Spotted abandoned 201 2.3-16

[Smiley]

Stopped past it on the way home today (no pics yet though).

Spoke to some neighbours who said it had been there since June and none of the neighbours knew whose it was at all. They said they had phoned the police and council numerous times to tow it away but they hadnt. They were more than keen for me to take it away there and then so I guess it was they who wrote on the windscreen.

The car is taxed until the end of November, not October as I first thought.

Shows up as being insured still so other than the missing number plates and seemingly being neglected, it would appear to have an owner and if taxed and insured then it has every right to remain on the road I guess despite its missing numberplates.

At the end of the month though it may well be worth revisiting.

Only other making is that it has a small badge on the back saying "Devonshire performance cars". Oh and according to the DVLA it is gold (looks silver to me though).

Is it smoke silver? Sometimes got recorded as gold.

 

[Sp!ke]

I've just been back to the car armed with the camera and a tripod. Tricky amber light meant everything was so orange I had to covert to B&W.

Midway through taking pictures a panda car drove past, followed by a Starsky and Hutch handbrake turn before screetching to a halt at my feet. Ooops.

After a fair buit of explaining..

The officer realised that I wasnt a hoody wearing scrote and he calmed down and also took a bit of an interest in the car. He explained that it would be rather difficult to save from the crusher should it be left in the street after the road tax expired as the council will very promptly remove it at that point. Moving the car to a safe place off the highway might also land one in a bit of a sticky wicket if it wasnt planned very carefully too even after the tax and insurance runs out as the car most likely has an owner somewhere.

I nearly convinced him to do a PNC check on the radio (deliberately within earshot) but unsurprisingly he thought better of it which was a shame.

Anyway pics of the old girl as promised.

 

[Will]

Looks pretty genuine to me Sp!ke.

SLS is low at the back, looks obviously neglected (but must have been used recently if it is taxed).

Seems a bit of a shame to see it go that way . Plenty of people would give that a good home.

I've seen much worse cars that have been taken on as projects

Will

 

[Sp!ke]

SLS is low at the back, looks obviously neglected (but must have been used recently if it is taxed).

Its not moved since June apparently.

 

[Will]

Out of interest, what does the resident's permit/parking pass thing say on it?

Could the local council shed some light on it?

Will

 

[Sp!ke]

It is an expired Kingston University parking permit - and yes, they might be able to pass on a request to make contact I guess.

 

[stwat]

Its quite an early one judging by the flat faced mirrors. It doesn't look too bad really. Shame.

 

[Sp!ke]

1986

 

[Will]

The inquisitive part of me is wondering why it's parked up like it is! Does anyone know if it drove up there and was just left - surely if no-one knows the car or it's owner it more likely broke down over that way?

Owner is obviously local (Kingston Uni pass) so perhaps he's been meaning to get round to recovering it, but unable (or perhaps lazy).

As it stands though, it's all legally parked if it's taxed and insured.

So that's my guess - it broke down there/near there and got parked up

Owner perhaps unable/uninclined to fix. Perhaps the DVLA reminder for the tax that'll drop through his letterbox in the next week or so will give him/her a nudge to do something about the car.

I'd love to be able to leave a note on/in it for the current owner. Could rescue it and turn it into something nice

Will

 

[Sp!ke]

But why no numberplates I wonder?

 

[Will]

But why no numberplates I wonder?

Hmm - good question. Perhaps the locals would be able to say whether they were on it when it first parked up.

It looks as though someones had a bit of a go at it - mirror glass hanging off? Perhaps they took the plates off because they were annoyed at it being there, hoping that with no plates on it the council/police would take notice of it and do something about it (kind of pointless bearing in mind it's all taxed?)

Will

 

[stwat]

The plates could well have been stolen. It's a growing problem now. Peolpe use the plates for dodging the congestion charge and/or filling up at petrol stations and doing a runner etc.

 

[Will]

Possible, but 'C' plates removed that were stuck on - surely quite an unusual set to take - be much easier to buy a £300 Mondeo and use/nick someone else's old Mondeo plates etc?

I reckon whoever wrote on the screen 'Abandonned' (sic) and 'help yourself' *could* know something about the plates...

Who else would know it's abandoned other than the locals? Plenty of people have old cars that don't get used much - it's still taxed remember.

Will

 

[Sp!ke]

I suspect you are on the right lines Will having spoken to the neighbours. I suspect the same person removed the plates, wrote on the car and probably damaged the mirror.

Snooty surburbians not liking such an old car to be parked in their street, doing their best to justify their requests to the authorities for removal.

 

[Will]

IMHO that's the most likely scenario.

I can imagine it being a little frustrating seeing a car parked up for ages not knowing who's it is and why it's left there - but it's not their road and they have no right to vandalise it (if that is what happened).

After all - as it stands, the person owning the car is abiding by the law and whoever has vandalised it has not.

Will

 

[nick mercedes]

Yesterday, in a back street near me I spotted a rather nice looking 190 in silver with a full bodykit. Didnt look like it had been moved in a while and it had no number plates fitted and a tax disk expiring end of October.

If you're in love with the car, find out who the councils contractors are who do the lifting and storage, and offer to buy the car from them if it gets lifted and nobody comes to get it back.

Only the dross gets squashed, anything alive or late gets sold on, but I doubt an old 190 would escape unless you approach them first.

 

[Gridlock]

That lipstick writing, to me, says "Steal Me! Please!"

That would explain the insurance..

 

[IanT]

Overseas student perhaps?

Used to see lots of cars either get left at the University or around locally at the end of term, even given away to friends.

I expect that it's owner has finished studying and forgotten about it. Shame though, it would be a nice project.

Ian.

 

[Robbie T]

Snooty surburbians not liking such an old car to be parked in their street, doing their best to justify their requests to the authorities for removal.

I would tend to agree with this from personal experience. I parked up a very tidy E36 coupe at the top end of my estate (4 roads in total) due to not having space to leave it outside my flat for a few weeks. First thing that happened was it got egged, then a letter came through my door from the council "Vehicle Abandonement Department". I'm guessing someone complained about the presence of my lovely taxed, MOT'd and insured BMW on a public road (which i pay my rip-off road tax annually for)

 

[A-AvantGarde]

It is an expired Kingston University parking permit - and yes, they might be able to pass on a request to make contact I guess.

Sounds like it belong(ed) to a student. Sounds like it may be in need of some TLC to keep it going and they've run out of cash (or drunk all of their student loan ). Or perhaps an overseas student who has gone back home. No harm in trying the University. They may be able to pass on a note to the owner (as opposed to giving you their information).

Agree, it would be a shame to see it scrapped, looks pretty decent, although I would say that as I have a soft spot for 190's.