic Trade-up – from a E36 BMW 323 convertible to a 1991 VW Golf GTI Cabriolet
Our Great Classic Trade-up challenge with Classics World has entered round three, with Classic World purchasing a rather nice 1991 VW Golf GTI Cabriolet. But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. We asked Phil Weeden to update us on their convertible car buying adventures…
THE QUEEN’S RENAULT DAUPHINE
The year is 1968, and a young motoring enthusiast named Garry Dickens has just encountered a well-used Dauphine in the yard of a Somerset car dealer. At that time, it was in a rather sorry condition, but its history was unique.
SEVENTY YEARS OF THE WOLSELEY 4/44
In later life, the great designer Gerald Palmer reflected, “I had been to several Continental shows and had realised that some Italian styles were really wonderful. British styling, by comparison, was just pathetic”. So when the 4/44 made its bow at the 1952 London Motor Show, it caused a minor sensation.
TALES OF THE LOST COLT LANCER TRANSPORTER
Three years ago, my good friend and motoring photographer Darren Rungasamy and I found ourselves in a scenario reminiscent of Tales of The Unexpected. We had just completed a photo shoot on an industrial estate near Aylesbury and were awaiting the arrival of the transporter for one of the star cars.
60 YEARS OF DR. NO
The 5th October 1962 saw the premier of the first big screen adaptation of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels. The star was that up-and-coming young Scottish actor Sean Connery and after seeing Dr. No, few could forget that John Barry/Monty Norman theme tune, Plus, many cinemagoers now craved a Lake Blue Sunbeam Alpine Series II, so here are 10 facts about the first ‘Bond Car’ -
60 YEARS OF THE SAINT
The first episode of The Saint aired on Thursday 4th October 1962, with viewers mesmerised by Roger Moore’s hairstyle - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNchg6Rc-Dk - and that white Volvo P1800. Here are twenty facts about ‘ST 1’.
LANCASTER INSURANCE PRIDE OF OWNERSHIP AUTUMN FINALISTS REVEALED
The 20 cars that will compete for the winning title in the Lancaster Insurance Pride of Ownership Autumn Final have been revealed. The winner will be decided by visitors to the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, with discovery+, on 11-13 Nov 2022 at Birmingham’s NEC.