If only

[Robert May Eng.]

I keep stumbling across ridiculously priced classics that I have owned sold and regretted:bigcry:

I sold my mint twinky escort for £3,500
1969 Ford Lotus Escort RARE! | eBay
I swapped a very clean 1964 Etype for a Range Rover
JAGUAR E-TYPE SERIES I FHC Petrol Manual 2 | eBay
Then swapped the Range Rover for an Aston
JAGUAR E-TYPE SERIES I FHC Petrol Manual 2 | eBay
I think I should have parked a few of these up.

Bob

 

[Larry L.]

Don't feel like The Lone Ranger, Bob. I think we've all "been there". I know I have...far more than once.

 

[Keith]

I was dreading someone posting something like this.

During the glorious '60's, I variously owned:

XK120 - bought for £120.00 sold for £125.00 (Aluminium body - Reg No. ERJ 668 if anyone ever spots it)
XK150
TR3
TR3A
Sunbeam Alpine
Sunbeam Tiger
Lotus 6 (rare as hens teeth, even then, but essentially, a bucket of rivets)
Sunbeam Talbot 90 (Convertible coupe - louvered bonnet. Absolutely rare as and worth fortunes today)
Sunbeam 10 HP (Suicide doors - an absolute gentlemen's car and one of my favourites)
Sunbeam Rapier
Singer Gazelle
Jaguar Mk IX
Jaguar MK 10
Jaguar MK 2 3.8 (liked this - a real gangsters car and went like shit off a shovel)
Jaguar E Type 3.8 drophead (made a nice noise and went well, but so uncomfortable to drive with a tractor gear box - didn't like it but the birds did)
Shelby GT350 (probably my most favourite of all)

All before I was 25 years of age. (The Tiger & Shelby came a little later).

None of these cars cost more than a few hundred pounds (except the Shelby, but nothing like it would cost you today) - you couldn't give them away. Insurance was dead cheap (third party only!) but you had to save your wages for the petrol, even at a few bob a gallon.

They were nice to own at a time when the streets were empty and everyone charged around on smelly and noisy motorbikes. We crashed them, sold them cheap and even gave them away.

I do not even want to think what that lot would be worth now....

Having said that, money means absolutely nothing to me - those cars gave me priceless memories..

PS As an interesting side note: We terrorized the streets of South London so much that the Police bought in convertible Daimler SP250's with a chromed bell on the front! (Daimler Dart)

 

[Nick]

Bob,

Been there done that, got given the ex directory number of a guy with a very nice good condition Brough Superior SS80 for sale just over 10 years ago, they said I could probably get it for £13000 just didn't have the money but should have borrowed it!!!!

What is the Brough Superior SS80? - £15k for this? Battered Brough Superior SS80 motorcycle goes to auction - MSN Cars UK


1939 Brough Superior SS80 Auction - Vintage Motorbike Auctions & Sale - H&H

I was dreading someone posting something like this.

During the glorious '60's, I variously owned:

XK120 - bought for £120.00 sold for £125.00 (Aluminium body - Reg No. ERJ 668 if anyone ever spots it)
XK150

Wow

 

[Jack]

Yep! Passed up an Abarth 750 double bubble Zagato in 1969 for $500.
Just needed a little TLC too.

 

[Keith]

Bob,

Been there done that, got given the ex directory number of a guy with a very nice good condition Brough Superior SS80 for sale just over 10 years ago, they said I could probably get it for £13000 just didn't have the money but should have borrowed it!!!!

What is the Brough Superior SS80? - £15k for this? Battered Brough Superior SS80 motorcycle goes to auction - MSN Cars UK


1939 Brough Superior SS80 Auction - Vintage Motorbike Auctions & Sale - H&H

My Dad's favourite bike and he owned several. Hang on, it's probably still in the garage now... :laugh:

 

[Nick]

My Dad's favourite bike and he owned several. Hang on, it's probably still in the garage now... :laugh:

A man of taste, don't suppose you know the models / reg.

Sorry for thread drift.

 

[Keith]

Sorry Nick, no idea but they were all pre war. When my Mum passed 3 years ago I inherited what little he left to the world that she had been hoarding, but as he was an avid amateur photographer, I know there are many photos of his bikes including a Scott Squirrel is it?, right there 25' away, in the garage.

I dunno, these memories are at least 50 years old now. I will try and dig out some photos and scan them in if you're interested.

I definitely remember the Broughs though - they looked HUGE! Shaft driven perhaps?

Thread drift? Are you sure? :shifty:

 

[Nick]

Sorry Nick, no idea but they were all pre war. When my Mum passed 3 years ago I inherited what little he left to the world that she had been hoarding, but as he was an avid amateur photographer, I know there are many photos of his bikes including a Scott Squirrel is it?, right there 25' away, in the garage.

I dunno, these memories are at least 50 years old now. I will try and dig out some photos and scan them in if you're interested.

I definitely remember the Broughs though - they looked HUGE! Shaft driven perhaps?

Thread drift? Are you sure? :shifty:

Photos would be very interesting especially to the club.

