Common road vehicles in 1984 - cars and commercial

[fodenway]

Kit cars have been around since the fifties, when fibreglass was in its infancy. I remember lots of ads in Exchange and Mart, Practical Motorist and other magazines for sporty bodies to fit old Ford Popular, Austin 10 and suchlike chassis. In the sixties, after the introduction of the MOT test had thinned out the population of pre- and early post-war 'bangers', along came the Volkswagen-based beach buggy craze. The seventies probably had the widest range of possibilites as the custom car scene arrived in earnest. Everything from a Rolls-Royce style bonnet and grille for your Beetle to a complete AC Cobra replica was on offer, some very well done, others quite hideous. Most of these excesses had gone by the dawn of the eighties, with tightening safety regulation weeding out the worst of them.

[jcb 3c]

Was watching Salvage Hunters the other day and the guy selling had an Arkley in his yard . Remember seeing quite a few of these in the 70s 80s , it was a fibreglass front end and tail that you fitted to your ( usually very rusty ) MG Midget or Austin Healey Sprite.

Edited August 24, 2018 by jcb 3c

[MJI]

From memory

 

* older

 

Austin Rover common -  Mini, Metro, Wedge*, Land Crab*, All agro*, Marina*, Ital, Montego Maestro (new), Series Land Rovers, Range Rovers, SD1, P6

Bedford - vans

Citroen not common - pedal car, odd DS, that flat 4 hatch

Ford common - Early Fester, Cortina 3* 4 5, Escort 1* 2 (not sure about 3), lots of Transits, Jelly moulds

Hillman Chrysler Rootes ect common, Sunbeam, Avenger, some Hunters*, a few rattly Horriblizons, only ever saw 1 180, lots 309s

Opel -  Monza, Manta

Peugeot not very common - 104 504, 505, 309, 205, (not sure if 405 is old enough) 304 old by then

Vauxhall -  Chevette*, Viva*, Mk 1 Cavalier, Mk 2 Cavalier. Mk1 Ashtray?, boxy Senator and Carlton.

[Southern Steve]

From memory

 

* older

 

Austin Rover common -  Mini, Metro, Wedge*, Land Crab*, All agro*, Marina*, Ital, Montego Maestro (new), Series Land Rovers, Range Rovers, SD1, P6

Bedford - vans

Citroen not common - pedal car, odd DS, that flat 4 hatch

Ford common - Early Fester, Cortina 3* 4 5, Escort 1* 2 (not sure about 3), lots of Transits, Jelly moulds

Hillman Chrysler Rootes ect common, Sunbeam, Avenger, some Hunters*, a few rattly Horriblizons, only ever saw 1 180, lots 309s

Opel -  Monza, Manta

Peugeot not very common - 104 504, 505, 309, 205, (not sure if 405 is old enough) 304 old by then

Vauxhall -  Chevette*, Viva*, Mk 1 Cavalier, Mk 2 Cavalier. Mk1 Ashtray?, boxy Senator and Carlton.

 

Yep, the Escort 3 was launched in 1980 and despite its awful chassis became the UK's best selling car, so lots of those.

 

 

The fabulous Peugeotr 405 didn't launch until '88, I am biased of course as still run an estate version as a daily driver!

Edited September 3, 2018 by Southern Steve

[ianmacc]

Gateshead in 1984.

 

I have agonised over trying to represent typical street scenes on period layouts. It isn’t actually possible to do that as this shot typifies. How many of us considered the little fiat in this thread? A use for the venerable minix land crab too...

 

If it hadn’t been a reputable source I would have placed that picture a decade earlier...

Edited September 3, 2018 by ianmacc

[BernardTPM]

There is nothing definitely later than 1972 there (the L reg. Mk.II Morris 1800) in terms of vehicles. Even the Transit behind the Minor has the original style headlights, though it may have the revised '70s grille, but whichever it is we can't see it. If they were clearly visible the adverts and prices could help confirm the date. The Fiat would only be 17 years old at most in 1984, but for a 1960s Fiat that would be pensionable in those days. The Bedford CA in front of it looks like it might be F reg too.

[fodenway]

An interesting observation. Most of the vehicles in practically any streetscene of this period would have an average age of perhaps 5-10 years. Go back to the mid or late fifties and count the number of pre- and early post-war cars still in use, often outnumbering then-current models by a good margin. The introduction of the MOT test in 1959 would have thinned out some of the bangers, but the balance still held pretty much true until much more recent times with the easing of credit rules, leasing schemes, vehicle complexity, scrappage schemes and tightening test standards.

