Turned away from a classic car show
Discussion
Markgenesis said:
I love the Princess, around the mid 80's my sister had a (now super rare) Morris 1800 version.
I turned up at a "classic and performance" show once with a 78 3.0S Capri and was asked which section it belonged "oh yeah, it'll look great sitting among the chaved up Clio's and Corsa's"
lovely 3 litre you have thereI turned up at a "classic and performance" show once with a 78 3.0S Capri and was asked which section it belonged "oh yeah, it'll look great sitting among the chaved up Clio's and Corsa's"
Mound Dawg said:
Link to "story doing the rounds" please?
All things being equal, I'd have let it in. Even though I think they're horrible, they're a big part of our motor industry history.
https://www.facebook.com/131378263625471/photos/a.141909559239008.28779.131378263625471/684190218344270/?type=1&theaterAll things being equal, I'd have let it in. Even though I think they're horrible, they're a big part of our motor industry history.
It's also on a few classic car magazine facebooks, Classic Car Weekly etc.
RichB said:
DickyC said:
Turned up at the Goodwood Breakfast Club years ago in a convoy of three RS2s. What a job we had persuading the gate keepers to let us into the paddock even though we had the paperwork..
I didn't think they issued 'paperwork' years ago. 
We applied. The man on the gate had a list. We were on it. He didn't want to let us in.
It was the matching calipers that persuaded him, oddly.
Baz2000 said:
https://www.facebook.com/131378263625471/photos/a....
It's also on a few classic car magazine facebooks, Classic Car Weekly etc.
Ta.It's also on a few classic car magazine facebooks, Classic Car Weekly etc.
My Dad had a 2200HLS as a company car in 1980. Nice enough, not as nice as the 3.0 Granada that preceded it, but comfy and quiet with some 'go' from the asthmatic 6 cyl engine, and - wonder of wonders - armrests on both front seats.
Fast forward to 1982 and I'm working, and one of my managers has a Princess 1.7L company car. In brown. With vinyl seats. And no PAS. It was the car you were offered to conduct some menial task, like buy some coffee or top up the franking machine, almost as a punishment because it was a pretty unlovely mode of transport (as a driver).
However, it was a significant design and therefore imho worthy of note today. Just another BL lets-skimp-on-things-like-development-and-quality-control outpouring lapped up by a grateful audience. Not. The Ambassador however is a steaming pile of effluent.
Fast forward to 1982 and I'm working, and one of my managers has a Princess 1.7L company car. In brown. With vinyl seats. And no PAS. It was the car you were offered to conduct some menial task, like buy some coffee or top up the franking machine, almost as a punishment because it was a pretty unlovely mode of transport (as a driver).
However, it was a significant design and therefore imho worthy of note today. Just another BL lets-skimp-on-things-like-development-and-quality-control outpouring lapped up by a grateful audience. Not. The Ambassador however is a steaming pile of effluent.
HorneyMX5 said:
MrHorsepower said:
Following the problems with Wheels Day, someone suggested an idea that I quite like which is to allow automatic entry to anything pre-'80 (or whatever date you like) and post-'79 cars will have to book and be accepted if they're not something stupid like the 13-plate Fiat 500 which was at Wheels Day. Obviously, the practicality of that depends on the scale of the show.
My own idea would be to arrange the cars by the era in which they were produced, so you could have sections for pre-war, '50s and '60s, '70s and '80s and '90s and onward. With our M.G. of '79 vintage we usually get parked with other M.G.s, which isn't a problem, but we'd rather get parked with a proper classic like a '79 Princess than M.G.s made after the RV8. You might want to include sections for specialist vehicles, e.g. an American and custom section and a sports/supercar section, because the owners of a Ferrari F355, pro street 4th gen. Mustang and a Fiat Panda might not be interested in parking with each other.
Disagree. One of the things I love about events liek the PHSSs and Wheels day is the variety of stuff all parked amongst each other. My own idea would be to arrange the cars by the era in which they were produced, so you could have sections for pre-war, '50s and '60s, '70s and '80s and '90s and onward. With our M.G. of '79 vintage we usually get parked with other M.G.s, which isn't a problem, but we'd rather get parked with a proper classic like a '79 Princess than M.G.s made after the RV8. You might want to include sections for specialist vehicles, e.g. an American and custom section and a sports/supercar section, because the owners of a Ferrari F355, pro street 4th gen. Mustang and a Fiat Panda might not be interested in parking with each other.
As someone who was involved with the Classic British Welcome at Le Mans, I know it is difficult for the French marshals since they have no idea about british cars. Many's the time people have come up and complained about being placed down with the "also rans" and I've had to see the man on the gate and get them let in. I do remember myself being on the gate of a monthly meet where we only let "real" classics into the pub car park. After a visit to the small room, I saw this C-type parked up in the inner circle but had the foresight to have a look underneath before opening my mouth. Yes, it was a real one! I wonder, assuming if this story is true, whether a quiet word with the man on the gate explaining the rarity and age of the car might not have sufficed? Whatever, it does seem somewhat strange, and perhaps just one of those urban myths.
RichB said:
For the uninitiated what is Wheels Day?
Hotrod, custom & American car show predominately but all classics in essence. Run by Surrey Street Rods and held on Good Friday every year. Held at the Top Gear track this year but previously at Rushmoor Arena, Aldershot in previous years and back there in 2015 I believe.Usually 1000+ cars.
On two recent occasions, at 'classic' shows locally there have been swathes of the hotted up Volvo estate S70/V70??) and dozens of MX5's - neither of which fit the age criteria - the Volvos getting pride of place whilst our Ferrari was shoved in with the 'kit cars' and a handful of assorted British sports (which were all 'old enough' and very nice)
Surely a 35 year old Princess should have been allowed in
Surely a 35 year old Princess should have been allowed in
DickyC said:
...had it been built by Alfa Romeo or Lancia it would have been seen as a shining example of revolutionary styling and would now be keenly sought after.
Had the designers of Alfa Romeo or Lancia at the time passed a drawing of that pig ugly monstrosity across the boardroom table, I think a swift kick in the nether regions would have been swift and sharp. Proceeding about my business in an orderly manner one day, many years ago, I saw several car transporters loaded with them before they were announced. I couldn't see what make they were and was just fascinated by them. They were so different. I guessed Alfa Romeo. I was wrong. They were BL. The cards were stacked against them from the start.
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