Shaft drive I think were only on the Golden Dream, the bike at the root of the Rolls Royce allowed Brough to use the "Rolls Royce of Motorbikes" in their advertising as they visited the factory and saw a show destined dream being built by white gloved engineers and were conned into thinking all the bikes were built that way legend.

Some say if you believe that story you will believe anything, but I like it, and the Austin 7 engined Brough 4's were shaft drive to closely spaced twin rear wheels,one of which recently sold for around £220,000 at auction and is now unfortunately I believe in Russia.

 

[Robert May Eng.]

Sorry Nick, no idea but they were all pre war. When my Mum passed 3 years ago I inherited what little he left to the world that she had been hoarding, but as he was an avid amateur photographer, I know there are many photos of his bikes including a Scott Squirrel is it?, right there 25' away, in the garage.

I dunno, these memories are at least 50 years old now. I will try and dig out some photos and scan them in if you're interested. :shifty:

Keith that would be something special.

Bob,

Been there done that, got given the ex directory number of a guy with a very nice good condition Brough Superior SS80 for sale just over 10 years ago, they said I could probably get it for £13000 just didn't have the money but should have borrowed it!!!!

Any connections Nick .??

I have had a lot of old british bikes, nothing that would get close to things like the Brough or older Ariels .

I have had.
Ariel leader and Arrows, various BSA bantams,Cotton, Norman (2t villiers ) Excelsior Talisman Twin, Greeves Hawkstone, Royal Enfield Constellation, Triumph 3ta,5ta,t100,White Saint, Bonnie T120 US spec, AJS, Matchless and probably a few more that I have forgotten about. All sold for nine parts of nothing :stunned:

Bob

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

No kidding. I remember two: the 300Sl roadster I passed on for about $8000 in 1972, and (same dealer) the 67 Ferrari 330 GTS, $7500- now worth about a million. The 300SL would be close behind. And I HAD the money, dammit.

Don't even get me started on all the old Fender amps I've bought and sold......hardly bears thinking about, it's too painful. Then again I still have a couple of those.

 

[Nick]

Keith that would be something special.



Any connections Nick .??



Bob

Sixth cousin 3 times removed ( no idea what that means but it's good enough for me ) according to the USA Brough family Organisation who asked a few years ago if they could investigate if I was.

Really good documentary on BBC iplayer if you can get it and like old bikes

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episod...hrottle_The_Glory_Days_of_British_Motorbikes/

 

Wasn't able to afford them, but I recall at GTB4 and a Dino for sale at car yards in Palmerston North (NZ) back in 1976 or 77. GTB4 was around $25,000 and Dino around $17,000. Mind you, a reasonable house was only around $30 or $40K back then. My brother had an immaculate Lotus Escort which he sold for $4500 around 1975. I see one for sale on eBay at the moment for £65,000.

 

[Al Jones]

I know the feeling......sold my '66 427 4 spd Corvette for $10K, matching numbers, all original, even the paint plus it had the factory hardtop, just before the market took off.
But the one I kick myself for was backing out of a deal for a slab side small block Cobra, from a Ford dealer no less, for $2700 back when the big block ones hit the market.

 

[Larry L.]

Gentlemen:

Perhaps it might sooth your souls to consider the fact that you all would have been paying maintenance, repairs, insurance, license fees, and whatever storage costs applied for all these years had you kept all those cars.

No? Well, I tried...

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

It doesn't help. But thanks.

We would have had those cars to drive all these years, too........ I don't mind about the Ferrari so much, but the 300SL hurts. I had two shots at them in the 70s and still regret it. Oh well.

 

[Robert May Eng.]

I can see the same thing happening again, some of these big BMW 2 door v12/v10 coupe`s could end up classic car status , maybe even that Crossfire by Chrysler or anything else produced in small numbers.

Bob

 

[Malcolm]

My mum's cousin remarried to a French lady. She told the story of not being able to get the final £50 from her dad to make up the £600 asking price for a Bugatti Royale!

 

[Keith]

I can see the same thing happening again, some of these big BMW 2 door v12/v10 coupe`s could end up classic car status , maybe even that Crossfire by Chrysler or anything else produced in small numbers.

Bob

I really don't think the Crossfire merits any attention further than killing it with really hot Fire once the engine had been removed.

Is there any Classic Car anyone thinks "how on earth is that a) Classic and b) worth a small fortune?"

I've racked my brains but I can't think of one - I seem to like them all, which is curious.

One of the best instant Classics IMO is the V12 8 Series BMW Coupe, and you can still pick one up for under £8,000 .

 

[Robert May Eng.]

Your wrong Keith and that is the second time since 1966 I can think of quite a few that will hit classic status, we have all the oddball jags like the old 240mph Lister Storm and the later xjs supercharged jobs, most of the Ferrari`s, Zonda, Bugatti,some of the Maserrati offerings,Lambo`s , hand built replicas have even made it to the big time. I would imagine some of RCR cars would end up on collectors list`s along with some of the better finished kit cars that are about.There are still enough low volume producers to make collectors cars of tomorrow me thinks, its just having the guts to invest in the most likely candidate

Bob