Travel tips. One of England's first racetracks was built here in 1907, the first runway for airplanes in 1908, the first flying machine built in 1909 - the last in the 1980s. Later, smaller car manufacturers appeared. Today, everything is history.
When the Bentleys ruled
Brooklands Museum, Surrey, is on the remains of the long-disused Brooklands Racecourse. Several buildings and halls at the museum belonged to the facility. The track surface was laid in 1907 and in the 1920s no one could beat the big Bentleys that roared around the heavily dosed curves. Today, only a small remnant of the outer race remains. It was the highest point of the track, called The Member's Banking. The concrete is now partially covered with moss. Last Sunday it was arranged Summer Classic Gathering and Auto Jumble for members and visitors. Inside among the old passenger planes were the most prestigious cars – Bentley and Rolls Royce. The company Vickers owned Bentley before it was sold to Volkswagen. One of Bentley's models is actually called Brooklands.
The Vickers VC10 was manufactured here at Weybridge, UK.
Bentley Continental S1 Flying Spur in front of the nose of a Vickers VC10 aircraft.Ford Zodiac mk3
Aircraft production
Vickers is better known as an aircraft manufacturer. Vickers-Armstrong assembled airliners in Weybridge – just off Brooklands. VC10 is one of my favorites. It is a long and narrow four-engine aircraft about the size of the Boeing 707 and DC-8. The placement of the four engines is very special – two on each side, at the rear of the fuselage. The aircraft that is displayed in the museum grounds is actually assembled here in Weybridge. The VC10 aircraft is open to the public. The lights in the instruments and the voice of air traffic controllers at Heathrow create a very special atmosphere. It's not live - only an audio tape, although Heathrow is not far away. The interior of the plane is unfortunately a composition of "bad taste" after having served as a private plane for the Sultan of Oman.
Not my cup of tea.
While we're on the subject of airplanes, the Concord plane from British Airways is a big crowd favorite. Here, the queues to get in are often long. The engineers at Weybridge played an important role during the development of the aircraft type. Also worth mentioning is a BAC 1-11 (One-Eleven) which was built after Vickers-Armstrong was merged with other aircraft manufacturers into British Aerospace. The aircraft is similar to the DC-9, but slightly smaller. The BAC 1-11 was a workhorse for short distances, although not so common in Scandinavia. One aircraft is said to have been leased to SAS and some machines were chartered, among other things for the Norwegian Armed Forces.
BAC 1-11
Lineup of Rolls Royce and Bentley at the Concorde.
For the rich
In the 1920s, racing cars were a rich man's sport. The racing car drivers often owned the cars themselves, and often also a plane. Brooklands got its own runway in 1908, where now only a remaining part is protected. Some of the aircraft on display made their final landing there.
The combination of airplanes and cars has fascinated many from early times, and advertising posters often show stately cars parked in front of an airplane. On Sunday, the finest cars were lined up at the Concord. Imagine being transported in a Rolls Royce to a waiting Concord flight heading across the Atlantic! I also liked the stylish Ford Zodiac parked by the flight stairs of VC10. They formed a nice 60s time frame.
Perhaps one of the old engineers from Vickers-Armstrong stopped by? 🙂
The Member's Banking is located in the outer loop. Picture today and from the 1920s inset.
Chevrolet Impala and Range Rover with the old track tire in the background.
Bentley T1 Drophead.
How to get there
I have been here several times and recommend trains from Vauxhall station, London to Weybridge station - possibly with a change at Wimbledon. Follow the road up to the main road system and keep right until you have passed the railway bridge. Then turn right across a car park and continue on the footpath that runs parallel to the train tracks - with the train on your right. Follow the road system in the same direction (about 10 minutes) all the way to the first bridge where you can turn right over the railway. 50 meters after passing the bridge, take a footpath down to the left through the forest. Follow the road until you have passed the river. Then take the first walkway on the left under the railway. The road is signposted. The trip takes 15-20 minutes and is shorter and more pleasant than other roads the map systems might recommend.
