Tucked away classics from your youth
Discussion
When we were kids, we all knew a relative/friend/neighbour with a classic car tucked away somewhere. Many would barely see the light of day. Transport yourself back in time and tell us what you remember. I wonder where these cars are today.
A family with 2 Ferrari Dino 246s.
A gentleman with an early Bristol.
A guy with a Bentley 8 litre.
A guy with a large collection of valuable classics, including several Ferraris and Maseratis.
A family with 2 Ferrari Dino 246s.
A gentleman with an early Bristol.
A guy with a Bentley 8 litre.
A guy with a large collection of valuable classics, including several Ferraris and Maseratis.
Riley Blue said:
Depends in which decade you were a kid. In the 1950s everyone who had a car (that meant about one in ten families) had one that would be considered a classic today, my Dad's A40 Devon among them - EDN 945, are you still out there?
Exactly.When I was a car mad kid growing up in the 60's, 'a classic car' would have only been a term used for pre-war stuff....that I recall.
Everything else was just old cars.
My dad was a doctor in rural Dorset in the 70's - mid 90's. He would have endless stories about visiting some old doddery couple in a tumble down farmhouse in the middle of nowhere and in conversation discovering that there was an old MG or Riley hiding in their barn somewhere. His partner was quite knowledgeable in antiques, and similarly would see the occasional rare bowl or priceless vase being used as an umbrella stand by the unwitting owner.
When I was about 15 or 16 in the mid 80s I had a weekend job cleaning cars in the local family owned Alfa dealer. The owner had stashed in the workshop under a cover, a pristine DB5 in silver with black leather which he'd occasionally start up and leave to idle. I worked there for about a year and they were friends of the family for years and I can't recall ever seeing the Aston out and about.
When I was about 15 or 16 in the mid 80s I had a weekend job cleaning cars in the local family owned Alfa dealer. The owner had stashed in the workshop under a cover, a pristine DB5 in silver with black leather which he'd occasionally start up and leave to idle. I worked there for about a year and they were friends of the family for years and I can't recall ever seeing the Aston out and about.
Also, my Uncle had a Mk1 Lotus Cortina. Mothballed in his garage from when he rallied it in the 60s. He had worked on the head himself and was v proud it had 120bhp at the rear wheels! Never moved and was sold eventually. I bet he wishes he had kept it now!
These were both in the 80s BTW.
These were both in the 80s BTW.
LotusOmega375D said:
So did you know anyone with a pre-war classic squirrelled away?
No, no one at all.In the 1950s in rural Lincolnshire the oldest vehicles around were tractors (or the milkman's horse) and when I was a 'youth' in the '60s in the London suburbs the only car of any note I remember was my cousin's pink Vauxhall accessorised courtesy of American custom car magazines.
The only pre-war cars I saw in the '50s were on the track at Brands Hatch.
Back then, most people drove older cars so a many a "classic" was just considered an old clapped-out banger and people bought as new a car as they could afford. Most were one car families too.
Nearest was my mate's Dad who ran a 1965 Chevrolet Impala in faded gold but he worked for Shell so got cheap petrol. While very much a classic now, it was just his daily and this was 1972-4 so it wasn't even that old, technically.
Plenty of old Mk II Jags round but again, daily drivers.
Nearest was my mate's Dad who ran a 1965 Chevrolet Impala in faded gold but he worked for Shell so got cheap petrol. While very much a classic now, it was just his daily and this was 1972-4 so it wasn't even that old, technically.
Plenty of old Mk II Jags round but again, daily drivers.
My dad was a policemen and seemed to know everyone. Occasionally he'd tell me of something he'd discovered hidden in someone's garage, then usually arrange to take me along when off duty.
Highlights were a Graber-bodied Alvis TD21 and a Jensen FF, both of which were in long term hibernation. Others included a 1960 Mini (which he tried to buy) and an Austin 1800 Landcrab being used as a shed on an allotment.
Highlights were a Graber-bodied Alvis TD21 and a Jensen FF, both of which were in long term hibernation. Others included a 1960 Mini (which he tried to buy) and an Austin 1800 Landcrab being used as a shed on an allotment.
Early 1980’s a school friend’s dad had a garden with several Jag MK2’s in various states (mostly rusty). This was in a small village near Gloucester.
Late 80’s, slightly less ‘glam’ and in rural Hereford, one of my grandparents neighbours always had a motley selection of Triumph 200/2500’s on his property. To be fair they were still more in the old banger status back then.
Late 80’s, slightly less ‘glam’ and in rural Hereford, one of my grandparents neighbours always had a motley selection of Triumph 200/2500’s on his property. To be fair they were still more in the old banger status back then.
My Grandparents lived on an unmade up road just outside Rugby. One of the other residents had a number of early Lancias, Aprilia, Aurelia and a few others. Reading a Bonhams description of a Bugatti 55, same gent had owned that, and two other type 55s too, albeit before my time. Today that would be 15m plus of Bugattis…
Another gent local to us had a Lotus Elite. It lived across the back of a long double width garage, usually covered down. He wasn’t very forthcoming when my father asked about it. He had been a speedway rider in his youth. When it finally came up for sale we learned the first owner was Hazel Chapman.
Jon
Another gent local to us had a Lotus Elite. It lived across the back of a long double width garage, usually covered down. He wasn’t very forthcoming when my father asked about it. He had been a speedway rider in his youth. When it finally came up for sale we learned the first owner was Hazel Chapman.
Jon
Back in the mid-80's I was a member of a shooting syndicate in Wales. In a building on one of the farms I came across a Fraser-Nash BMW. It had been owned by the farmers son who had headed off to WWII and never came home.
It was in a terrible state but they were not prepared to part with it at any price.
It was in a terrible state but they were not prepared to part with it at any price.
About 1987/8 a mate rented a workshop at the end of a block of normal up and over type garages. At the other end there was a ramshackle workshop that had four or five Lancias stored, all from around early to mid seventies I think.
I remember one was a Flavia Sport Zagato and two Fulvias one may also have been a Zagato? An old chap (probably in his 70s) use to fettle them most days but I never saw them leave the workshop. Often wonder what happened to the cars, the site is now a private home.
I was a bit of a ignoramus when it came to classic Italian cars and clearly not much better now despite a year or so later ending up with a few 80s Alfas: a 2.0 Giulietta, GTV and GTV6 to replace five Dolomite Sprints.
I remember one was a Flavia Sport Zagato and two Fulvias one may also have been a Zagato? An old chap (probably in his 70s) use to fettle them most days but I never saw them leave the workshop. Often wonder what happened to the cars, the site is now a private home.
I was a bit of a ignoramus when it came to classic Italian cars and clearly not much better now despite a year or so later ending up with a few 80s Alfas: a 2.0 Giulietta, GTV and GTV6 to replace five Dolomite Sprints.
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