|
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
14 Feb 2008, 12:31 (Ref:2128651) | #26 | ||
Racer
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 419
|
Yes, Mosler, the XK120 was a pretty lovely looking car.
The first time I saw one was in 1952: temporary import by a US entertainer. Although the car was first made in 1948, for years, they all went to to the USA! Was offered a white Roadster with a brand new Jag factory engine in 1960 for £120: where did a 19 year old earning £9/week find that sort of cash? |
||
|
14 Feb 2008, 18:40 (Ref:2128944) | #27 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 510
|
Colin Chapman was way ahead of the opposition with the Lotus Elite - if only he could have sold them cheaper than an E type Jaguar!
|
||
__________________
"Winning starts with beginning" atr. Robert H. Schuller Jill Carter |
14 Feb 2008, 19:30 (Ref:2129004) | #28 | ||
Racer
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 419
|
Shame he didn't think of supplying oilskins as standard!
|
||
|
14 Feb 2008, 19:38 (Ref:2129020) | #29 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 510
|
I think that's a tad unfair - maybe gross exageration?
|
||
__________________
"Winning starts with beginning" atr. Robert H. Schuller Jill Carter |
14 Feb 2008, 21:01 (Ref:2129092) | #30 | ||
Racer
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 419
|
Not really: the doors didn't fit and the car leaked like a sieve.
A business acquaintance of mine in Norwich used to be a senior Marketing Manager for Lotus when they moved to Hethel. On his desk, he had a framed Brockelbank cartoon, showinga stream of trucks delivering raw materials to a factory complete with smokestacks, which was built right next to a steep cliff. As the cars came out of the factory: they fell down the cliff and were destroyed. The cartoon was intended to represent modern planned obsolescence. Brockelbank gave the signed original to Chapman at the request of one of the other directors: 'cos it typified his view of owners. He totally hated them! Really, the original Elite was a de-tuned race car.The Climax engine was problematical too. Not actually suitable for road use day in day out. The E Type, of course, was. |
||
|
15 Feb 2008, 07:59 (Ref:2129382) | #31 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 510
|
Haven't taken ours out in the wet! Hope its been sorted over the years. Having had several assorted Lotus over the years nothing can surprise -I hope!
|
||
__________________
"Winning starts with beginning" atr. Robert H. Schuller Jill Carter |
15 Feb 2008, 08:32 (Ref:2129401) | #32 | ||
Racer
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 419
|
Don't forget your wellies when you do!
Don't get me wrong. The original Elite encapsulated Chapman's design ethos: light; excellent roadholding; good performance mainly because of the power to weight ratio. "Chunky" tended to design just to last one Grande Epreuve: before things broke! Which was not a lot of use in a road car! Unfortunately, it also pointed up the flaws in Lotus attempts at even small volume production. Still, as you say, after all these years it ought to be marginally sorted by this time! Perhaps the Elan was a more acceptable "Everyday" car: once Lotus had sorted out minor irritations like the read driveshaft bungies tying themselves in knots if you went away from stationary too dramatically! And the fuel frothing because the Rubber O ring plates were so badly designed. Where the carbs hand't actually fallen off as the manifold fractured due to the weight of a pair of 40 DCOEs shaking like a wet jelly! Same prob with the Lotus Cortina until the bonded joint plates arrived. |
||
|
1 Aug 2008, 15:27 (Ref:2261716) | #33 | ||
Rookie
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 3
|
Jaguar E-type
Morris Minor Aston Martin DB5 Jaguar XJ6 Mini |
||
|
23 Sep 2008, 04:58 (Ref:2295790) | #34 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 2,540
|
Channel 4 are having another go at this: http://www.channel4.com/4car/gl/gall...ature/23840/11 You can vote for your choice, but only if it agrees with theirs!
|
||
|
23 Sep 2008, 20:10 (Ref:2296393) | #35 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 9,441
|
A Maxi "ahead of its time" "Yeah" right, with that cable operated gear change it was a pain in the arse
|
||
__________________
Balls of steel (knob of butter) They're Asking For Larkins. ( Proper beer) not you're Eurofizz crap. Hace más calor en España. Me han conocido a hablar un montón cojones! Send any cheques and cash to PO box 1 Lagos Nigeria Africa ! |
23 Sep 2008, 20:20 (Ref:2296401) | #36 | ||
14th
1% Club
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 44,018
|
The E-Type and the MGB are in the '70s. The best versions were in the '60s. The '70s-'80s list is very long, the sixties too short. Dimbos.