Also worth a visit
Brooklands Museum also contains a bus museum. Admission £22 for adults and £8 extra to see the Concord from inside. I recommend combining the visit with special events advertised on brooklandsmuseum.com
Mercedes Benz World is right next to the museum. They have a nice display of historic and new models. Free entry. Kid friendly. Simple and good cafeteria with plenty of seating. mercedes-benzworld.co.uk
See
Brooklands Summer Classic GatheringMercedes Benz WorldPanther
Morris Marina received relentless criticism from the automotive press of the time and later. After all, Ford and GM had for many years produced simple and unsophisticated cars for the masses. Why couldn't British Leyland do the same?
Just had to photograph these!
The cars in the pictures are clearly visible from the road. They have seen better days, but are not just any cars. They are English. A private collection perhaps? I easily recognize the Morris Marina 1,8 TC Coupé. I liked these when they were new, but can't remember the last time I saw one - with signs!
Should make money - not car history
Morris Marina is not something you see every day. I don't know how many are left in Norway. I'm sure I've seen a light yellow 4 door sedan earlier this year but can't remember if it was here., or in England. According to the website howmanyleft.co.uk there were only 405 registered cars left in the whole of the UK at the start of the year, - as well as a few more cars without plates. At one point, the Marina was the third best-selling car in the British Isles – a car that was designed to be a blockbuster.
That is perhaps one of the reasons why so few love Marina? The company had car designers who Alec Issigonis, the man who created the Mini, 1100/1300 and Maxi. These were cars that made automotive history - but obviously not enough money. The red numbers had been shining for a long time. In 1968, British Leyland (BMLC) was formed as a merger of BMC and Leyland Motors, bringing almost all British car brands at the time under the same umbrella. The management had decided to develop a model that would become a "cash cow" for the new company. They wanted to build a car that was not only equal to successful models such as the Ford Cortina mk2 and Escort mk1 – it also had to be cheaper than all the others.
Austin 1300 and Morris Marina
Cortina as a role model
The man behind the design was Roy Haynes who, among other things, had designed the Ford Cortina mk2. It was the which made me stop along the road. The Cortina mk2 were simple, unsophisticated, practical, beautiful, English cars. It is clear that Haynes has used the Cortina mk2 as a model. There are many similarities between Cortina mk2 and Marina both in size and design. One could have taken Marina to be Cortina's successor. But by the time the Marina was launched, Ford had launched the Cortina mk3 which was both wider and longer than its predecessor.
Advertising image of Morris Marina 1,8 TC in the foreground and Coupé behind. To make production cheaper, the coupe version got the same doors as the sedan version.
Swap places with Morris Minor
What class did Marina belong to, really? Some claim it was the small Morris Minor 1000 - others the much larger Morris Oxford. The Marina model was put into production at Morris' Cowley plant and effectively replaced the Morris Minor on the assembly line – the classic that had been in production since 1948. Because of this, the Marina's platform was based on the Morris Minor but stretched 10 inches in length. If more were to be increased, the production apparatus would have to be completely rebuilt. Remember! Marina was supposed to be cheap to produce.
The British motoring press was quick to point out the relationship to the Morris Minor, hardly intended in a positive context. I don't know how the market reacted to this, but at least it put a damper on it min I wanted to choose the Morris Marina. I traded my Cortina for a Mazda 818, – a car that was more similar to the Marina than I had expected.
Morris Marina Van and Pickup.
Morris Marina 1.8 Estate
Was Marina an American concept?
To save development costs, the developers at British Leyland had used as many components as possible from other models in the new, merged company. Vigilant car journalists listed all the components – big and small. The Marina 1,3 got BMC's well-known A-series 1275 engine. The Marina 1,8 got the 1800 engine that was developed on the B series – the same engine series that, among other things, was installed in the Morris Oxford. The 1,8 engine with twin carburettors was the same as in the MGB, something owners of the Marina 1,8 TC (Twin Carburettor) could boast of.
Launching new budget models based on components from other models in the same group was something Ford and GM had been doing for many years. Instead of putting the spotlight on sophisticated chassis, handling and powertrain features, customers were made to drool over plush seats, vinyl roofs and chrome trim. What baffles me is why Ford, GM and Chrysler (Rootes) got away with it, while British Leyland received unrelenting criticism for doing the same? Motor Trend wrote about the Morris Marina with the subtitle British Cloth, American Cut. They believed that Morris Marina had jumped on an American concept, unlike early models. Maybe it was easier to accept that American-owned car brands did that. Not Morris! Not a traditional English car brand.
