COOL CLASSIC CAR SPOTTERS POST!!! Vol 2

[vpr]

Nik da Greek said:

rene7 said:

Earlier today
Undoubtably some e type lovers are gonna explain/justify to us all why it looks so awful,

You forgot to mention the ridiculous pram-wheel offset fail

I have to agree with it all... I've always thought anything other than an early droptop or a lowdrag E-Type is one of the most overrated looking cars ever. "It's beautiful because we tell you so" seems to be the usual justification.

OMG, that windscreen-roof line sooooooooo awkward. That side photo just looks like someone parked an old boat behind an E-Type roadster

The 2+2 was never a looker but don't get it confused with the FHC which is by many reckoned to be the definitive E, the original design and the prettiest most complete and I agree.

Someone said "dark blue is an awful colour" well thats subjective obvs but a very popular colour even today and would sell far quicker that any primrose car which was not favoured here in the UK though very popular in the States

FHC

[LordBretSinclair]

[85Carrera]

TR6 in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter this evening

[DickyC]

A 420G? It has 420 on the boot. It was in Tor Quarry, an industrial area on the A381 between Kingsbridge and Totnes in Devon. Bizarrely, when I was back on the A381, a mile or so up the road the cover had eventually blown off a car I'd wondered about for years. Another Jag. An S Type I think.



I'll put it in Classics Rotting.

[P5BNij]

'Just' a 420 Dicky, the 420G was the larger, slightly facelifted and rebadged MkX


'Just' sounds a bit flippant on my part but the 420 was often described as a much nicer car all round than the Mk2 it was sold alongside for a while. It was a more powerful version of the S-Type with a scaled down MkX front end.

[DickyC]

P5BNij said:

'Just' a 420 Dicky, the 420G was the larger, slightly facelifted and rebadged MkX


'Just' sounds a bit flippant on my part but the 420 was often described as a much nicer car all round than the Mk2 it was sold alongside for a while. It was a more powerful version of the S-Type with a scaled down MkX front end.

That makes sense, P5B.

As an aside - being around at the time they were new - I thought of the S Type as MkX at the back and Mk2 at the front. If you see what I mean.

I was young.

[Doofus]

DickyC said:

That makes sense, P5B.

As an aside - being around at the time they were new - I thought of the S Type as MkX at the back and Mk2 at the front. If you see what I mean.

I was young.

That's essentially what it was though, surely?

[P5BNij]

DickyC said:

P5BNij said:

'Just' a 420 Dicky, the 420G was the larger, slightly facelifted and rebadged MkX


'Just' sounds a bit flippant on my part but the 420 was often described as a much nicer car all round than the Mk2 it was sold alongside for a while. It was a more powerful version of the S-Type with a scaled down MkX front end.

That makes sense, P5B.

As an aside - being around at the time they were new - I thought of the S Type as MkX at the back and Mk2 at the front. If you see what I mean.

I was young.

Yes pretty much, although the headlamps are slightly cowled on the S-Type as apposed to the bug eyed look of the Mk2. The roofline of the S-Type and 420 aren't the same as the mk2 though, something I didn't twig for years.

[DickyC]

Doofus said:

That's essentially what it was though, surely?

Oh, good. I was hoping it wasn't a naïve observation.

[DickyC]

P5BNij said:

Yes pretty much, although the headlamps are slightly cowled on the S-Type as apposed to the bug eyed look of the Mk2. The roofline of the S-Type and 420 aren't the same as the mk2 though, something I didn't twig for years.

Just love the Mk2. The bigger cars didn't quite do it for me.

[Doofus]

DickyC said:

Oh, good. I was hoping it wasn't a naïve observation.

There's a really awkward bit where the trailing edge of the (MKII) rear door is curved to meet the (MKII) wheel arch, but comes nowhere near it on the longer wheelbase of the S-Type.

[gothatway]

P5BNij said:

'Just' sounds a bit flippant on my part but the 420 was often described as a much nicer car all round than the Mk2 it was sold alongside for a while. It was a more powerful version of the S-Type with a scaled down MkX front end.

I bought a 420 when it was just a cheap 10-year-old Jag and kept it for more than 20 years. A lovely car to drive, very comfortable with the IRS - though the Mark II was reckoned to handle better on its live axle. I was told that the 420 sold more examples in its short production life than any of the other compact Jags.

[Speed 3]

Jag really did have some confusing naming conventions back then, all very random

[P5BNij]

gothatway said:

P5BNij said:

'Just' sounds a bit flippant on my part but the 420 was often described as a much nicer car all round than the Mk2 it was sold alongside for a while. It was a more powerful version of the S-Type with a scaled down MkX front end.

I bought a 420 when it was just a cheap 10-year-old Jag and kept it for more than 20 years. A lovely car to drive, very comfortable with the IRS - though the Mark II was reckoned to handle better on its live axle. I was told that the 420 sold more examples in its short production life than any of the other compact Jags.

Not too sure about that, the Mk2 models (including the later 240, 340 and Daimler 250 / V8s) ran to over 80,000 between 1969 and 1969, my guess is the 420 only managed a few thousand between 1966 and 1969.

[aeropilot]

P5BNij said:

gothatway said:

P5BNij said:

'Just' sounds a bit flippant on my part but the 420 was often described as a much nicer car all round than the Mk2 it was sold alongside for a while. It was a more powerful version of the S-Type with a scaled down MkX front end.

I bought a 420 when it was just a cheap 10-year-old Jag and kept it for more than 20 years. A lovely car to drive, very comfortable with the IRS - though the Mark II was reckoned to handle better on its live axle. I was told that the 420 sold more examples in its short production life than any of the other compact Jags.

Not too sure about that, the Mk2 models (including the later 240, 340 and Daimler 250 / V8s) ran to over 80,000 between 1969 and 1969, my guess is the 420 only managed a few thousand between 1966 and 1969.

25,000 S-Types and only a few hundred under 10,000 420's, which is not surprising given the 420's production run was a mere two years between 66-68.

[aeropilot]

Whilst we know its not 100% accurate, according to How Many Left, there's just under 200 420's left in UK, and about 450 S-Types.

Mind you, they must have killed a dozen or so S-Types during filming episodes of The Sweeney in the 70's

[P5BNij]

I dare say most of those 420s were sold to bank managers, solicitors and doctors when they were new. I think most of them were autos too.


One of the S-Types used in The Sweeney was rolled in one episode, knocked back into shape and used again in another one! Pete Brayham chose them because they were dirt cheap at the time.

Edited by P5BNij on Thursday 9th August 13:38

Edited by P5BNij on Thursday 9th August 13:38

[DickyC]

How many steps from bank manager's car to getaway car?

[P5BNij]

DickyC said:

How many steps from bank manager's car to getaway car?

About five years, forty two owners and a failed MOT...?

[aeropilot]

P5BNij said:

One of the S-Types used in The Sweeney was rolled in one episode, knocked back into shape and used again in another one! Pete Brayham chose them because they were dirt cheap at the time.

I can remember toying with the idea of buying an S-Type in 1980, as there were lots of them in Exchange&Mart for £500-600 but my far too sensible Dad talked me out of it.
He was so of right though, as the fuel bills alone would have bankrupted me on my measly 30 quid a week apprentice wages.....