***** This thread is now closed, please CLICK HERE to go to Volume 6 *****
Following on from Stargazer's original thread, Vol 2, Vol 3, Vol 4:-
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=23902 (Vol 1)
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=23901 (Vol 2)
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=25308 (Vol 3)
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=31443 (Vol 4)
Another thread for commenting on rare, unusual, old or just plain daft cars etc.
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What the hell. I was bored and had nothing to do...and well, Stargazer did want a new thread!
Not as extravagant as all of your cars but I did see what seemed to be an ST220 in white before. Now I've never seen one in white which leads me to believe they don't exist but the lengths this guy went to, (it had a red interior too) he deserves for people to think it's an ST!
--
Adam
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And yet I still cock it up.
Typical - you try and do someone a favour...stand on your own two feet and then forget the http:
Looks like a mod will have to be along after all....what was I saying about an edit button? ;-)
Sorry!
--
Adam
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Looks like a mod will have to be along after all....
You called? ;o)
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Thanks Adam, Dave
I was much too tired last night to concentrate on things like new threads and hyperlinks.
StarGazer
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As I was participating in the annual High Peak Run yesterday -lots of unusual vehicles.
Notably an American Franklin with a straight-six air cooled engine , a 1934 British Salmson , 1.5l twin OHC and the ex-Sir Malcolm Campbell Aston Martin Le Mans.
--
I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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Cheers Dave. You managed to hide my incompetence yet again.
--
Adam
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Are we only talking about seeing them on the roads because I saw a picture of a lowered bus tipped forward like a hot rod with hot rod windows!
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Went passed a pink Pug 106 with body kit parked at petrol station! Female driver of course!
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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Went passed a pink Pug 106 with body kit parked at petrol station! Female driver of course!
Her name is Kelly and her Pink Pug is well known within the Pug/modified car world
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>>Her name is Kelly and her Pink Pug is well known within the Pug/modified car world
I saw her again today going by just down the road from the filling station where i last saw her! Shes blonde by the way!
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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Saw a Range Rover Sport today - is that still an unusual sighting?
It was silver and looked big, although perhaps with a alightly lower roof than the normal Range Rover.
When the latest Range Rover replaced the previous P38 model, it was heralded as homage to the original Range Rover, style wise. Yet the new Sport resembles a re-skin job on the P38!! Best of both worlds, maybe!
Cheers, Sofa Spud
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I think they're becoming more common by the day. seen 3 since launch.
but i havent seen that many new 3-series. I thinks it rubbish and
looks like a Nissan Primera so no wonder they're rare at the moment.
I have a white (yes white) Alfa 156. And i've only ever seen one other. Does that make it rare?
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Saw an original whale tail Sierra Cosworth on the way home tonight. Was a white one, looked original and was immaculate. Can't remember last time I saw one.
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I saw a dark purple Mazda RX-8 today with chrome alloys. It wasn't nice.
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Citroen DS (LHD UK registered) on the M5 yesterday - doing around 75.
That was nice!
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>>Citroen DS (LHD UK registered) on the M5 yesterday - doing around 75.
I saw another old Citroen, a little Visa GTI on a D-reg, looked a bit tatty as i saw along London Road.
--
Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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I can beat these!! I regularly see a black Citroen Traction Avant on the A36 near Bath - must be in daily use. Although a 1930's design, these were made until the mid 50's.
Cheers, Sofa Spud
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Also passed a DS on Monday - it was heading Westbound on the A31 towards Honiton.
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Why dont they make cars as good looking as the DS now days. Everytime I see one (which is not often) I get goose bumps.
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Parked in a layby on the A34 near Abingdon earlier this evening - a totally inexplicable contraption, combining the front half of a motorbike and the back half of a old VW Beetle - the whole painted bright yellow.
The question would be why as much as how. I presume the engine was the Beetle's.
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We had a few Citroen traction avants on our club run the other week , so they were on the road. One had a modern 1.9 diesel engine installed. Had been a total wreck so no harm came to a good vehicle.
I always think of the Rupert Davis Maigret series , never mind this modern Michael Gambon stuff!
--
I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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>>Parked in a layby on the A34 near Abingdon earlier this evening - a totally inexplicable contraption, combining the front half of a motorbike and the back half of a old VW Beetle - the whole painted bright yellow.
The question would be why as much as how. I presume the engine was the Beetle's.