A "sales rep" with his new Series 2 Marina
Series 2 model with fake wood and plush interior.
Morris Ital Estate was not taken into Norway
Model history
The Morris Marina was launched as a 1971 model with 3 engine options and 3 trim levels. First as a 2-door coupé and 4-door sedan, later as a 5-door Estate station wagon, van and pickup. In 1976, Marina received a facelift. It got a new grill - and thus lost one of the model's fine characteristics. It also got a new dashboard molded in one piece of plastic. In 1980, Marina was succeeded by a "new" model, called Ital. You could say a lot of negative things about the Morris Marina, but it was a beautiful car. Unfortunately, that could not be said about Ital, the last model to bear the Morris name. Ital kept the 1275 engine in the base version, and got two new engines in the model range. It wasn't beautiful, but gave a lot of car for the money. To quote Motor Trend from 1971: A car built for people in need of transportation rather than entertainment.
Facts Morris Marina 1,8 TC Coupé
Weights and Measures
Length, width and height: 414 x 164 x 140 cm
Wheelbase: 244 cm
Net weight without driver: 957 kg
Number of seats: 5
Drivetrain
Engine: 1,8 liter inline four with 2 SU carburetors
Type: BMC B-series, front-mounted long stance
Operation: RWD
Horsepower: 96 HP
Torque: 144 Nm at 5250 revolutions
Gearbox: 4-speed manual or 3-speed automatic from Borg Warner
Morris Marina Owners Club became an enjoyable regular in several episodes of Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. Every time the team tested - or had to mention a Morris Marina, the car was smashed flat in front of the viewers' eyes by a piano from the blue.
We are in London to spend a few days with our daughter and her partner in Greenwich. Carspotting wasn't really on the agenda, but when the others chose to visit Harrods, I chose to trawl the streets for nice cars until we could meet again for lunch.
Black belt in carspotting
London carspotting offers many interesting photo objects. In the central city districts, there are generally few opportunities for "off street parking" as the buildings were erected before mass traffic. Also, as a consequence of the high property prices, many old stables and workshops have been converted into housing - not garages. Add to that the fact that many are mega-rich and eccentric - and prefer vehicles that no one else has. Carspotting is not just for "geeky" boys. I myself am 63 years old and wander around with a journalist's camera, snapping pictures and chatting with like-minded people. The finest cars are well known among car spotters. The most serious ones post pictures on their own websites with all the information. Here are the stories of 5 cars that I came up with min round of London carspotting and searching online.
I had to go up close to find out it was a McLaren. There is basically little about the McLaren GT that oozes brand association. There is nothing here that does not have a function.
Top speed: 326 km/h
0-100: 3,2 seconds
Weight ready for driving without driver: 1 kg
About this car
It has previously been advertised for sale for £162.950 through a McLaren dealer near Southampton. They state that the car is from 2019 (September in ht. registration number). The odometer read 8250 miles. The advertisement is not dated, but several carspotters state that they have seen the car in London and the south of France during 2021. I am guessing that the car was sold around the turn of the year 2020/2021. The equipment list consists of, among other things:
Elite Namaka Blue lacquer
MSO Bright Pack (glossy trim over the side windows, gloss black diamond-cut, forged rims and polished titanium tailpipes).
Estimated value of this supercar is 3,0 to 3,5 million USD! The car has been flown in from Kuwait while the owner is staying at one of London's luxury hotels.
General information about the Bugatti Chiron Sport
Drive: W16 engine with quad-turbo.
Performance: 1500 hp
Torque: 1600 Nm @ 6000 revs
Top speed: 420 km/h
0-100: 2,4 seconds
Weight ready for use without driver: 1977 kg
About this car
Assumed registration year is 2018 based on the registration number. The car is left-hand drive and is based in Kuwait. It has been flown into London during the owner's stay here.
The most beautiful XJ model is without a doubt this gorgeous coupé variant without a center pillar. It is based on the XJ with a short wheelbase. The model year is 1975 – one year before it was replaced by the XJS.
