1970's motor-cars for goods yard staff.

[BernardTPM]

2 hours ago, Ramblin Rich said:

I believe the Reliant Robin first appeared in 1973 so the earlier Regals would still be around. Being fibreglass, they also didn't rust 

I recently saw a 1978 Reliant Kitten (so that makes two locally).

[shipbadger]

My brother had a Reliant Regal.  One day the engine erupted through the bonnet and it was declared dead.  None of the local scrapyards would take it so he sawed the body in to chunks and week by week put it in the dustbin.  Scrapman then came and collected the mechanical bits.

[jonny777]

Don't forget strange cars such as the NSU Prinz, and bubble cars. 

 

Then there were 1970s Lancias which rusted so fast no one can remember them. 

 

The coal merchant might not have become wealthy by purchasing new cars, but I can imagine him driving an old Rover P4 which he has cherished for years, and washed every Sunday morning without fail. 

 

[C126]

11 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

This might help.

https://www.lancasterinsurance.co.uk/news/2018/june/22/street-scenes-the-1970s/

or this.

https://www.vintag.es/2015/01/28-color-photographs-of-street-scenes.html

or this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=pbeg0jD-PBk

and this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XqE9H8Waqg

 

 

Thanks so much for these, and everyone else's contributions.  Do the motor-cars of one's childhood look so much more 'handsome' than to-day's, or is it just me?  I know almost nothing about them, but recognise many of the cars from my school-days by sight, if not knowing the make and model.  Lots of advice to ponder; I can not wait for the model-shop to re-open.

[Fat Controller]

1 hour ago, jonny777 said:

Don't forget strange cars such as the NSU Prinz, and bubble cars. 

 

Then there were 1970s Lancias which rusted so fast no one can remember them. 

 

The coal merchant might not have become wealthy by purchasing new cars, but I can imagine him driving an old Rover P4 which he has cherished for years, and washed every Sunday morning without fail. 

 

We almost bought one of those Lancias, a Fulvia, back in 1979; it was probably about five years old, and reasonably priced. We soon found out why... Getting it through the MoT would have cost us about £400, and insurance was about the same. We bought a 1967 Viva HB instead, and spent two summers wondering all over southern France.

Regarding cars and goods yards; in many French yards, the three-part telescopic steel hoods from coil carriers were repurposed as car and bike shelters. The largest one would  house the boss's car, the middle one his assistant's, whilst the smallest would have the various push-bikes and Mobylettes.

Edited February 6, 2021 by Fat Controller

[laurenceb]

I dont recall seeing a bubble car in the wild much beond the mid 60's

[Wheatley]

On 06/02/2021 at 10:10, C126 said:

Do the motor-cars of one's childhood look so much more 'handsome' than to-day's, or is it just me?  I know almost nothing about them, but recognise many of the cars from my school-days by sight, if not knowing the make and model.

They are certainly more memorable, there was much more variety of shape between them before computers got involved in reducing co-efficients if friction and we all finished up driving a jelly mould or a wedge. Also we were young and impressionable and it seemed to matter far more that you could recognise them. One of my mates could even tell different models apart in the dark from the layout of their rear lighting, not so easy from the front when everything had Lucas 7" round headlights !

[Nearholmer]

Late contribution:

 

The chap four doors along from us at the date in question had a job very close to ‘working in a BR goods yard’, in that he drove a BR goods/parcels delivery van. In the 1960s he’d occasionally call home for lunch in his scamell mechanical horse, but I think he had a commer walk-through by the 70s.

 

He caught the bus to work, and I doubt could have afforded a car if he’d wanted one.

 

By the mid 70s, I was working for BR myself, and relatively few people below supervisory level had a car. Oddly enough, it was more youngsters who did, because they were at ‘pre kids’ stage in life so had spare money. A lot of older guys had got by without a car all their lives, so didn’t bother getting one even when children grew up and they had a tiny bit of spare money.

 

Remember that BR staff had good travel concessions, so many travelled fair distances to work by train, and that BR wages were fairly rubbish, especially in the late-70s when inflation was immense and there were public sector wage freezes. I remember the chief instructor at our BR training school bought a fairly newish secondhand Rover 2000, and everyone was rocked off their heels that he’d got such a posh car - he was just short of retirement and was frankly ‘treating himself’.

