Fractionally easier to get in the B. The B was based on the B series engine from things like Austin A60s etc. So roughly capable of 106mph when new.
The Midget was loosely based on the Austin A30 etc.so not a lot going for it.
What's made you smile today?
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What's made you smile today?
The Midget was loosely based on the Austin A30 etc.so not a lot going for it.
Back in the 90s when my dad worked for the lotus race team, one of his colleagues had a Lotus Carlton which I think was a later 92 car, by 97 when my dad was working with him, the car had been stolen and returned 5 times and was stolen again that summer, found in a housing estate again just down the road.
Weirdly joy riders clearly had respect for the car and never burnt it out like they would anything else at that time.
When I was a kid my mum had a Datsun Cherry, she parked outside some local shops the sort of carpark where you park nose in, to the front of the shop. When she came out another car had parked next to us, a similarly coloured red Mazda 323, yet it still confused my mum when she came out and she tried using the key to open the doors of the Mazda, despite her two children not being in that car and looking at her very confused from the car parked next to it.
Though to give my mum some credit the 80s Cherry and the 80s 323 looked pretty much the same despite being different brands
I have literally just finished building my boy’s bike with pedals, he’s super excited about pedals but doesn’t quite get them.Had a nice time with grand daughter today, trying to keep up as she learns to ride with pedals, recall doing the same with her mother and twin sister. Afterwards she went for a paddle, still freezing cold, but her and the dog were happy.
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I had to google to see an Austin A30. It doesn't look the best. The one i've pictured looks like it was painted in army colours. I was suppose it drove like a sack of potatoes lol.Fractionally easier to get in the B. The B was based on the B series engine from things like Austin A60s etc. So roughly capable of 106mph when new.
The Midget was loosely based on the Austin A30 etc.so not a lot going for it.
They didn't burn it out so they could borrow it some time later lol.
Maybe those joyriders have bought one of those cars now because of the nostalgia
A mate of mine used his mum's A30 and flipped it on it's roof in the lanes, at the same time knocking himself unconscious on the fixed interior mirror, so I stuck with Fords as they handled better.
About as good at handling as a robin reliant thenA mate of mine used his mum's A30 and flipped it on it's roof in the lanes, at the same time knocking himself unconscious on the fixed interior mirror, so I stuck with Fords as they handled better.
About as good at handling as a robin reliant then
They do actually race them in classic events!
Strangely enough another mate was foreman of the Reliant and Honda motorcycle Dealership so I did go out in a few and the Bond Bugs, but never wanted to own one.
Only Fools and Horses put paid to their reputation. Must watch that again...Strangely enough another mate was foreman of the Reliant and Honda motorcycle Dealership so I did go out in a few and the Bond Bugs, but never wanted to own one.
The A30 was a bit steady but the A35 (face-lifted A30 with a slightly bigger A-series engine) was surprisingly nippy. And they can't have been all bad - James Hunt had an A35 van that he drove pretty much to its limits all of the time and (apparently) loved it.
I had a Austin-Healey Sprite (early MG Midget) and it was fun - felt like it was really fast (even though it wasn't) but it was even more soluble than most Leyland cars of the time because of the lack of a roof, so I got rid of it pretty quickly.
That was a standard colour at the time, and very popular. A lot of the survivors are that colour.A mate of mine used his mum's A30 and flipped it on it's roof in the lanes, at the same time knocking himself unconscious on the fixed interior mirror, so I stuck with Fords as they handled better.
The pic does not show it well, but the wheels were significantly narrower than the car. If driven smoothly, adn with respect, it was fine. If driven a bit silly, with sharp steering inputs, they did tend to fall over. They were used in racing, a lot, with few rollover incidents, so can be driven fast without falling over. It is poor driving that causes teh upside down effect.
A sweet little car. The later A35 was a little easier to live with, with a 948cc engine insteadof the original 803cc.
Optional extras when new included, chrome headlight 'brows', an exterior sun visor above the windscreen, and a heater.
I had a 1955 split screen Morris Minor with the early OHV version of the 803cc engine, I paid £10 for it from a "breathalised" student at College.
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I don't mind the colour, its more a combination of the design and colour.
But this could be said about a lot of stuff from the past. Check these hair cuts and suits.
Didn’t Wallace and Gromit have an Austin A30 van ?
Well, mine was. The only reason it didn't fill up with water was the Fred Flintstone floor, with a mix of welded and pop-riveted plates trying to bridge the holes, and then thickly covered by underseal. (I didn't do those repairs!)
But it had nice paint.
Sadly, it also had cardboard and filler repairs to the front and rear wings.
It was a "learning experience". Good job it was cheap to buy.
I replaced it with a Mk2 Cortina which was more solid, but burned nearly as much oil as petrol on a run. And I think someone had clocked it (possibly by quite a lot) as the gearbox was shot and the back axle whined a lot.
More learning!
My first "good" car came next - it was a Hillman Hunter GLS in bright orange with the 1725cc Holbay engine and twin carbs. A quick motor at the time.
I used to make Airfix aeroplanes and such as a kid, i didn't know you could buy and build your very own Wallace and Grommit van