General information about the Jaguar XJ12 5.3C
Drive: V12 5,3 liters with 3-speed automatic
Performance: 254 HP
Torque: 408 Nm @ 3500 revs
Top speed: 225 km/h
0-100: 7,9 seconds
Weight ready for use without driver: 1835 kg
About this car
I found an ad on the site Car-from-UK. There the car was for sale in Cheshire as an unfinished restoration project. The work looked OK in the pictures. According to the seller, all that remained was to freshen up the interior, replace the roof covering and give the car a new coat of paint. Probably quite a few more not mentioned. The car was not MOT approved and had to be collected with a trailer. The car was originally red. The price was set at £5.850, but I don't know when the ad was posted. A Japanese carspotter posted pictures of the same car in November 2021, then in the same British Racing Green color and with the same rims. An interior photo shows that the original seats have been retained. A photo from a rogue African site shows the same car in black paint. It is unknown whether this is "photoshopped" or whether the car was first repainted in black.
Image from previous advert (Source: car-from-uk.com)
Once upon a time I could overhaul Kent engines blindfolded. When a Ford Cortina mk2 1600E came sailing past outside Harrods, I wasn't slow to take pictures!
General information about the Ford Cortina 1600E
Drive: 1600 GT "Kent" engine, 4-speed manual gearbox
Performance: 82 HP
Torque: 138 Nm
Top speed: 152 km/h
0-100: 13,4 seconds
Weight ready for use without driver: 990 kg
About this car
I saw the car just outside Harrods last Friday. When I searched the sites of the company that shipped it, I didn't find anything at first - not until 4 days later. The car had just been picked up in London. At the weekend it will be auctioned off - i Pickering, about 5 hours' drive north from London. But you can also submit a bid online. The car's odometer shows 38700 miles and the model year is 1969. No price estimates have been given, but normally these cars sell for between £7.000 and £15.000 in England. The car appears to be thoroughly rust-protected throughout Ziebart, although many people do not trust this rust protection. To me the car seemed as good as a pristine mk2 Cortina can be, but it will be well done to find a completely rust-free Cortina.
"Lovely colour", commented a passerby when I was taking photos. W114/W115 are quite common to see in London. The color makes this car unique.
General information about the Mercedes-Benz 230.4
Drivetrain: 2,3 liter inline four with 4-speed automatic
Performance: 110 HP
Torque: 186 Nm
Top speed: 170 km/h
0-100: 13,7 seconds
Weight ready for use without driver: 1350 kg
About this car
The car has been in the same family since 1982 - native to Hertfordshire outside London. Before them, there has been one owner. It has been dry stored for 17 years. The paintwork is original Silver Thistle Metallic. The information is taken from an advertisement in Car & Classic where the car was presented and open for online auction. The auction ended in March 2021. The winning bid was £13.000.
In London can for shopping time og mocking go hand in hand. Here are some suggestions:
Shopping – Westfields
Spotting – Holland Park, Kensington North
Lunch – In the pedestrian street in front of Westfields
Westfield's shopping center is located next to the stop Shepherd's Bush along the Central Line. There is a Westfields in Stratford by the Olympic Park as well, but it is not as big - and not suitable for carspotting. The area west of Holland Park is a nice spotting area. If you have time, you should also search the underside of Kensington High Road. In this area, fine "youngtimers" are often placed in front of the homes.
Shopping – Portobello Road
Spotting – Portobello Road and side streets
Lunch – In Portobello Road, Portobello Ristorante Ladbroke Rd.
Central Line to Notting Hill Gate. The area is a combination of small shops and street markets. Lots to look at here. In the area's side streets you can find colorful and funny cars.
Shopping – Harrods
Spotting – Knightsbridge, South Kensington, Belgravia
Lunch – Harrods
Stopping place Knightsbridge along the Picadelly Line. Around Harrods there are always some extremely expensive cars. Knightsbridge and Kensington South are good areas for spotting. In Knightsbridge there are a number of cars belonging to embassies and consulates. Along Old Brompton Road there are several exclusive car dealers. Belgravia is an area where there are expensive cars belonging to wealthy Arabs, consulates and embassies.