 

I reckon most of your little plastic men come to work by bus, train, bike, light motorbike, or walking. If they have a car, likely secondhand and with a rust problem and needing a new clutch.

 

Secondhand DS19 did exist at this date BTW, my uncle had one. He was a painter and decorator and bought it because it was good for fitting lots of gear into. Didn’t last, though, because spares and repairs were too costly.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 7, 2021 by Nearholmer

[C126]

24 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Late contribution:

 

The chap four doors along from us at the date in question had a job very close to ‘working in a BR goods yard’, in that he drove a BR goods/parcels delivery van. In the 1960s he’d occasionally call home for lunch in his scamell mechanical horse, but I think he had a commer walk-through by the 70s.

 

He caught the bus to work, and I doubt could have afforded a car if he’d wanted one.

 

By the mid 70s, I was working for BR myself, and relatively few people below supervisory level had a car. Oddly enough, it was more youngsters who did, because they were at ‘pre kids’ stage in life so had spare money. A lot of older guys had got by without a car all their lives, so didn’t bother getting one even when children grew up and they had a tiny bit of spare money.

 

Remember that BR staff had good travel concessions, so many travelled fair distances to work by train, and that BR wages were fairly rubbish, especially in the late-70s when inflation was immense and there were public sector wage freezes. I remember the chief instructor at our BR training school bought a fairly newish secondhand Rover 2000, and everyone was rocked off their heels that he’d got such a posh car - he was just short of retirement and was frankly ‘treating himself’.

 

I reckon most of your little plastic men come to work by bus, train, bike, light motorbike, or walking. If they have a car, likely secondhand and with a rust problem and needing a new clutch.

 

Secondhand DS19 did exist at this date BTW, my uncle had one. He was a painter and decorator and bought it because it was good for fitting lots of gear into. Didn’t last, though, because spares and repairs were too costly.

 

Never so late as to be of no interest.  Many thanks for this.  As an aside, I concur with the idea of 'having grown up without a car then not needing one', even to-day.  My curiosity was partly the division between the 'private sector' (coal and ag. merchants and their digger-drivers) vs. B.R. yard staff.  I read here someone saying s/he quit in the 1970's (as a driver?!) because the pay and shifts were so appalling.  Also, all these kind contributions have taught me the problem of rust in those days.

 

We had a builder do work on our house in the '80's, and he had a post-DS19 Citroen, because he liked the suspension being able to cope with all his tools and gear, if I understood correctly.  He demonstrated when I asked him about it (expecting a more rugged Land Rover or some sort of 'pick-up'), watching the car 'level itself' when he got ready to drive off.

 

I am starting to ramble, so must sign off.  Many thanks again to you all.

[Invicta]

On 05/02/2021 at 17:26, Wheatley said:

I was at junior school  from the mid 70s, the teachers cars were parked at one end of the playground and were, from memory, mostly Minis, Morris 1000s, Triumph Dolomites, Allegros etc. The floaty bohemian one had a VW Beetle which was about as exotic as they got. The headmaster had a Cortina Mk3 which was always immaculate. My dad was a headmaster, we ran Ford Escorts, always second hand, all through the 1970s. These were professionals on reasonable money and there was nothing flashy. 

 

Most railway staff (and artisans generally) would have had second hand cars if they had one at all, the size usually being dictated by the number of children required to be transported in them at weekends (no seatbelts, you can get 4 small ones abreast in the back of an Escort). Even then most would walk or go on the bus if it was convenient, especially during/after the oil crisis. Almost no-one had second cars, they were too expensive as occasional runabouts. The only railway staff I ever knew with with posh cars were relief sgnalmen, think second-hand Rover, Austin Cambridge etc. Parked next to the box so they could washing it while they were working your Sunday. 

 

Thinking back to growing up on a 1960's estate, that sounds like a pretty representative cross-section- From memory, the car history of my Dad (miner) in the 70's ran through Ford Anglia,  Vauxhall HB Viva, HC Viva saloon, HC Viva Estate, FE Victor, BL Princess- apart from the Anglia they were usually bought between 18 months- 3 years old and kept for 2-3 years max. Immediate neighbours (miners, NCB office staff, office/management at a local factory etc.)  had mainly a succession of Vauxhalls (Vivas, Mk1 Cavaliers), BL (1100s, Allegros) or Ford (Mk2/3 Cortina, Mk1/2 Escorts, a couple of Mk1 Granadas) or Rootes (Imps, Avengers, Hunters etc.). What I remember of the school car park wasn't much different. 

