Old Cars Then And Now
Discussion
I like to watch a series on Talking Pictures called Look At Life. It's mostly jingoisitic post-war propaganda, but I record them, and watch them when I'm eating lunch or somesuch. They're only ten or twleve minutes long.
Today I watched a 1963 programme about vintage cars, and they showed a 1929 fire engine which was in a museum and relied upon a team of volunteers to maintain it, and to manufacture spare parts when needed.
In 1963, that fire engine was 34 years old.
That's like, today, being unable to buy parts for a Mk1 Golf.
Nothing revelatory; I just felt it was noteworthy.
Today I watched a 1963 programme about vintage cars, and they showed a 1929 fire engine which was in a museum and relied upon a team of volunteers to maintain it, and to manufacture spare parts when needed.
In 1963, that fire engine was 34 years old.
That's like, today, being unable to buy parts for a Mk1 Golf.
Nothing revelatory; I just felt it was noteworthy.
Slightly different but in 2008 I had an old 911 when they were relatively cheap (£12k for a 1987 Carrera 3.2 in good nick). I considered that a classic/old car for high days and holidays at the time at 21.
Now I'm considering treating myself to an early Boxster as a daily runaround. Despite that a "new, modern car like a 986 Boxster" is probably going to be 5 years older than the 911 was when I had it!
Now I'm considering treating myself to an early Boxster as a daily runaround. Despite that a "new, modern car like a 986 Boxster" is probably going to be 5 years older than the 911 was when I had it!
I recently saw a late-30s used car dealer's magazine advert and it struck me how many of his offerings were described as restored or refurbished - and these were cars built 5-10 years before!
Presumably it didn't take long before cars built with timber frames, and generally constructed in a pretty ad hoc way (compared to the high-tolerance, manufacture friendly techniques of today) needed serious attention, especially if they were in daily, all weather use.
Presumably it didn't take long before cars built with timber frames, and generally constructed in a pretty ad hoc way (compared to the high-tolerance, manufacture friendly techniques of today) needed serious attention, especially if they were in daily, all weather use.
Absolutely - an "old" car is older than it used to be. When the Classic Car (as opposed to vintage or veteran) scene was becoming more prominent in the late 80s / early 90s the classic car magazines often featured cars that were around 20 years old. Admittedly many of those cars were based on older designs and therefore had a much older (more "classic?") feel, but early 90's classic cars magazines featured MGBs, Midgets, Spitfires etc, some of which were still being sold in 80/81. Even E-Types - the archetypal classic car - had only been out of production since 1974.
"Built to last" were they b
ks.
Mechanically clapped out at 60k and rotted out scrap at 6-10 years old.
Selling cars in the early eighties we had two first mot at three years old failures on corrosion, a Renault 5 and a Ford Granada.
It's amazing there are any survivors really.
Now we bin off perfectly good cars at 10-20 years old.
ks. Mechanically clapped out at 60k and rotted out scrap at 6-10 years old.
Selling cars in the early eighties we had two first mot at three years old failures on corrosion, a Renault 5 and a Ford Granada.
It's amazing there are any survivors really.
Now we bin off perfectly good cars at 10-20 years old.
21st Century Man said:
"Built to last" were they bks.
Mechanically clapped out at 60k and rotted out scrap at 6-10 years old.
Selling cars in the early eighties we had two first mot at three years old failures on corrosion, a Renault 5 and a Ford Granada.
It's amazing there are any survivors really.
Now we bin off perfectly good cars at 10-20 years old.
100% correct! I'm amazed (and amused) at those who write, "They don't make 'em like they used to!"ks. Mechanically clapped out at 60k and rotted out scrap at 6-10 years old.
Selling cars in the early eighties we had two first mot at three years old failures on corrosion, a Renault 5 and a Ford Granada.
It's amazing there are any survivors really.
Now we bin off perfectly good cars at 10-20 years old.
Riley Blue said:
100% correct! I'm amazed (and amused) at those who write, "They don't make 'em like they used to!"
A bit like those that bang on about the price of things nowadays, but run it through an inflation calculator and it was actually a small fortune back in the day and much cheaper now, not only that, but also relatively as a proportion of the available disposable income compared to then and now.Watcher of the skies said:
To be fair, immediately post war many manufacturers didn't have the money to develop new designs so they reintroduced warmed over pre war designs - hence the MG T type in your last picture.
Yes, that is a TF, introduced in late 1953 as an update to the TD, itself being an update to the TC and pre-war Midgets. The more modern looking MGA of 1955 still had a similar separate chassis (but with the side members further apart) and semi-elliptic springs.CanAm said:
This is a 60 year-old car - a 1964 Lotus Elan, which I’d happily own and drive.
In 1964, this was a 60 year-old car - a 1904 de Dion Bouton, which I wouldn’t have been so keen on.
In 1964, this was a TEN year-old car !!!
It's fairly apparent that by 1960 most of the primary innovations that lead to the modern car were in place ; independent suspension, unibody (albeit the Elan wasn't!) and the sort of performance that made driving relatively struggle-free. And all those things were trickling down and becoming universal, albeit more slowly in some places than others!In 1964, this was a 60 year-old car - a 1904 de Dion Bouton, which I wouldn’t have been so keen on.
In 1964, this was a TEN year-old car !!!
In fact most of those innovations are from the 30s, but they were relatively niche/exclusive at that time.
The MG is a proper "lost decade" example, a 328 from almost 20 years before would be visually and technically more modern!
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