Shopping – Kings Road, Chelsea
Spotting – Chelsea
Lunch – Around Sloane Square
Chelsea is not very well served by underground stations. If the destination is Kings Road, one can take the Circle or District Line to Sloane Square. If you are along the Thames I recommend taking an Uber ferry (paid like the underground with Oyster or other cards). The ferry will take you to Battersea Power Station. Then you can walk over the bridge straight into Chelsea. This is a prosperous area where you can find a number of classic English-made sports cars - often parked in the side streets of the shopping districts.
Shopping – Oxford Street
Spotting – Marylebone and Mayfair
Lunch – In the side streets of Oxford Street
Marylebone on the north side of Oxford Street is a residential area for business people and "young professionals". It is easy to find newer Porsches, Lambos and Ferraris there - but not so many older, classic cars. Mayfair is on the south side of Oxford Street. There are wealthy Arab kingdoms, embassies and exclusive hotels. High proportion of Rolls-Royce and Bentley company cars, as well as expensive supercars.
See
The cars in KensingtonLondon Classis Car ShowLondon Concours 2019Mercedes Benz World
A snarky little sports car that got off to a bad start thanks to weak handling.
Early years
Triumph was in its time a well-regarded English car brand. The company was based in Coventry, and had a history going all the way back to 1865 when they started manufacturing bicycles. This production was supplemented by the production of motorcycles. Around 1921, the first car went into production. It was a small car with the designation "Triumph Light Car". Several models followed this one, mainly small cars. But in 1929, times became very bad with the result that the production of cars almost stopped. In the 1930s when times improved, several new models were launched. The factory now concentrated on more sporty cars with larger engines. The war put an end to car production in 1939.
Standard Triumph
After the war the company was sold to the Standard Motor Company who used the name Standard Triumph on the cars. A number of exciting Triumph sports models came on the market, while the ordinary passenger cars were produced under the brand name "Standard". In 1959, a new Triumph finally arrived. It was a sporty family car that was named "Triumph Herald". With this model as a starting point, several sports models were developed.
Based on the Spitfire
One of the models was a nice sports model which was a further development of the smaller model "Spitfire". It was completely closed and had a large door at the back. The appearance was somewhat reminiscent of the Jaguar E and the model was quickly nicknamed the "poor man's E model". The solution gave it good luggage space and it could be delivered with a small rear seat with room for 2 children. An engine with 6 cylinders ensured good speed resources. It had a higher top speed than the competitor MG-B which was a good selling point. Everything was in place for a success. But the driving characteristics were not the best on the first variant. To save money, Triumph used technical solutions from the affordable passenger car model "Herald". It didn't measure up and it got a bad reputation due to poor handling. A modified version with far better driving characteristics came in 1969 but sales never rose to the level Triumph had hoped for and in 1972 it was over.
Data Triumph GT6 1966 – 1972
Length 371 cm
Width 145 cm
Height 119 cm
Top speed 170 km/h
Engine 1998 ccm, 95 hp, 6 cylinders
"Heihei!", "Hello!", "Coucou!" – hatchback
Advertisement for the Triumph GT6 for the US market
This was an old and honored car brand in England. The name had a history all the way back to 1890.
Was acquired by Lord Nuffield just before the war
Like so many other car manufacturers in England, the factory started as a bicycle manufacturer. No wonder, there was an intense cycle wave over the country at the time. But, like many other bicycle manufacturers, the factory saw a great future in car production. The very first car from Riley was completed in 1898, but the factory focused on motorcycles at the start. The first series-produced car saw the light of day in 1907. Right up until the war in 1939, production was characterized by a myriad of different variants and models. Riley was a profitable car manufacturer in the beginning, but product development and investment in factories and production equipment eventually became too much. It went bankrupt in 1938 and the factory was taken over by Lord Nuffield and a new company was established. The cars retained their old name, but production was stopped when war broke out in 1939.
RM series
When peace came in 1945, the factory launched new models that were entirely in-house developed. The first models were given the type designations RMA and RMB, which were a slightly larger model with a longer wheelbase. The new cars from Riley were both elegant and sporty. Competitors on the English market mostly came with upgraded pre-war models. That is why the new models from Riley were particularly well received. The motoring press was very positive and the future prospects were bright. But in 1952, Nuffield which produced the Riley was merged with Austin and the result was the British Motor Corporation. The idea was to utilize joint resources in order to have a stronger position on the international car market. But the result was that the various car brands such as Austin, Morris, MG, Riley and Wolseley became very similar. Mostly it was details and equipment that distinguished the different brands. The last "real" model from Riley was the Pathfinder, which came in 1953. The popular RM models disappeared in 1955. Until Riley disappeared for good in 1969, the cars were only slightly sporty variants of other BMC models.
