Rugd1022

At one time (not really that long ago), you could pick up a usable 400 or 412 for around £20k. Nobody wanted them back then though and the same goes for the Mondial, the cheapest way into Ferrari ownership, it was even less loved than the Bertone designed 208 / 308GT4s which now seen as the excellent mid engined sports car they always were. Pretty much all of the period road test reports thought the GT4 superior to the outgoing but prettier Dino246GTs, the handling was described as better than anything on the road bar the Lamborghini Urraco, ironic really considering the overall design was based on a rejected proposal for the baby Lambo.

I think it may have been the refuge siding / loading doack trailing off the Down Main just to the east of the station - I'm sure Mike / SM will be able to confirm / put me right on that.

Some time ago I posted a pic of Old Oak man Dennis Mansell posing on the front of D817 at Bristol TM in 1960, I've subsequently been sent another couple taken at the same time, obviously everyone on board that day wanted a keepsake...!

Ruby Tuesday - The Rolling Stones

The two Ferrari 400s at the NEC last Spring... Used to see a silver one quite often when I lived in Hammersmith in the early '80s, I was probably the only person in the area who ever took any notice of it.

Yes Pete, they look like standard sized Flaminia GT wheels in the top photo, here it is in profile... The 400 series, very nice, very much the 'unloved' Ferrari but I've always liked and been impressed by them. Saw two in the auction area at the NEC Restoration Show back in the Spring, I sat in both and was knocked back by the relative opulence and glamour they conveyed, much better build quality than I was expecting too. One was manual, one was auto IIRC.

Right, that's it, I'm moving to Milan and growing a moustache... https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=alfa+romeo+alfetta&&view=detail&mid=F4787C6D3F4F42446226F4787C6D3F4F42446226&&FORM=VRDGAR How's this for Italian elegance - the 1969 Lancia Flaminia Marica by Ghia, I don't know how many were built but what a lovely looking thing it is... Ciao!

Grainy large logo period at Ranlagh Bridge, 1984... 50 003 with 47 066 nine years earlier in 1974, forty three years ago... (!)

Early shot of 402 at Old Oak, stabled outside the Factory...

Indeed he did, it was a technique started by factory test drivers Bob Wallace and Valentino Balboni, sometimes they'd perched themselves on the wide sill and still be able to reach the pedals, I watched someone do it at a car show several years ago, it's quite a feat.

Photo c/o Alex McCallum, the young secondman in the doorway, with his driver Jim Moodie at Ayr depot... Photo c/o Russell Maiden, a young spotter with D1000 'Western Enterprise' outside Swindon Works in 1962... Marlene Dietrich on the tube in June 1973, she was appearing at Wimbledon Theatre at the time...

Thanks DH - just read your earlier post.... I wonder why the AGIP dragon has six legs...? Yet this version only has three...! When was the last time a forecourt attendant checked your tyre pressures for you...? Another recent find via pinterest, a nice selection of tin somewhere in Italy c.1969 / 70... How's this for an oddity - an unusual looking AGIP mobile refuelling vehicle on an Alpine Rally somewhere... the Alfa Sprint Zagato would be worth a pretty penny or two now but it would be just as nice to see the fuelling truck at a show today...

All Along The Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix, a clear case of a cover version outdoing the Bob Dylan original

Rather partial to period paraphenalia like the Multipla brochure, I found these images on pinterest yesterday... AGIP is I suppose Italy's version of Shell or BP... Bonus Maserati Sebring...

I've just remembered, during one of my frequent trawls of old car stuff on youtube I found a video of one of the 'Luftgekelte' (air cooled) meetimgs in sunny California, I'm sure there was a silver 356 Notchback in it. The variety of cars in this fifteen minute clip was staggering, no two Porkers of the same type seemed to be alike. The looks of the Alfa Giulia Berlina are quite something, I think they look fantastic in the flesh, on my last visit to the Alfa dealer in Nuneaton there was a metallic brown one in the service department's car park, it looked rather special, and very different to the brand new Giulia QF sat next to it. Who remembers the olive green Carabinieri Giulia being taking a swim in the river in Turin in 'the Italian Job'...?

Bearing in mind that many period vehicles for film and TV work are found via owner's clubs it's no surprise that those they're offered are in good nick. There are private companies who hire stuff out too, some of their vehicles do tend to get bashed about a bit and some are quite awful close up, for example the white Series 1 XJ6 used in 'The Bank Job' a few years ago was sold on pretty quickly and had white paint directly on top of the rusty sills!

Yes it is, here's one for sale and a rare RHD one to boot... https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C983675

How Do You Sleep? - John Lennon

It's a Porsche 356 Coupe, as far as I know the design of the bolt on wheels is partly down to the large hub / drum assembly on these cars.

It can't be a three Rob, D843 was never maroon

There would be no reason to leave anything stabled at Banbury really, as the loco, stock and crew would all need to be back at Old Oak.

^^^ Beautiful! Some more Continental nostalgia, photographer unknown alas but what lovely images, all taken in 1970... Innsbruck... Mont Saint Michel... Guess where... Tyrol... Stockholm... I've just ordered another Italian crime flic from Amazon, not an older one this time but a more recent one made in 2010, it's set in the '70s and based on a true story of a kidnapping plot, of which there were many in Italy at the time, anyway the production team went to town on sourcing a large number of the right cars which must have taken some doing with lots of 'everyday' stuff amongst the executive BMWs etc...

Morning all, Grey, damp and decidedly dismal hereabouts this morning, but I am being thoroughly entertained by the thirteen beautiful Magpies currently dancing around on the lawn, all in search of delicious grubs no doubt, they really are lovely creatures to look at. There are also two very handsome looking Crows joining in, bless 'em.

Another dash of Continental municipal chic, an Alfa Romeo 430 of 1942 vintage coachbuilt by Ambrosino…

Say Hello, Wave Goodbye - Soft Cell