[BernardTPM]

Quite so. I would say in the last 20 years or thereabouts vehicles are lasting longer in general, scrappage schemes not withstanding. Rust was a major 'killer' from the '60s well into the '80s but by the mid '90s the majority of manufacturers had made real advances in this area. In 1985 you'd expect a 1975 car to look rough and frayed round the edges unless it had been well cared for. Now it would be unusual to find a really tatty car of 2008 vintage (not counting scuffs and accident damage in both cases, of course).

I did a survey of 38 photos from 1972 in which I could identify 234 individual vehicles. Each one was dated using either the registration or by the make/model, giving the earliest date possible fot the particular model/variation/registration. 121 were from 1972, 124 from 1971, 140 from 1970, 122 from 1969, 126 from 1968, 121 from 1967, 106 from 1966, 102 from 1965, 90 from 1964, 73 from 1963 and 57 from 1962. Pre 1954 and it was single figures. Agreed it was only a small survey, but even so it was conclusive enough to show that vehicles used to age quickly.

Of course, most '50s, '60s and '70s cars you see now are restored ones or the pampered few which tends to give a misleading impression of durability. Yes, the cars were mechanically easier to work on, but their structures tended to oxidise to the point where they would fail an MOT after 5 years. Of course, there were plenty of (largely fibreglass) kit cars that could used those mechanical parts, perhaps explaining to some degree their relative popularity in the '70s.

[Hobby]

From memory

 

* older

 

Austin Rover common -  Mini, Metro, Wedge*, Land Crab*, All agro*, Marina*, Ital, Montego Maestro (new), Series Land Rovers, Range Rovers, SD1, P6

Bedford - vans

 

 

If it's 1984 the Maestro was only launched in '83 and the Montego later so perhaps not so common and though the Ital was a couple of years earlier they weren't that common, though the Marina was common as muck! Can't see why you put "all agro" rather than Allegro, the myth that they were somehow less reliable than other British cars of the time was a fallacy, they were no better or worse, ugly perhaps, but beauty was in the eye of the beholder! If your scene was in a large village or town then some of the larger BL cars would have been there as well, Rover P5 or 6, Triumph 2000 series and Jaguar XJ6.

[Fat Controller]

Out of interest, where was that photo taken?

One reason for the longevity of the pre/immediate post-war cars was the presence of a separate chassis, which could be repaired by a decent welder; repairing a monocoque structure was a lot more involved. We had a number of 1960s vehicles back in the 1980 (Cresta PB, Wolseley 1500, A40 Farina 'Countryman') which all had body twist due to repairs; in the case of the Wolseley, which back door you could open depended on the camber of the road.

[GeoffAlan]

FIAT 126 and 127

Vauxhall Chevette and Viva

There were still Hillman Imp, Hunter and Avenger around.

[PhilJ W]

The Allegro wasn't as bad as was made out. I had a series II estate 1983-1986. During that time it was struck by another car pulling out of a side turning leaving a gash from the B post to the wheel arch on the nearside. When I took it in for repair the repairer said that if it had been an Escort it would probably been written off. What did for it in the end was the high mileage, 40,000 per year which would have knackered most of its contempories as well.

Edited September 4, 2018 by PhilJ W

[Ian Morgan]

1984 was a bad year for me with cars. My H reg (1969) Hillman Avenger GLS (white with red interior and 4 headlights) was written off and I had to quickly buy a blue M reg? Wartburg (the heaviest car I ever had to push) also speedily replaced by a blue L reg Marina (different keys for each door, both trunions breaking on separate occasions, stolen by 'joy-riders' who broke the radiator hitting cars on the way out of the multi-story car park and drove off along the M4 until the engine seized) and then I got a loan and purchased a light blue, 2 door, S reg (1977) Escort Mk 2. This latter lasted us a few years, requiring only a replacement gearbox and several clutch cables.

[MJI]

I ran a Sunbeam until 1996.

 

Great car and scared a neighbour just by existing (he was scared of RWD)

[BernardTPM]

 

My H reg (1969) Hillman Avenger GLS

 

1970 Avenger, they were introduced in February of that year, at the tail end of the H reg (Aug.'69-July'70). Having said that if it was very early to the introduction date it might have been built in late 1969. The GLS was the nicest of the early models.

Edited September 4, 2018 by BernardTPM

[Hobby]

 What did for it in the end was the high mileage, 40,000 per year which would have knackered most of its contempories as well.