Data Riley RM
Engine 1496 ccm – 55 hp (1,5 l model).
Length 455 cm (1,5 l model).
Length 473 cm (2,5 l model).
Width 160 cm.
Height 160 cm.
Produced between 1945 and 1955.
1952 Riley 2 Liter Saloon
1947 Riley records
1947 Riley
1954 Riley 1,5 Saloon advertisement
See
Austin A90 AtlanticStandard VanguardBerkely – sports cars and leisure
It had panoramic windows and color schemes like the Americans of the time. Although some conservative English car buyers thought it had a vulgar appearance, it was a success.
One of the world's oldest car brands
Although Vauxhall is a relatively unknown car brand in Norway these days, it is one of the world's oldest car brands. The history goes all the way back to 1857 when the company started producing iron goods. The first car model saw the light of day in 1903 and around 70 cars left the factory in the first year. Like many start-up car factories, Vauxhall actively participated in car races to gain publicity. It went well and Vauxhall became a well-established and well-known car brand throughout Europe.
Landed under GM
The factory was bought by General Motors in 1925 and became a very important car brand for GM. Now more family cars and fewer sporty models were produced at Vauxhall. A well-known model from this period is the family car "Vauxhall 10", which was produced between 1937 and 1947. New modern models came in 1952. With modern design and a large model range, these models sold well throughout Europe. A model that became very popular in Norway was the Vauxhall Victor, which came in 1957.
Vauxhall Victor
Here, Vauxhall launched a completely contemporary car model. It followed the latest fashion trends that also characterized GM's larger American models. That the Victor models had colors and designs reminiscent of their larger American relatives was emphasized in advertisements and brochures. This new model was very well received by both dealers and car buyers. Sales went straight up, even though Victor could only be delivered as a 4-door passenger car at the start. But Victor could be delivered in many equipment variants, from the very basic up to luxury variants with two colored bodywork. The 4-door variant was followed by a station wagon the year after its introduction. Although some conservative English car buyers thought it had vulgar looks, it was a success both in England and in a number of export markets. During the production period, there were some minor changes to the bodywork and engine until 1961 when a completely new model was introduced.
1960 Vauxhall Victor De luxe in Royal Blue over Silver Grey, separate front seats.
1960 Vauxhall Victor Deluxe
Data for Vauxhall Victor 1958
Length: 423 cm
Width: 158 cm
Height: 150 cm
Top speed: 125 km/h
Engine: 1507 ccm, 55 hp
Panoramic routes and large color selection!
Advertisement for the 1957 Vauxhall Victor
See
Almost like a little "American"Ford Taunus 17 M – a touch of luxury
The English car brand Daimler is associated with luxury and royal splendor all the way back to 1902. In that year, the factory was chosen as a supplier of cars to the English court.
Ended up with Jaguar
Daimler in England initially had close technical cooperation with Daimler in Germany. The collaboration started in 1888 and developed further. Frederick Simms of English Daimler bought the patent rights for England from German Daimler in 1890. Daimler developed both boat and car engines based on these patents. The result was the first entirely English-developed Daimler in 1897. From the start, the factory became best known for its large, solid and heavy luxury cars. The cars were mostly sold at home in England. After 1945, the model range was once again aimed at the luxury market and car models with a small touch of "sports car". The sports model SP250 with fiberglass bodywork was an honorable attempt, but the price was too high. Daimler was sold to Jaguar in 1960 who sold it on in 1984. Jaguar launched several Daimler models as luxury versions of Jaguar models.
