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For those interested in old cars.


DDolfelin

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What made me curious were the 6 exhaust ports, which made me remember a {reported} comment from Bentley.  Someone asked him why they were sticking with 4 cylinders, when other racing firms were increasing the numbers {6, 8, 10}.

 

He replied, something to the effect that he was just working on "a bigger and better bloody bang".  It worked, too, as the 4 1/2 Ltr blowers  took several years of 1st, 2nd, 3rd places, ahead of the other makes.  To give a broader look, it also depended, partly, on Bentley, managing to fit good, working front wheel brakes, way ahead of the competition.

 

Not for nothing were they nicknamed "the world's fastest lorries".

 

 

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6 hours ago, Hobby said:

That's very cheap if it's rust free and could get an MOT at minimal cost, the Metros are going up in price at the moment.

Interior mint needs a good wash  small welding job for mot 

Edited by peanuts
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Yesterday about 5.30 pm I had just got off the bus on the A27 in Northern Southampton, when I heard an interesting sounding engine, but was disappointed to see an ordinary  Mazda MX5.  However a few cars behind came three Frazer-Nash roadster/tourers, each two-up and carrying proper luggage, held on with straps, and making very little noise, possibly on ther way to an event.

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2 hours ago, petethemole said:

Yesterday about 5.30 pm I had just got off the bus on the A27 in Northern Southampton, when I heard an interesting sounding engine, but was disappointed to see an ordinary  Mazda MX5.  However a few cars behind came three Frazer-Nash roadster/tourers, each two-up and carrying proper luggage, held on with straps, and making very little noise, possibly on ther way to an event.

 

That may well have been an event......   😁

 

 

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I saw a "Mr Whippy" Ice Cream van today (Blazing hot sun - for a change) doing a roaring trade.

 

The number plate - WH11 PPY.

 

 

Kev.

Edited by SHMD
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On 14/05/2023 at 22:12, jcredfer said:

... the 4 1/2 Ltr blowers  took several years of 1st, 2nd, 3rd places, ahead of the other makes.  ...

This, I'm afraid, is spectacularly wrong and misleading.

 

The 4.1/2 litre supercharged Bentleys were extremely unreliable and never achieved a single significant racing victory, certainly not in the period to 1931 when the original Bentley Motors ceased to exist. The blowers failed to finish more races than they completed, a shocking record for a competition car.

 

The blowers were abhorred by 'WO" who wanted nothing to do with them, favouring the addition of two cylinders normally aspirated (hence the 6.1/2 litre and "Speed Six" models) and were a private venture conceived by Birkin and funded by Paget. The first cars were built in Birkin's workshop and it was not until Birkin interested Barnato, who by then effectively owned Bentley Motors, in the project and persuaded him to build enough cars to bring the total to the fifty needed for homologation that Bentley Motors had any reluctant involvement in the project.

 

Sadly the blower cars have acquired in recent times a reputation and mystique (and value) which is wholly undeserved and detracts from the huge significance and achievements of the real and very successful racing Bentleys, specifically the 3-litre, 4.1/2-litre, and 6.1/2-litre "speed" models.

 

A blower Bentley is undoubtedly a spectacular car, but as a racing car, the purpose for which it was conceived, it was a spectacular and very expensive failure.

Edited by craneman
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5 hours ago, craneman said:

This, I'm afraid, is spectacularly wrong and misleading.

 

The 4.1/2 litre supercharged Bentleys were extremely unreliable and never achieved a single significant racing victory, certainly not in the period to 1931 when the original Bentley Motors ceased to exist. The blowers failed to finish more races than they completed, a shocking record for a competition car.........

   ...........

.........Ting car, the purpose for which it was conceived, it was a spectacular and very expensive failure.

 

Thank you, that's very interesting, I read a great deal, around the 60s and 70s, which would seem to have had much more myth than fact.  I should [...should...] still have the books, although magazine articles will be very long time gone.  It will be interesting to look through them again, in light of what you said.