 

My Dad was a Commercial Traveller and did 50k a year mainly non motorway back in the 60s and 70s, the firm like BL cars so we had one of the very early 1500 Maxis to replace the Cambridge, another Maxi and a couple of Allegros, all coped with the high mileage, though they did get serviced very regularly (every 3k) which probably helped. I learned to drive in the things, my first drive was on Southport sands in the 1500 Maxi! Like most cars, looked after they were fine but just like now many people didn't bother and then complained when they broke down...

[Ian Morgan]

1970 Avenger, they were introduced in February of that year, at the tail end of the H reg (Aug.'69-July'70). Having said that if it was very early to the introduction date it might have been built in late 1969. The GLS was the nicest of the early models.

 

It used to belong to my uncle, who worked for Rootes, and he reckoned it was the 8th one off the production line (and the first one registered in Birmingham).

[fodenway]

Out of interest, where was that photo taken?

One reason for the longevity of the pre/immediate post-war cars was the presence of a separate chassis, which could be repaired by a decent welder; repairing a monocoque structure was a lot more involved. We had a number of 1960s vehicles back in the 1980 (Cresta PB, Wolseley 1500, A40 Farina 'Countryman') which all had body twist due to repairs; in the case of the Wolseley, which back door you could open depended on the camber of the road.

It wasn't just the older cars that suffered from body twist. One of the directors at a company I worked for had a Rover 820, only about 18 months old. He came into the garage three times having broken the driver's door handle, which I replaced on each occasion. Then he brought it in saying the front brakes were squealing. I jacked the o/s/ front corner up, and needed to open the drivers door to turn the steering wheel - but the door was jammed. On lowering the jack, the door could be opened easily. It seems that his driveway was on a cross-slope, so the mystery of the broken handles was solved. Appleyard's Rover dealership were aware of the condition, but our director said he didn't want a car that could twist so easily, and traded it in for a Mercedes 190.

[Southern Steve]

1970 Avenger, they were introduced in February of that year, at the tail end of the H reg (Aug.'69-July'70). Having said that if it was very early to the introduction date it might have been built in late 1969. The GLS was the nicest of the early models.

 

The Avenger was a big thing when it was launched, very unusual in having a brand new engine, gearbox and axle as well body, not shared with any other Rootes group product!

 

 

 

This didn't happen very often, only the Rover 2000 springs to mind.

 

 

Even the futuristic DS had to use the old 30's Traction Avant power unit!

[Hobby]

There were some common parts a few years in, the P6 shared the V8 with the P5, Land Rover and Range Rover and the auto gearbox was a bought in unit... Certainly the early P6s didn't share much with any other Rover, though...

Edited September 4, 2018 by Hobby

[Southern Steve]

There were some common parts a few years in, the P6 shared the V8 with the P5, Land Rover and Range Rover and the auto gearbox was a bought in unit... Certainly the early P6s didn't share much with any other Rover, though...

 

Yep the P6 at launch was all new for Rover. It did use the "base unit" form of construction borrowed from the DS, ie every external panel bolted or screwed, even the roof and sills!

 

 

The Buick based V8 was obtained to liven up the performance of the P5 initially, then the Rover engineers realised it could be shoe horned into the P6 engine bay with new inner wing pressings. Eventually they beefed up the P6 manual box to create the 3500S, a real road rocket. I had one in the 80's and it was a bloody quick, albeit thirsty, car!

 

 

It was designed to have a gas turbine engine at the planning stage, Rover ran a turbine car at Le Mans in conjunction with BRM twice in the early 60's driven by Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart no less.

Edited September 4, 2018 by Southern Steve

[BernardTPM]

Indeed, the gas turbine T4 of 1961 is very clearly based on the P6 body.

Edited September 4, 2018 by BernardTPM

[MJI]

The Avenger was a big thing when it was launched, very unusual in having a brand new engine, gearbox and axle as well body, not shared with any other Rootes group product!

 

 

 

This didn't happen very often, only the Rover 2000 springs to mind.

 

 

Even the futuristic DS had to use the old 30's Traction Avant power unit!

 

Good engine as well, excellent gear change, handled well

[Southern Steve]

Good engine as well, excellent gear change, handled well

 

Was quite long lived as well, they got rebadged as Chrysler and latterly as Talbots when PSA acquired the remnants of the old Rootes/ Chrysler empire.

 

 

Deserved to do better  as it was just as good as the other big four's offering, and in the case of the ill handling Morris Marina/Ital, a bloody site better.

Edited September 5, 2018 by Southern Steve

[russ p]

The sunbeam is simply a shortened avenger, the doors and front ends are actually interchangeable