 

Foreign cars seemed fairly rare, until sales of Japanese cars started to grow- I've got a vague memory of a neighbour having a Simca 1100 at one point, and my form tutor when I started secondary school in the late 70's had a  couple of Renault 16s, which seemed pretty left-field at the time.

 

There was certainly a fair amount of 60's - and even late 50's stuff- still around.- At the beginning of my time at secondary school ('79/80) I can remember a couple of Triumph Heralds/VItesses, and at Junior school while my teacher had an HC VIva, her neighbour in the next class had an early Mk1 Mini, and one of the younger female teachers in the infants department used to turn up in a very ratty old Ford 100E- this would have been 1977/8-ish.

 

Exotica? Not much, although one of our junior school teachers did have an MG Midget, followed by a Lotus Elan, and the neighbourhood Mk1 Escort contingent included either a 1300 Sport or a Mexico

Edited February 7, 2021 by Invicta

[Nearholmer]

Set myself a memory test, and have got 17/20.

 

The residents of the road that my mother still lives in, c1973, with their transport. Very few if any of the women worked, so jobs are those of the men.

 

Gives a bit of a view of the demographics of car ownership.

 

Widow - walked.

Window cleaner - secondhand minivan, repainted with brush and a tin of paint. Recently graduated from a motorbike and sidecar.

Chief mechanic at local garage - Always something new and immaculate, a perk of the job.

Teacher (my father) - moped or 'bus until he got a post near home, then he walked.

MoD Radio specialist - Half-timbered Moggy Minor.

Bricklayer - walked, miles if necessary to get to a site, carrying his gear.

BR Van driver - walk or bus.

Bank clerk - Mini Traveller that only got used at weekends, walked to work.

Retired - walked or used taxis.

Retired - staggered (to and from the pub lunchtime and evenings)

Gardener/nurseryman - push-bike, a really ancient but immaculate one.

Insurance agent - Morris Marina.

Retired Bank Clerk - 1950s Austin A40 Estate, grey and highly polished!

????? - walked

Widow - walked

Draughtsman (and seriously good railway modeller) - Reliant 3-wheeler.

Council road labourer - walked.

 

A decade earlier there had been only two people in the street with cars (the garage mechanic and the bank clerk with the old Austin, which was quite new then).

 

 

Edited February 7, 2021 by Nearholmer

[Tim V]

Here is the car park at Kilmersdon Colliery in 1972, see what cars you can identify! Also you can see the steam from the Peckett.

[Nearholmer]

Empty bike shed; full car park. Miners must have done alright over the preceding ten years. 

[Tim V]

8 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Empty bike shed; full car park. Miners must have done alright over the preceding ten years. 

Or they live further away. Originally, they would have lived within walking distance, but with the contraction of the Somerset coal field, the miners were travelling from other closed collieries.

[PhilJ W]

18 minutes ago, Tim V said:

Here is the car park at Kilmersdon Colliery in 1972, see what cars you can identify! Also you can see the steam from the Peckett.

 

11 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Empty bike shed; full car park. Miners must have done alright over the preceding ten years. 

 

Just now, Tim V said:

Or they live further away. Originally, they would have lived within walking distance, but with the contraction of the Somerset coal field, the miners were travelling from other closed collieries.

The calm before the storm.

[Fat Controller]

On 06/02/2021 at 09:08, jonny777 said:

Don't forget strange cars such as the NSU Prinz, and bubble cars. 

 

Then there were 1970s Lancias which rusted so fast no one can remember them. 

 

The coal merchant might not have become wealthy by purchasing new cars, but I can imagine him driving an old Rover P4 which he has cherished for years, and washed every Sunday morning without fail. 

 

One consideration for the coal-man, like small builders and other people owning smallish commercial vehicles, was that their car could be used to tow the van or tipper if it broke down. That's why we had an Ensign, a Vanguard and finally a Cresta PB. The latter was perhaps an error of judgement, as it was a three-speed 'box.

[javlinfaw7]

Ex works vans were also quite popular two brothers ,ex university students,that lived near me each  had a Thames 300e that were under almost constant maintenance. Bedford HA with added rear seats were common normally badly rusted .

