A Very Local Car Show

[Keith]

I'm very lucky where I live - there are many fine cars buried within the Forest and of course, I am a mere 5 miles away from the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu.

Anyway, we have an annual classic car event held about 800 yards from my house. Not glamourous - just a bit parochial. I managed to get there yesterday on my all-terrain buggy and I thought I'd take snaps of the cars (types) I have owned and a couple of others of interest. As I said, it's not glamourous, just a laid back British summer's day in the sun..

1st up. MGA 1600's. Nice little sports car. Never owned a twin cam though

Check the red one under the bonnet - I have never seen this before. Four spare spark plugs! Is this original?

Next up. One of my all time favourites, and a punch in the eye for anyone who says Americans can't design cars: Early '60's Ford Consul Capri. Drop dead gorgeous, at least to me. I passed my driving test in such a car.

 

[Keith]

Continuing the theme of car types I have owned:

"Sit-up-and-beg" 10 h.p Ford Popular. This one was possibly the first year of manufacture, 1949. When I had 3 passengers in mine, they had to get out on a hill and push! Ubiquitous 1172 c.c side valve.

As I said, no snobbery here - a gorgeous XK120 next to a Bond Bug (never owned one of those) My Jaguar XK120 was a 1952 aluminium body with 3" copper pipe exhausts. I bought it for £120 in 1965 and sold it for £125 in 1966 as I could not afford the gas! I thought the guy that bought it was a mug. Now who's the mug eh?

A TR3A. Love the car, hate the colour (it might be a "version" of BRG, whatever, I no likee) I wrote mine off in a head-on collision...

Another glorious XK140 this time, again, no snobbery, next to a '60's Austin A55 Cambridge. Miracle that it hasn't rotted to bits!

A line of TR7's especially for Jeff

 

[Keith]

E-TYpes. The one with the bonnet raised is a ringer for mine. "Opalescent Golden Sand" the colour with a straight through exhaust. I never liked the E-Type as I thought I sat 'on it' rather than 'in it.' One of the most uncomfortable cars I've ever driven with legs wrapped around the steering wheel and an agricultural second gear. Also, tragically written off but by a 'mate' this time..

A nice Red hard top version

Two Healey 3000's. The all red competition version was a rare beast. I didn't own a 3000, but a Healey BN1, Sadly, none of those around these days...

A beautiful 'Moggie' Traveller. You cannot imagine the amount of work it must have taken to restore this car - it was immaculate. I once "travelled" on the bonnet of a Traveller like this for over 10 miles at speeds of up to 60 mph driven by a drunken "mate" hanging on to the windscreen wipers. :thumbsdown:

 

[Keith]

I don't need an excuse to post more pictures of glorious XK's. I was rendered speechless by this one. Absolutely top class...

Not personally owned dept.

I have to say, my love of Jag XK's aside, my favourite at this show was this Model A Ford.

Totally mind numbingly perfect in a way that would have startled even dear old Henry..

Finally, one for Frank Catt a 1903 Velox, fantastic little car, it was absolutely tiny. I couldn't have got my left leg in it!

I have loads more but I thought I'd limit it to cars I have actually owned..

 

[Keith]

Ooops! Missed out the Sunbeam Alpines. A nice little, and surprisingly good British sports car. I owned two - a Series III and a Series IV both with the 1725 OHV Hillman engine. If they'd have put a Rapier motor in there, it would have been a lot more fun. Highly underrated and I always preferred this over the MGB..

Regretfully, no Tigers..

PS: All pictures taken with my venerable Nikon D70 & Nikoor 18 - 70mm lens.

 

[Dave Bilyk]

Keith, brilliant to see you got out and about, can see you enjoyed it! Thanks for the great pictures, and +1 on the Consul Capri love it. My dad had an Austin Cambridge but the earlier shape, and I see an XK150 and a MkII which were types I owned too. I had a Minor (but not a Traveller) too, the woodwork looks new, needs to develop patina to look right, but wow. Glad you survived your trip on the bonnet of a Traveller, curious to know whether that was involuntary or voluntary, if the latter you deserve a certificate (of insanity:laugh.
Dave

 

[Keith]

It got bit hot. Fortunately, I found a friendly gazebo..

 

[Keith]

Very much involuntary Dave. We were on our way back from a gig and I thought I'd rest up on the bonnet of the Traveller whilst munching a burger from the Roach Wagon in Epsom High St at around 3am. Next thing you know, we were off! I was more annoyed with wasting my burger than anything else and it was only years later I started to shake with fear at the thought of it...

 

[Jack]

Nice Keith! The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu is a must visit for anyone going near that area.

 

[Frank Catt]

Love the 1903 velox, just now making parts for a 03 Oldsmobile Curved Dash to do the London to Brighton in November, unfortunately the owner wants to drive it ! Frank

 

[Terry Oxandale]

Great post, with the commentary.

 

[Keith]

Great post, with the commentary.

Cheers Terry! I confess, it proved a bit too much for me in the end, but I'm glad I made the effort....

 

[Jack]

Keith, did you get into the James Bond display area?
Neat stuff!

 

[Keith]

Keith, did you get into the James Bond display area?
Neat stuff!

Ah, that's at Beaulieu Motor Museum Jack, this was on my local cricket pitch!

 

[Jack]

Gotch 'ya!

 

[Randy V]

Fabulous pictures and narrative!
Thank you for taking the time to post them for us all to enjoy!

I've only owned one of the cars in the pictures you took but lust after almost all of them.
I had a 1967 Sunbeam Alpine MK5 with the 1725cc engine and dual carbs. Poor little car - I beat it nearly to death in my youth. After toasting two throwout bearings (which were not bearings but carbon disks), I fixed it one last time and sent it down the road.