Daimler Double Six
In 1972, Daimler revived one of its most famous model names, "Double Six". The model was based on the Jaguar XJ-V12 and, as a Daimler model, it was supposed to occupy the luxury top among prestige models on the market. To emphasize this, Daimler launched the "Double-Six Vanden Plas" in 1972. Here there was better interior space thanks to an increased wheelbase of 10 cm. In addition, it was delivered with a black vinyl roof to distinguish it from the factory's other models. In addition, there was a 2 door version that was in production between 1975 and 1977. Jaguar tried again to market the Daimler with a new and bigger engine between 1993 and 1994 without any success. The car brand's long history as a top class luxury car was not enough to lure customers to the dealerships.
The end for the Daimler car brand came in 2007 when Ford, which then owned the car brand, stopped production
Model series from 1985 and interior from Daimler Double Six
Technical data 1985 Daimler Double Six Vanden Plas
Length: 496 cm
Width: 177 cm
Height: 137 cm
Top speed: 230 km/h
Engine: 5343 ccm, 295 hp
Luxurious details from 1985
Advertising for Daimler and Lanchester. The car in the advertisement is a Lanchester Leda (1950-1953). Note that RSA was the Norwegian representative for the brand in the 50s. The car chain is alive and well and currently sells the brands Suzuki, Isuzu, Maxus and BYD.
I just managed to take a picture before the owners left and could hardly hide my excitement. It must be decades since I last saw a Hillman Hunter – the model that would have been long forgotten and buried had it not been for Iran.
Flashback
The beautiful Hunter'n at Sjøflyhavna outside Oslo stood out among the grey, sad SUVs. In this company, any red car with white painted rims would stand out in a positive sense. I think the owner was surprised that "an ordinary man in the street" was so forward.
-"Perhaps you know someone who had a car like that?"
One of my fellow students had a dark blue Hillman Hunter. When we worked together, his car was parked next to my own Ford Cortina mk2. The two cars were so similar that one could suspect that the designers had looked at each other in the cards. But if the cars were similar, they appealed to different people. The Cortina appealed to guys with sideburns and sporty ambitions, while the Hillman was preferred by uncles with knitted cardigans and bobbed hair.
Lack of enthusiasm
The Hunter was designed and put into production by Rootes in 1966. The following year they were acquired by Chrysler. In retrospect, we know that Chrysler did not succeed very well with its acquisitions in Europe. While those of us who owned Cortina mk2s boasted uninhibitedly about our cars, I heard little from Hillman Hunter owners. Neither did my study mate - who, by the way, traded in the Hunter for a new Taunus soon after. The car at Sjøflyhavna is a Series 1 car with a shiny grill - in my opinion, the most beautiful. When the model went out of production in 1979, it had received several facelifts. The latest in 1977. In the meantime, the competitor Cortina had come out with two completely new models – the mk3 in 1970 and the mk4 in 1976. But the Hunter was not a bad car. It was in every way a worthy descendant of the Hillman Minx and Superminx. The durable 1500 and 1725 engines were also carried over to the Hunter - and in terms of performance they were just as good as the Cortina mk2.
Paykan advertising before the Islamic revolution
Paykan
The model we know as the Hillman Hunter was also sold under other names belonging to the Rootes group - names such as Rootes Arrow, Humber Sceptre, Singer Gazelle, Hillman Minx, Sunbeam - and eventually also the Dodge Husky as part of Chrysler. A new manufacturer had also appeared - the company Iran National where the Shah of Iran himself had a hand in the game. Soon after the Hillman Hunter went into production, Rootes began shipping cars in crates to Iran for assembly locally. The model was called Paykan (Iranian for "arrow" - as in Root's Arrow) and was eventually to become the car that ordinary Iranian citizens could buy - a kind of Iranian Lada. In a short time, the roads were filled with Paykaner - taxis, pickups and private cars.
Interior of facelifted Paykan/Hillman Hunter (source: FavCars.com)Facelifted Paykan (source: FavCars.com)
Iran Khodro
Paykan outlived both the Shah and Ayatollah Khomeiny. The factory that began assembling the Hillman Hunter is today called Iran Khodro CO (khodro=car). The company produces over 1 million cars a year, - split 50/50 between heavy vehicles and passenger cars that are sold in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as old satellite states of the former Soviet Union. When Chrysler ended production of the Hunter in 1979, the Iranian factory was allowed to take over the production equipment to continue producing the model as a "continuation model". Production of the Paykan continued until 2005 as a passenger car, and until 2015 as a pickup truck. After Peugeot took over Chrysler's European division, they also took over the cooperation with the Iranians. From 1985, Paykan received new 1600 engines from Peugeot. The model, which had been in production since the mid-60s, continued with new facelifts - which unfortunately only made the cars more old-fashioned.