 

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I've just got back from the Italian car-fest at RAF Cosford, plenty of lovely eye candy on show but amongst the rarest was this 1964 FIAT 1500 Cabriolet, one of only three or four at most made in RHD, in my (biased!) view it's much prettier than an MGB, a nice little slice of 'la dolce vita'...

 

IMG_6457.JPG.912a1fc65239156494abf4682e802b3b.JPG

 

IMG_6482.JPG.85c22277c9bfe4a71336a1f646d483fe.JPG

 

The one car I wanted to bring home though was this 1969 Lamborghini Islero, one of just five built in RHD...

 

IMG_6529.JPG.c302b34b2fe1bb88ba5318e7f30db0fe.JPG

 

(Caveat : I also love MGBs 😉)

 

 

 

 

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I always admired the various Italian small cars [for the people?]...

If only the products of Innocenti, for example...or Autobianchi, could have been wholeheartedly adopted by the UK manufacturers?

 

I always thought Innocenti's version of the Sprite to be a far better looking, and more suitable, small sports car.

 

Especially the idea of the coupe....

 

Sadly, not to be [in the UK]...

Small FIATs were so much better than the small British motors.

 

I recall, from my various visits to Italy whilst a youngster, [1960's/early 1970's]  how the locals managed to make their FIAT 500s almost as fast as white Astravans. 

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40 minutes ago, alastairq said:

I always admired the various Italian small cars [for the people?]...

If only the products of Innocenti, for example...or Autobianchi, could have been wholeheartedly adopted by the UK manufacturers?

 

I always thought Innocenti's version of the Sprite to be a far better looking, and more suitable, small sports car.

 

Especially the idea of the coupe....

 

Sadly, not to be [in the UK]...

Small FIATs were so much better than the small British motors.

 

I recall, from my various visits to Italy whilst a youngster, [1960's/early 1970's]  how the locals managed to make their FIAT 500s almost as fast as white Astravans. 

 

The topic of conversation with a few owners yesterday was along those lines - for instance the chap next to me with the pale blue 1500 Cabriolet made the point about it having a Lampredi (ex-Ferrari) designed engine, disc brakes and a Carrozzeria Pininfarina designed and built body, and the professional Alfa / touring car racing driver with the lovely white 105 Series 1750GT Coupe with the twin cam engine, disc brakes all round and five speed box as standard... on top of these the owner had fitted lightened and balanced engine internals etc, lowered the ride height a little and fitted newer lighter 15'' alloys from Classic Alfa...

 

IMG_6716.JPG.66edb86c0afe4031c4c3ab2ee4d7da56.JPG

 

IMG_6717.JPG.689c0185b347cffb3e53e9ca0c9a6024.JPG

 

 

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2 hours ago, Rugd1022 said:

A few more from Cosford yesterday...

 

Many thanks for these excellent images. Love the 500 and the Bertone 105 Alfa. My 1996 GTV is knocking on the door of a classic Pininfarina design. It look better with each passing year!

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

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I had a very nice chat with the owner of this elegant 1964 FIAT 2300S Coupe, one of just two RHD examples known to exist in the UK, with a body by Ghia and mechanical input from Abarth it's a rare old gem, the owner let me sit in it and it's noticeable that the quality and detailing inside is up there with Lancias and Maseratis of the period...

 

IMG_6600.JPG.386be1fd75b61040de2ce0a893be8a25.JPG

 

IMG_6605.JPG.b4668777ed8bbc10ed820bd2a8d13169.JPG

 

IMG_6705.JPG.68a938e923bd1d6a776f48690ee37d0c.JPG

 

IMG_6703.JPG.b8b0738c5e0078725c4b813e66912216.JPG

 

 

Edited by Rugd1022
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Has anyone else watched the latest series of Dalgleish?

 

Set in the 1970s it featured a very good selection of period vehicles, including the hero’s V-12 E Type coupe and, once, a Jensen Interceptor.

 

One thing that amused me was that, despite the 3 cases being set in different parts of the country, the local plod car was always the same Triumph Herald!

 

steve

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