Car Spotting

[E.B]

I initially thought the fake wire wheel lookalikes were the real deal. Its so wrong on so many counts it is strangely right.

Doesnt come close on desirability but spotted this GT version of the Smart Roadster. I would have taken another pic from the side or behind, but the (approaching middle aged) lady who owned it wandered up to it looking like she thought she was something so special, oversized 'chest' in an undersized blouse, tiny shorts, tossing her hair back like some Supermodel I refused to encourage her by taking anything vaguely close up or obvious. (Or incriminate myself as some kind of perv. Honest I was more interested in the car not her!).
Amusingly she struggled to get out of the parking space without nudging the motorbike parked behind.

[Peter Mallett]

I quite like them, the car not the big chest, although on reflection..... .

[S griffin]

The Smart Roadsters are certainly unique and I'm sure do their own thing that other cars can't

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

I quite like them, the car not the big chest, although on reflection..... .

I can attest that the car is really fantastic on the road, cornering abilities are far beyond many other so called sport cars. Of course, unless you go for a powerful 100 hp Brabus version, the engine is somewhat aesthmatic. I'd go for a Roadster, the big rear window of the Coupé adding too much weight to this little wonder. It's no coincidence that they make crazy money now (production stopped in 2006).

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by E.B

I initially thought the fake wire wheel lookalikes were the real deal. Its so wrong on so many counts it is strangely right.

Doesnt come close on desirability but spotted this GT version of the Smart Roadster. I would have taken another pic from the side or behind, but the (approaching middle aged) lady who owned it wandered up to it looking like she thought she was something so special, oversized 'chest' in an undersized blouse, tiny shorts, tossing her hair back like some Supermodel I refused to encourage her by taking anything vaguely close up or obvious. (Or incriminate myself as some kind of perv. Honest I was more interested in the car not her!).
Amusingly she struggled to get out of the parking space without nudging the motorbike parked behind.

Ah, thought that may have been a Smart. Saw one like that in France but just clearing a corner so didn't get the whole thing.

And more than a few times thwarted on getting a car picture cause taking that picture, often in my marked city car, ain't worth the honest I don't care about you, the car is cooler explanation

And oh yes, fake wire wheel hubcaps for the classing up your car win always

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

And oh yes, fake wire wheel hubcaps for the classing up your car win always

Fake? https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89...ments_Robergel Original? https://www.ruoteborrani.com/ Nothing like a postcard in the spokes!

[E.B]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Fake? https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89...ments_Robergel Original? https://www.ruoteborrani.com/ Nothing like a postcard in the spokes!

OK you got me there..... I never thought I would see a Peugeot 403 ragtop with wire wheels! Pic in the link you put up. Seen plenty of 203 Cabrios but never with wires

Also I officially adore the little red Simca 9 Coupé in the same link. Also the "Simca 9 Sport bodied by Figoni and Falaschi"

[Gerard C]

Ho yes, those were the days with wonderful special bodies. As to weird accessories, do you remember the "chromed antenas" fixed to the front fender to tell you the distance between the wheel and the pavement? May be Robri or Robergel in France. Ancester of parking radar!

[Gerard C]

Like the Simca 9 Aronde too (Swallow?) was the first real Simca, not a rebadged Fiat. I've always been amazed by Henri Pigozzi's life and all the love and respect he showed for his wife. To convince her to accept to drive a vulgar Simca 1000, he asked to his engineers to invent a name avoiding "plastic" or "skaï" for the seats trim. Do you remember the seats of the Panhard PL 17 Tigre?

[S griffin]

It’s interesting to learn a bit more about the Simca, it’s not exactly a well recognised name in terms of car manufacturers from the past, so thanks guys

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by S griffin

It’s interesting to learn a bit more about the Simca, it’s not exactly a well recognised name in terms of car manufacturers from the past, so thanks guys

It is to many of us of a certain age.

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

It is to many of us of a certain age.

Well yes. There’s a few car manufacturers I remember from my youth that wouldn’t be well recognised now, either because they became out of fashion or extinct

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by E.B

I initially thought the fake wire wheel lookalikes were the real deal. Its so wrong on so many counts it is strangely right.

