Have You Seen Any Interesting Cars On The Road Lately?

[Steveml63]

Real ones are a million plus now...people dont drive them...let alone leave them parked!
Of the original 1000 or so AC Cobras built between 1963 and 1966, only 45 were right-hand drive, with the rest being left-hand drive. So you would be very lucky to see a real one.

Luckily, where I live there are plenty of neighbours who could easily afford that sort of money for a car!
And - they could leave the key in the ignition whilst they popped into the shops and nobody would touch the car - let alone steal it!

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Just followed a left and drive C30 CDI AMG like below....never even heard of such a thing....the only real derv AMG apparently (Googled that!). Quite a rare Merc to spot I would think.

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Complete with builder name plate!....so it must be real!!

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Yes it was the sister car to the C 32 AMG, but was not available in all markets. Never officially available in the UK they’re a rare sight. I’ve seen four or five over the last 20 years but they’re always on foreign plates.

In the early 2000s there was some debate about the development, marketing, and sale of hot diesels, which focused on four options: (1) Factory AMG models with diesel engines; (2) Brabus kits which would be fitted at the dealership to standard diesel models and sold as hot prebuilt models: (3) Brabus tuning options would be available from the parts counter in all dealerships without affecting warranty; or (4) Just sell them as Mercedes.

The C 30 CDi was dipping a toe in the water (option 1) and Brabus accessories (including the PowerXtra tuning box) were available to order from all main dealerships in the mid-late noughties. Neither really took off though, and the few Brabus diesel models were from the small handful of Brabus dealers, most of which are long since gone. I was reasonably good friends of the dealer principal and shareholder of one such Brabus retailer, who told me the above.

 

[Steveml63]

Yes it was the sister car to the C 32 AMG, but was not available in all markets. Never officially available in the UK they’re a rare sight. I’ve seen four or five over the last 20 years but they’re always on foreign plates.

In the early 2000s there was some debate about the development, marketing, and sale of hot diesels, which focused on four options: (1) Factory AMG models with diesel engines; (2) Brabus kits which would be fitted at the dealership to standard diesel models and sold as hot prebuilt models: (3) Brabus tuning options would be available from the parts counter in all dealerships without affecting warranty; or (4) Just sell them as Mercedes.

The C 30 CDi was dipping a toe in the water (option 1) and Brabus accessories (including the PowerXtra tuning box) were available to order from all main dealerships in the mid-late noughties. Neither really took off though, and the few Brabus diesel models were from the small handful of Brabus dealers, most of which are long since gone. I was reasonably good friends of the dealer principal and shareholder of one such Brabus retailer, who told me the above.

I remember visiting Belgium in the 1980’s and noticed the popularity of performance and tuned diesel vehicles there - much more so than we ever saw in the UK

 

[23 Romeo Tango]

Great day for spitting classic cars. Some standouts include a couple of TVR Chimeras, a Jaguar XJS cabriolet, a Lotus Europa, and a Mercedes 280 SE just like this one.

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I bet the one you had the pleasure of was in better nick than the one found outside of a local(ish) snooker hall/bar.

 

[ChrisHGTV]

Spent a lovely weekend in Lincoln, specifically to visit the bubblecar museum and castle. The museum is an absolute gem! Sort of eccentric as you’d expect, but a joy. Got chatting to one of the staff, who actually owns a number of the exhibits and for £15 each we had a decent run out in his Trojan (UK made Heinkel).

 

[SpikyMikey]

Spent a lovely weekend in Lincoln, specifically to visit the bubblecar museum and castle. The museum is an absolute gem! Sort of eccentric as you’d expect, but a joy. Got chatting to one of the staff, who actually owns a number of the exhibits and for £15 each we had a decent run out in his Trojan (UK made Heinkel).View attachment 170010
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A bubble car factoid: the BMW Isetta was at one point built in Brighton in the former LB&SC Railway locomotive works.

 

[StMarks]

Not exactly moisture inducing exotica, but I passed this on the way to work last Sunday morning.
A nice little pre-cursor to the 2 door hatchbacks era ?

 

[Chrishazle]

Remember when"Aunt" Iris had a bubble car as a replacement for a scooter, it had the full opening front door but no reverse gear so she pulled it up close to a wall then could not open the door to get out, could not reverse away, and got the appropriate garments seriously in a twist!! Needless to say, her husband and my Dad were in stitches of laughter!! Eventually the two of them just picked it up and moved it back!

 

[Steveml63]

My father had both a Bond and a Messerschmitt.
The Messerschmitt had two sets of points and the engine could run in both directions - so that way you could go full speed forwards or backwards!
He also had a motorcycle with enclosed sidecar - my mum and myself used to ride in the sidecar!

 

[baxlin]

My father had both a Bond and a Messerschmitt.
The Messerschmitt had two sets of points and the engine could run in both directions - so that way you could go full speed forwards or backwards!

The Meadows Frisky did the same, the switch activated by a lever similar to a motorcycle choke lever down by the driver’s seat iirc.

 

[Darrell]

Luckily, where I live there are plenty of neighbours who could easily afford that sort of money for a car!
And - they could leave the key in the ignition whilst they popped into the shops and nobody would touch the car - let alone steal it!

To be honest with you where I live there are also plenty of people who can afford one. They just wouldn’t leave the keys in the ignition though.

 

[Darrell]

Not exactly moisture inducing exotica, but I passed this on the way to work last Sunday morning.
A nice little pre-cursor to the 2 door hatchbacks era ?


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In the late 70’s and early 80’s a Jehovah’s Witness family up our road had one of these.

Oh how us kids laughed. (Oh what a bunch of little bastards we were)

 

[Darrell]

In the car park earlier at my local sports centre.
It’s in really good condition.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Casually parked up outside a hardworking family's home in leafy, leafy Bridport

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

While in Weymouth, tourist have cash to flash with something ... different.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Casually parked up outside a few houses in downtown Bridport


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Maybe a 16 year old’s first set of wheels.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Maybe a 16 year old’s first set of wheels.

Good for learning basic mechanics but

I'm a bit worried about the crash protection on the way back from the pub, after football.

(Four up, obviously)

 

[Darrell]

Saw a lovely red TR5 in Hendon earlier.
Wires and knock -off hubs, chrome boot rack, aftermarket exhaust which made a lovely noise and of course the roof was down

 

[Chrishazle]

TR's joined my list of disappointing toys when I was searching for my first. Always though a TR4/5/6 would be ideal until I openend the boot and saw how much of the boot space was taken up by the wheel arches, sat in the drivers seat and all was well until my son closed the door and all of a sudden my right arm had nowhere to go other than out the window - not ideal driving position! List was later joined by a TVR Chimera, but for very different reasons.

 

[Snoops]

Saw a Countach near Birmingham yesterday