Where is that time machine.
Discussion
My friend was telling me about when his Dad bought a Gullwing for 2k in 1960 for £2000...it was in a garage next to Bromley south station (Chris Steele) anyway, Stirling Moss had aparantly to look at it before him and turned it down as he thought it was to expensive !
The reg number was RXW 7..... my friends dad sold it years ago, he's been trying to trace it but had no luck.
The reg number was RXW 7..... my friends dad sold it years ago, he's been trying to trace it but had no luck.
Edited by EXKAY120 on Monday 23 April 08:38
Auto810graphy said:
Almost certainly I'd say.Odd that the current owner casts doubt on what Neile says in her autobiography about McQueen having a Gullwing during filming the Great Escape, just because no photos exist of him with it, given he was so famous. Given that filming was all shot on location in Bavaria over a 4 month period in the summer of 1962, its highly likely there are no photos if none were taken by Neile at the time.
And, at the time, he wasn't 'that' famous. McQueen would have gone around largely unrecognised by anyone at the time, especially in Germany. It was after the release of the Great Escape that his worldwide fame really kicked into overdrive.
Also, given that he was there only 4 months, and bought it, crashed it and sold it during that period, its also not surprising that it's dropped of the radar of ex-McQueen cars.
IIRC, it was while in Germany filming GE, that McQueen also bought his Hanhart 417ES Fliegerchrono watch.
My dad was getting about 10 quid a week wages in the 60s. His dream car at the time was an E-Type, but what with them being about 2 grand it was completely out of the question for him. I know people who are on a reasonable wage like £300 a week today yet they can barely afford a measely £20 for shopping. If people would live in the real world and stop buying a new motor on finance and living beyond their means (two holidays a year), then they wouldn't be so skint. That and more taxes and crippling mortages (aka death grip) to bleed us dry dosent help matters either. Just sold my nans 1940s semi detached house for just over 100k. That would just about get you a decent restored series 1 E-Type today with not much change left to live on.
I remember thumbing through lots of old classic ads from as recently as the 90s, where once there was an Aston DB6 for sale for about 30k; today you'd be paying about 300k. Madness.
I didn't know McQueen owned a Gullwing either.
I remember thumbing through lots of old classic ads from as recently as the 90s, where once there was an Aston DB6 for sale for about 30k; today you'd be paying about 300k. Madness.
I didn't know McQueen owned a Gullwing either.
Edited by Jukebag on Monday 23 April 11:10
Edited by Jukebag on Monday 23 April 11:33
£4,500 for a Gullwing?
I can do better as an investment than that.
I've a copy of "The Autocar" from Feb 58 and in the back there's an ad for C-Type Jag for £1,075.
My parents bought their house around about that time for a little of two and half times that figure. The house has gone up in value nicely, but nothing compared to how that C must have gained in the last couple of years.
I can do better as an investment than that.
I've a copy of "The Autocar" from Feb 58 and in the back there's an ad for C-Type Jag for £1,075.
My parents bought their house around about that time for a little of two and half times that figure. The house has gone up in value nicely, but nothing compared to how that C must have gained in the last couple of years.
aeropilot said:
Auto810graphy said:
Almost certainly I'd say.Odd that the current owner casts doubt on what Neile says in her autobiography about McQueen having a Gullwing during filming the Great Escape, just because no photos exist of him with it, given he was so famous. Given that filming was all shot on location in Bavaria over a 4 month period in the summer of 1962, its highly likely there are no photos if none were taken by Neile at the time.
And, at the time, he wasn't 'that' famous. McQueen would have gone around largely unrecognised by anyone at the time, especially in Germany. It was after the release of the Great Escape that his worldwide fame really kicked into overdrive.
Also, given that he was there only 4 months, and bought it, crashed it and sold it during that period, its also not surprising that it's dropped of the radar of ex-McQueen cars.
IIRC, it was while in Germany filming GE, that McQueen also bought his Hanhart 417ES Fliegerchrono watch.
lowdrag said:
ETA:- In 1962 I was earning £330 p.a, and only reached a salary of four figures in 1971.
So it would've been four and a bit years of salary, though I don't know whether yours was average. That's very similar to a modern nearly new car of a similar calibre. It's the ex race cars that are the really stirring deals. Motorsport classifieds from the 60s and 70s are the really way out read with GT40s and T70s for a handful of grand.
lowdrag said:
If your Dad is after a cheap E-type here are two. The first was Lofty England's demonstrator chassis #4 and the othe has famous connections.
ETA:- In 1962 I was earning £330 p.a, and only reached a salary of four figures in 1971.
Sadder still, I looked up the E-Type Jag address, and yes it is where I suspected it maybe. A few years ago we had a thread or mention about the owner of that garage, for many years I used to drive past it and never saw anyone looking at the cars (some were parked outside) someone went inside and took pictures and had a chat with the owner and it had old Rovers, some BL cars. It's now looks like its under new ownership.ETA:- In 1962 I was earning £330 p.a, and only reached a salary of four figures in 1971.
Edited by lowdrag on Monday 23 April 15:43
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