2022 IKCO Tara based on Peugeot 301/Citroen Elysse (source: ikco.ir)
The region's technocentre
IKCO (Iran Khodro) now produces a large range of models based on Peugeot. There is both license production under the Peugeot brand, as well as production of own models based on discontinued Peugeot models. The company's latest model, IKCO Tara, is based on the Peugeot 301/Citroen Elysse. Another, popular model, IKCO Dena, is based on a further developed variant of the Peugeot 405. IKCO also collaborates with Suzuki, Chinese FAW Haima and Dongfeng – as well as Mercedes-Benz trucks. All models are sold in a region where it is complicated and expensive for Western companies to operate in. IKCO is by far the Middle East's largest car manufacturer. The market is large – and despite the turmoil – demand for vehicles is high. It can also be mentioned that several airlines in the region send their planes to Iran for maintenance. Older Ilyushin models with a flight ban in the Western world can today only be overhauled in Tehran.
Khawar
As mentioned, IKCO produces over half a million commercial vehicles, the majority of which are Mercedes-Benz. One of the models is called KHAWAR and is based on the short-nosed Mercedes-Benz trucks we remember from the 60s here at home. These cars have characterized the roads in the region for decades. IKCO also manufactures newer models from the Mercedes-Benz heavy vehicle family, Actros and Axor. But sometimes simple can be best. If you drive a day stage through the desert with fine sand that penetrates into every cavity, you will still see the good, old nose cars. Immortal cars with real Benz quality and the most experienced drivers behind the wheel.
IKCO Diesel Khawar 2624 - 26 tons gross weight and 240 horses - 2022 model (click to see full page)
Today, Paykan has the same status as Lada in Russia. It was the cars that got the country "on wheels" - cars that all adult residents have memories of - and a brand associated with Iran. There are probably as many Paykan jokes as there are Lada jokes, but there is respect for driving a great Paykan - as this gentleman does.
Paykan pictures
This car was once presented to the former Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu by the then Shah of Iran. After the fall of Ceaușescu, the car was left outdoors for several years before it was auctioned off - at an asking price of €4000 - but the bid ended up being €37! The world's most expensive Paykan?Advertising for a social event in Los Angeles that isn't really about cars.
It was the factory's director Leonard Lord who came up with a brilliant idea to get better publicity around the world. A bet.
The Austin car factory was for many years one of England's largest car manufacturers. The factory was started by Herbert Austin in 1905 as the Austin Motor Company. The first model was a large 5-litre car with 4 cylinders. Leading up to the First World War, a number of different models were produced. In 1, Austin launched the famous 1922, a small and affordable car. It hit the market very well and was also produced by BMW as the Dixi. After the Second World War, the factory quickly entered the market with new models. In 7, Austin joined forces with Morris to form BMC (British Motor Corporation). The most famous model in the 2s and 1952s was the Austin and Morris Mini. Mini-Cooper made the brand famous in car racing in the 50s. Other popular models were the Austin Cambridge and the Austin 60.
Around the world in less than 30 days
Although the Austin car brand was known in Europe, there was a desire to get better publicity worldwide. The factory believed that the brand new model A40 Sports could be used in a real PR promotion. This would generate press coverage and give the Austin car brand positive publicity around the world. It was the factory's director Leonard Lord who came up with a brilliant idea. He made a bet with his PR associate Alan Hess. If Hess could drive around the world in less than 30 days, he would win. Hess accepted the bet and began planning the trip. Already in 1951, the starting shot went off. The trip was to be a combination where the car was to drive across the different continents. Between the continents, the car and crew were to be transported by plane. Hess managed the trip in just 21 days and ensured that Austin received plenty of press coverage. But even this did not help sales. After a production of around 4000 cars, production ended in 1953.
Austin A40 Sports' interiorThe Austin A40 Sports
Main goal Austin Sports
Width: 155 cm
Length: 404 cm
Height: 146 cm
Engine: 1200 ccm
Top speed: 125 km/h