[Nearholmer]

Yes. Ex-company/gas board/electricity board etc vans, and ex-army Landrovers. Oodles of Series 1 and early Series 2 were sold-off in the early 70s.

[C126]

I thought I ought to exhibit the outcome of all your kind contributions, delivered to-day:

 

 

... plus a couple of box van lorries for general merchandise (the "MACBRAYNES" will be removed when I have the time and ability).  A couple of the choices are with 'modeller's licence', but I could not resist the Rover P6 from my childhood for the aggregate merchant.  My partner suggested he had come into a small inheritance.  The Austin Cambridge is the sedate means of conveying the coal merchant, of course.  Now I just need to amend the number plates, and get the first few figures delivered.

 

May I thank you all again for your endless help with this and all my other queries.  It is much appreciated, and the answers I hope of use to others as well.  With best wishes.

[BernardTPM]

If you can pick out the headlght surrounds in chrome silver that would much improve the frontal appearance of the A60. Real one in the same colour here.

[Nearholmer]

Very much. I actually didn't recognise what the model is supposed to be, not being good on car model designations, but instantly recognised the real  car, by the chrome "eyelids".

[64F]

4 hours ago, BernardTPM said:

If you can pick out the headlght surrounds in chrome silver that would much improve the frontal appearance of the A60. Real one in the same colour here.

Absolutely - some of these diecasts are transformed by a little bit of detailing to correct light shapes, trim etc. - the Oxford Ford Sierra Sapphire for example looks pretty poor out of the box but scrubs up into a really nice model with some work.

 

If you are minded to detail them you can't go wrong with the usual trick of disassembling them and painting the body colour "window ledges" and wheel-arches matt black to disguise the thickness of the diecast and the lack of flush glazing on the sides, followed by a very light spray of matt varnish to take the shine off before reassembly.  Personally I also repaint light coloured interiors like that on the Capri a darker colour too, along with any model-specific detailing.  The Escort and the Rover particularly benefit from this treatment - I am not sure why Oxford give the Escort a rubber window gasket around the rear passenger windows but not the door windows, and the effect is further undermined by the "gasket" being several scale inches from the glazing, which on a white car it is especially noticable.  The Rover P6 looks rather "fat" because of the extra thickness around the windows added to the prototypically rotund bodyside, but the black paint trick sorts that out.

[C126]

11 hours ago, 64F said:

Absolutely - some of these diecasts are transformed by a little bit of detailing to correct light shapes, trim etc. - the Oxford Ford Sierra Sapphire for example looks pretty poor out of the box but scrubs up into a really nice model with some work.

 

If you are minded to detail them you can't go wrong with the usual trick of disassembling them and painting the body colour "window ledges" and wheel-arches matt black to disguise the thickness of the diecast and the lack of flush glazing on the sides, followed by a very light spray of matt varnish to take the shine off before reassembly.  Personally I also repaint light coloured interiors like that on the Capri a darker colour too, along with any model-specific detailing.  The Escort and the Rover particularly benefit from this treatment - I am not sure why Oxford give the Escort a rubber window gasket around the rear passenger windows but not the door windows, and the effect is further undermined by the "gasket" being several scale inches from the glazing, which on a white car it is especially noticable.  The Rover P6 looks rather "fat" because of the extra thickness around the windows added to the prototypically rotund bodyside, but the black paint trick sorts that out.

 

Many thanks to both you and @BernardTPM for these suggestions.  I admit my confidence in painting small models has had a hit, with my starting yester-day to paint 'on the sprue' a model Foden Haulmaster (why does the enamel dry so quickly?!), but I will give it a go when the shops open and I can buy some more colours.  Thanks again to you all.

[Johann Marsbar]

I can manage a photo of a selection of Teachers cars at a School circa 1978 if you want to study the types in use by that profession at that time.....

 

 

...though they didn't always come with cardboard attachments stuck on with blu-tack.....

 

 

[Nearholmer]

57 minutes ago, C126 said:

why does the enamel dry so quickly?!

 

I'd love to know.

 

I had a decade or more long break from using enamels until the past year, and when I started using them again I was really astounded by how quickly modern enamels "flash off", making them far harder to use than the old-style ones. Now need to completely re-learn painting technique!