Old cars in regular use
Discussion
What are the oldest cars you remember seeing used on a regular basis? Not just preserved by enthusiasts or 'classics' but just as normal cars/old bangers bought by those on a budget.
My car interest started late 60s so I remember a lot of these.

I think there were a lot used as daily transport into the 70s.
London still had plenty of these during my first few visits, must have been around 67/68.

And a handful of these still looking positively futuristic.

One of my primary school teachers had one of these

My car interest started late 60s so I remember a lot of these.
I think there were a lot used as daily transport into the 70s.
London still had plenty of these during my first few visits, must have been around 67/68.
And a handful of these still looking positively futuristic.
One of my primary school teachers had one of these
Edited by Dr Jekyll on Saturday 14th December 13:59
When I passed my test in 86, Mk2 Escorts were the sort of £200 s
tter that you bought and ran til the MOT ran out. If you were really tragic, you might be stuck with a Mk1 but most had rotted away by then.
I remember in the mid/late 70s there were still a lot of Mk4 Zephyr/Zodiacs about (often driven by pub landlord types) until the banger boys got them.
At the same time, there were still a lot of tatty, end of life Mk2/S-type Jags about
tter that you bought and ran til the MOT ran out. If you were really tragic, you might be stuck with a Mk1 but most had rotted away by then. I remember in the mid/late 70s there were still a lot of Mk4 Zephyr/Zodiacs about (often driven by pub landlord types) until the banger boys got them.
At the same time, there were still a lot of tatty, end of life Mk2/S-type Jags about
In the '70s we used to see quite a few late '40s saloons knocking about, some early Rover P4s too, one of my classmate's got a lift to school in his Mum's well into 1978. Oldest car currently seen fairly regularly is a '65 Mk1 Cortina in dark green, looks like a basic model without any extras, still driven by the old boy who bought it new.
P5BNij said:
In the '70s we used to see quite a few late '40s saloons knocking about, some early Rover P4s too
It's quite funny as being a car mad kid growing up in the '70s, I don't remember anything old like that. Maybe it's a London thing, but agree on the P4s and would add Anglias and A40s but can't remember seeing anything older really. Seeing something that old was worthy of taking a picture:

'Posh' Ilford in about 1973.

Oldest thing I see used these days is an A35 parked in the street round the corner.

vixen1700 said:
P5BNij said:
In the '70s we used to see quite a few late '40s saloons knocking about, some early Rover P4s too
It's quite funny as being a car mad kid growing up in the '70s, I don't remember anything old like that. Maybe it's a London thing, but agree on the P4s and would add Anglias and A40s but can't remember seeing anything older really. Seeing something that old was worthy of taking a picture:

'Posh' Ilford in about 1973.

Oldest thing I see used these days is an A35 parked in the street round the corner.

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1119917
It didn't have those awful modern plates on though!
Edit : just remembered, our local 'lady from the Pru' had a pale blue Anglia which she kept going until at least 1983.
My father in law daily drives his Y reg seirra, it's not immaculate but well kept and suitably wear worn.
Passes each mot with no advisories every year.
We run our 52 plate golf as a family car, its still very suitable for job and passes mots with not much bother, done 130000 and probably got that in it again. No plans to change it.
I have a H reg nova, I'm not using it at the moment but it's ready when I do want it, garaged and kept charged up. I run it a bit every week.
There is a vauxhall Victor I keep seeing at the supermarket, old boy drives it daily.
Passes each mot with no advisories every year.
We run our 52 plate golf as a family car, its still very suitable for job and passes mots with not much bother, done 130000 and probably got that in it again. No plans to change it.
I have a H reg nova, I'm not using it at the moment but it's ready when I do want it, garaged and kept charged up. I run it a bit every week.
There is a vauxhall Victor I keep seeing at the supermarket, old boy drives it daily.
I was into cars from a very young age, so my first recollections would have been circa ‘72. There were plenty of A35/40s still doing the rounds, most of them looking pretty tired and the equivalent Anglias also. I think most of the immediate post war stuff had been scrapped by then, through age and of course the advent of the MOT test a decade or so earlier.
My stand out recollection however is from the late 70s when my friend’s father scrapped his ‘63 E-type as the clutch was slipping and it wasn’t worth fixing......
My stand out recollection however is from the late 70s when my friend’s father scrapped his ‘63 E-type as the clutch was slipping and it wasn’t worth fixing......

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