Doesnt come close on desirability but spotted this GT version of the Smart Roadster. I would have taken another pic from the side or behind, but the (approaching middle aged) lady who owned it wandered up to it looking like she thought she was something so special, oversized 'chest' in an undersized blouse, tiny shorts, tossing her hair back like some Supermodel I refused to encourage her by taking anything vaguely close up or obvious. (Or incriminate myself as some kind of perv. Honest I was more interested in the car not her!).
Amusingly she struggled to get out of the parking space without nudging the motorbike parked behind.

Could be fun in the wet. I think I’ve mentioned this before. Automatic, but it really is just a manual that is computer controlled. It tended to be quite a harsh change. Under power if it changed up the weight would briefly transfer to the front which would suddenly have more grip than before!

[E.B]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Do you remember the seats of the Panhard PL 17 Tigre?

Do you mean the seats that looked something like a tiger skin and continued onto the door trims? With suicide front doors the effect was quite special!

I liked this article of a barn find PL17, meticulously restored, albeit the later traditional door model and not the Tigre model I had in mind. I particularly like the good pics in this of the very sparse and open plan engine bay.

https://petrolicious.com/articles/pu...life-in-the-uk



Edit: I found this picture I think from a publicity document for the PL17 Tigre. Does not show the suicide door effect fully though.




Also found another pic.....

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by E.B

Do you mean the seats that looked something like a tiger skin and continued onto the door trims? With suicide front doors the effect was quite special!

Great! Yes, this. The PL17 was cleverly engineered, flat floor making room for six passengers and a huge trunk capacity. The first version had full aluminium body but the second one was a mix aluminium/steel both with blinkers on top of the front wings. The tiger trim complimented a tuned engine via a special camshaft. They got a bad reputation of poor reliability because of the gearbox issues and a swinging engine at idle. Very good road holding much better than anything else on the road. I drove quite a few of them, really enjoyable cars.

[Mike Harte]

Chris, I hope that Storm Dana hasn't had any undesirable consequences for your Mum's place in Calpe?

[E.B]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Chris, I hope that Storm Dana hasn't had any undesirable consequences for your Mum's place in Calpe?

Im still there until the weekend.... We had rain yesterday and all night but very windy today. Went down to the Arenal Beach area this evening and it was very blowy.... for the Med the waves were big and indeed some folk were out with surfboards! Forecast is for it to be calmer but perhaps cloudy tomorrow. Still looking at min 25C tonight and top 30C tomorrow

[broadrun96]

Make sure you paint the rear for visibility, wife says the lights were barely lit on the brakes

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Make sure you paint the rear for visibility, wife says the lights were barely lit on the brakes

Which car was she talking about? If its the grey one on her right may she'd better consider a visit to SpecSavers or the like…

[E.B]

White on White

Oh and the Vuelta (bike race) is in the area and so all the support vehicles are out. Adam will be happy to know multi coloured Skoda wagons seem to be popular in the support stakes.

[E.B]

I know we had a Citroën Méhari a few pages back but today I spotted an absolutely mint one down at the Real Club Náutico de Calpe all the way from the Côte d'Azur. Stunning condition and 88,000 klicks on the clock. Gerard said they have a resurgence in electric powered versions but this had all the right umbrella bits inside. Maybe the gauge left of the main instrument is a tell tale? I didnt look that closely. It was after lunch!

Oh and a bit of a Mafia looking Defender as well. Never seen such a long wheel base one before and very blacked out

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by E.B

White on White

Oh and the Vuelta (bike race) is in the area and so all the support vehicles are out. Adam will be happy to know multi coloured Skoda wagons seem to be popular in the support stakes.

Brilliant. Just watched the time trial.

Skodas make up a lot of the team support vehicles and the race control vehicles. On the Tour they have a medical car that has Skoda stickers all over it too. THe medical car has to be a convertible so they can administer rolling repairs on the riders! The convertible is a VW Same here on the Vuelta, but they don’t seem to have the Skoda stickers.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by E.B

White on White

Oh and the Vuelta (bike race) is in the area and so all the support vehicles are out. Adam will be happy to know multi coloured Skoda wagons seem to be popular in the support stakes.

White on white is only missing the steer horns on the hood.

[Gerard C]

The Nardi copy on the Méhari looks terrible. But, tbh, the original one looks even more terrible! And the body color…

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

White on white is only missing the steer horns on the hood.

And a pimp at wheel…