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DDolfelin

By DDolfelin
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vitalspark

vitalspark

Posted
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Its not a Herald but the more desirable Vitesse..and a stunning looking example too with wire wheels.

 

It was my first car but only an early 1600 the one in the pic is likely the 2 litre..a quick car in its day.

 

Dave. 

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vitalspark

vitalspark

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We've got one on ours.

 

The wifes Cooper s Countryman was manufactured in Austria and is 100% BMW.. and all the better for it.

 

post-2371-0-70322300-1494030727.jpeg

 

She had an original and lots of fun but build quality?.. :(

 

Its an entirely different car of course and hardly a mini with the wheelbase within an inch of a Range Rover Sport..but drives like a proper Cooper S and certainly puts a smile on my face.

 

And just to show I am not committed to all things modern my fair weather Sunday Classic.

 

post-2371-0-26465100-1494031097.jpg

 

Dave.

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PatB

PatB

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Its not a Herald but the more desirable Vitesse..and a stunning looking example too with wire wheels.

 

It was my first car but only an early 1600 the one in the pic is likely the 2 litre..a quick car in its day.

 

Dave.

I wonder how many 1600 Vitesses still exist in 1600 form. The engine was an orphan, not used in anything else that I can think of. I would imagine most got swapped for the more common 2-litres for reasons of practicality long before such things came to be regarded as heretical.

 

I've always been given to understand that the 1600 was a sweet, revvy little unit, in the 1930s British traditional of small capacity sporting sixes.

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Joseph_Pestell

Joseph_Pestell

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One of only two built, a lovely period piece that, back in 2013 I saw it in traffic near Shepards Bush while I was driving my P5B Coupe. Not sure if the other one has survived.

Interesting, certainly. But what  a terrible bodge up!

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Rugd1022

Rugd1022

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Just found another nice old advert from times past, a last gasp attempt at flogging of the run out Mk2 Minis before the newfangled Mk3 appeared in October '69 with wind up windows etc...

 

post-7638-0-97270200-1494061169.jpg

 

 

 

 

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Oldddudders

Oldddudders

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I had a friend with a Vitesse. He found it was nose-heavy, spoiling the legendary balance the Harold had enjoyed. But I think it was the only open-topped car he and wifey ever had - and was a bit quicker than the pony and trap she was happy to use for local shopping in their Suffolk village!

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Horsetan

Horsetan

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The wifes Cooper s Countryman was manufactured in Austria and is 100% BMW.. and all the better for it.....

 

...It's an entirely different car of course and hardly a mini with the wheelbase within an inch of a Range Rover Sport......

More of a Maxi / Austin 1800, then.

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PatB

PatB

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I had a friend with a Vitesse. He found it was nose-heavy, spoiling the legendary balance the Harold had enjoyed. But I think it was the only open-topped car he and wifey ever had - and was a bit quicker than the pony and trap she was happy to use for local shopping in their Suffolk village!

Certainly the six put a lot more engine ahead of the axis of the front wheels. Not to mention a much heavier radiator. It can't have been all that bad though. Back in the early '80s I remember a magazine article about a warmed up but still fully practical Mk2 that was, at the time, beating assorted Porsches in sprint and hillclimb events. Presumably the estimated 150 rear wheel horsepower served to neutralise any understeer :D.

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BG John

BG John

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I could easily out corner XR3s and the like in mine with the adjustable Spax rear shocks conversion and it wasn't tuned.

 

steve

But could you transport exhibition layouts in it, as I did with my XR3s?

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PatB

PatB

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But could you transport exhibition layouts in it, as I did with my XR3s?

With the top down you have no practical limit on baseboard length. Better make sure the scenery is wind and rain proof though :D.

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PhilJ W

PhilJ W

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Talking of rare cars there were a few factory built Vitesse estates made for use by management IIRC. There are some about but conversions from saloons using the Herald estate body.