|
||
__________________
Brum brum |
2 Nov 2008, 22:40 (Ref:2326448) | #37 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 616
|
surely jaguar xjs should be on there.. at least as high as the XJ6 as it was the 'car that saved jaguar'
|
|
|
3 Nov 2008, 06:36 (Ref:2326650) | #38 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 2,540
|
Not for mine - it was after all the car the spy photographer dismissed as "surely they won't be making that ugly thing" wasn't it? What car in the list of 20 would you exclude?
|
||
|
3 Nov 2008, 08:04 (Ref:2326690) | #39 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 616
|
i would go for one of the not totally british ones - nissan bluebird or ford GT40
|
|
|
4 Nov 2008, 05:50 (Ref:2327587) | #40 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 2,540
|
Fair comment particularly the Bluebird!
|
||
|
5 Nov 2008, 22:01 (Ref:2329047) | #41 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 616
|
it depends whether you count british as made in britain or owned by british
|
|
|
6 Nov 2008, 01:35 (Ref:2329168) | #42 | ||
Ten-Tenths Hall of Fame
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 8,408
|
How can you have a list like this without including a Morgan? I once had a 1960s Morgan Plus 4 with the Triumph TR2 engine and though it was fantastic at the time.
|
||
|
28 Nov 2008, 07:16 (Ref:2343117) | #43 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 572
|
Bentley "Flying Spur"
|
|
|
2 Dec 2008, 13:03 (Ref:2345640) | #44 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,126
|
de Havilland Mosquito, best looking plane ever.
Oh, cars. Soz. |
||
__________________
Locost #54 Boldly Leaping where no car has gone before. And then being T-boned. Damn. Survivor of the 2008 2CV 24h!! 2 engines, one accident, 76mph and rain. |
7 Dec 2008, 21:46 (Ref:2349855) | #45 | |||
14th
1% Club
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 44,018
|
Quote:
|
|||
__________________
Brum brum |
8 Dec 2008, 12:46 (Ref:2350238) | #46 | ||
20KPINAL
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 29,853
|
Quote:
|
||
|
9 Dec 2008, 20:18 (Ref:2351222) | #47 | ||
Ten-Tenths Hall of Fame
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 8,408
|
I have to admit that it is a deterrent, but I went to school in Malvern and my my first sports car was a Morgan Plus-4, which I collected from the factory, so you have to understand my enthusiasm. For the record, my son also went to Malvern for a while and the son and daughter of a good friend of mine are there now, so the links are very strong. Incidentally, said son was in the Top Gear audience once and said the Hamster is a complete poser.
After that revelation, I shall be writing to Morgan suggesting that they lend me a car for at least a week; a year would be nice... |
||
|
30 Apr 2009, 08:24 (Ref:2452656) | #48 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,417
|
Greatest British Car well that would have to be the Vauxhall Cavalier, better know to us Aussies as the Holden Camira. Was it as great a success in the UK as it was here?
|
||
|
30 Apr 2009, 22:18 (Ref:2453259) | #49 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 9,441
|
The Cavalier was a success in the UK and although not really exciting was a good reliable workhorse that was cheap to run and was the mainstay of many a reps cars for years. There are still loads kicking about.
|
||
__________________
Balls of steel (knob of butter) They're Asking For Larkins. ( Proper beer) not you're Eurofizz crap. Hace más calor en España. Me han conocido a hablar un montón cojones! Send any cheques and cash to PO box 1 Lagos Nigeria Africa ! |
30 Apr 2009, 22:45 (Ref:2453270) | #50 | |||
Veteran
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,417
|
Quote:
I do remeber though that when I was running a workshop for a leading Holden dealer that we used to get a Convetable Cavalier in for servicing, it belong to the wife of a former Managing Director of Vaxhaull. The only time I could readly get the mechanics to do the worst jobs in when was when I had that car there, they used to beg not to be made to work on it. |
|||
|
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Touring Cars the greatest era? | Speedy norm | Motorsport History | 56 | 23 Aug 2007 15:27 |
Film and TV's Greatest Cars | Craig | Road Car Forum | 24 | 24 Jan 2005 16:30 |
Which nation builds the greatest performance cars? | garcon | Road Car Forum | 57 | 4 Jun 2003 15:46 |
[DVD/Video] Worlds Greatest Rally Cars DVD | Amaroo Park | Armchair Enthusiast | 7 | 16 Feb 2003 02:05 |
The worlds greatest cars | woodyracing | Road Car Forum | 23 | 25 Nov 2002 09:25 |