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New Haven Neil

New Haven Neil

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A friend has a Vitesse with a tuned 2.5PI in it, plus very upgraded suspension.  It's a little in fallow these days as he seems to prefer huge Yank tanks ('72 Olds Delta 88 Royale convertible with a 455) but he is keeping it for his Daughter.  Who prefers Hummers....

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The Stationmaster

The Stationmaster

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Certainly the six put a lot more engine ahead of the axis of the front wheels. Not to mention a much heavier radiator. It can't have been all that bad though. Back in the early '80s I remember a magazine article about a warmed up but still fully practical Mk2 that was, at the time, beating assorted Porsches in sprint and hillclimb events. Presumably the estimated 150 rear wheel horsepower served to neutralise any understeer :D.

 

It definitely benefitted from some wider wheels (nothing excessive - within the existing wheel arches) and Cinturatos; went like sh*t off a shovel with the engine etc set up as per the service manual (tappets could go off a bit on that engine I found or was it my adjustment of them not being secure enough?).

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vitalspark

vitalspark

Posted
Posted (edited)

My Mk1 1600 Vitesse was a first car and getting on even then but it was very sweet.

 

Twin Solex carbs made it reasonably lively but it was a good job it wasn't any faster because the unmodified  Mk1 transverse leaf spring rear end could definitely catch an 18 year old out.

 

What it did though along with most rear wheel drive cars of its day was to teach you to drive and how to interpret all the signs coming up through the seat.

 

Todays small hatches with all their electronic driver aids allow drivers to charge on until they exceed the limits then its usually goodnight.

 

A good Mk 2 is a great useable classic easy to maintain with olkenty of parts available and plenty performance for todays traffic…could talk myself into one if only I had the room.

 

Dave. 

Edited by vitalspark
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vitalspark

vitalspark

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My old Cresta has found a welcome home at the Dundee Museum of Transport where it is currently on display but can be out on the road easily too.

An excellent and friendly facility and well worth a visit. 

 

post-2371-0-12295300-1494071938_thumb.jpeg

 

Another member of the family is my late dads Volvo 144S on the road and taxed (free!) and insured.

 

post-2371-0-36273000-1494071956_thumb.jpeg

 

Dave.

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Jol Wilkinson

Jol Wilkinson

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The wifes Cooper s Countryman was manufactured in Austria and is 100% BMW.. and all the better for it.

 

 

Dave.

Quote from Wikipedia

 

"The first generation Countryman was primarily built in Graz, Austria under contract by Magna Steyr, making it the first of the BMW era Minis to be manufactured entirely outside the UK"

 

So does that make it 100% BMW?

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vitalspark

vitalspark

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Yep I would say so and if its down to choosing BMW build quality theres no contest.

 

We're not talking comparisons here which is a good job as one's a classic and the other a modern well built car.

 

I've still got my old Vauxhall to remind me of what we accepted as ok with poor heating and demisting poor visibility in wet weather due to the wipers leaving more unwiped than the opposite and of course brakes and lights to ensure you kept your wits

 

about you on a wet night.

 

Given that lot and with no seatbelts and large metal switches protruding from the dash it's a wonder we lived to remember this 'golden age'. 

 

I love my Classics and travel to Essen every year for Europe's biggest show but on modern busy motorways most are out of their depth.

 

Dave.

Edited by vitalspark
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vitalspark

vitalspark

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As a footnote its interesting to see on that most British of cars the Range Rover brake callipers stamped BMW and the BMW propeller roundel on the underside of the 4.4 V8/auto box.

 

There were many many more parts including the sdash layout and TV screen etc all lifted from the X5.

 

The model was a 2004 when of course BMW owned same however it was still built in the UK by British workers so could be called British.

 

It was of course a great car with a great engine unlike the previous BL inspired P38 model that nearly sunk the company with its dreadful build and reliability.

 

Range Rovers are now probably the UKs biggest automotive export and the rest of the world can't get enough of them but I would suggest BMW kick started this by investing in the company and introducing the first properly screwed together model for decades to win

 

back owners before they deserted the marque forever.

 

Dave.

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