If that was the same motor I noticed in bromley. a couple of weeks ago.I doubt it was Beetles own engine.It was too fast.Mind you it looked good and sounded nice. As for the Yellow well rather them than me :)
--
Steve
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Today was the first day i 'did not' see a Dodge Ram pick up truck! Essex is awash with these things and i see at least one or two every day.
So an unusual sighting for me..?
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Strange. I've got one and I thought about bringing it to the UK. But I came to the conclusion that it would be a nightmare here - its left hand drive and too damn big.
And I've always been glad of that decision. Dumb vehicle to have in this country.
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Within the last hour I've seen my first Daewoo Rodius. Odious...Hideous.... It was silver and not a single line looked right!
'Easy to find in a car park' is about the most charitable thing I could say about the styling.
Sorry for any offence to Rodius owners. I have owned an ugly car myself in the past!!!
Cheers, Sofa Spud
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Or perhaps Ssanyong Rodius? It seems to go under both brands.
I keep thinking te back bit should fold down like a lid, turning the Rodius into a big, fat coupe. Now that would be a sales gimmick - a modern equivalent of the dickey seat! What a missed opportunity.
cheers, SS
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Boxy ,rear-engined-Simca 1972 reg.
Cross between a Hillman Imp and Renault 8 in appearance.
Model name anyone?
--
I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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Boxy ,rear-engined-Simca 1972 reg. Cross between a Hillman Imp and Renault 8 in appearance. Model name anyone? -- I wasna fu but just had plenty.
Aronde, 1000?. Dad had one for a weekend circa 1967 when the company Simca 1500 Estate was in dock.
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Simca 1000 - a cross betwenm an Imp and a Renault 8 is a brilliant way of describing the dumpy little contraption.
The Aronde was a 50's Simca saloon, quite conventional.
Simcas had an undeserved vogue in the 1970's when they were owned by the same company (ultimately Chrysler, then Talbot) as the Rootes group, and were sold by Rootes dealers in the UK.
The worst of them was the Rancho - pure posemobile, being basically an old Simca van done up to look like a fake Range Rover.
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Today up in Wales (Llandudno multi storey) a cruddy old Rolls Silver Spirit on personal plates - which provoked SWMBO into saying "fancy going shopping in one of them", on the next level was a sublime new Phantom, in silver, gracefully occupying two bays - loads of people snapping away at their mobiles.
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sublime new Phantom??????? Arrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhh
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Within 30 minutes of each other:
A bright red Alfa Romeo Montreal seemingly in immaculate condition.
A silver Porsche Carrera GT. Stunning noise.
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Two this morning. Aston Martin DB9, and couple of miles later a Bentley Type R continental (just had to look that up on the net). Bentley was a very good looking car.
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Last night whilst visiting mum in hospital i saw an MG Montego Turbo parked in the car park.
Judging by the amount of rust on it i guess it won't be long before it joins all the montego's in the great scrapyard in the sky.
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>>Last night whilst visiting mum in hospital i saw an MG Montego Turbo parked in the car park.
I saw a C-reg Austin Montego Estate along the A40 this afternoon, it looked a bit rusty along the sills but i thinks done well for its age me thinks!
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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Saw just about the strangest thing imaginable at the weekend... two, yes two, BMW 318's in the inside lane! And they were doing less than 70!
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Did they have signs in the back saying
"Running in, please pass?"
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No, they were both on their mobiles!! Only kidding. However, they did both have the optional indicator pack fitted, which again suprised me!
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Don't tell me - they had both blown their front fog lamp bulbs as well!
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Last night I saw a Citroen Visa 'X' reg. Looked immaculate for a car registered circa 1981.
Haven't seen one of those for years. Almost ran my Megane into a lamp post as I stared.
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Saw an H reg (ABC 123 H) Hillman Avenger today in blue. Looked like original paintwork.
Also there is a green Cit DS drophead that parks up the road from the office occasionally real 50's style!
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In the last few days I've seen two of those new Mercedes banana-sided 4-door coupes. One black, one maroon.
Cheers, Sofa Spud
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This afternoon on the M11, a genuine Ferrari F40 followed by a Aston Martin DB7 with a Porsche 911 and a newish Ferrari (unsure of model) all in convoy.
A bit more than a coincidence i think!
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There was one of these in Tescos carpark in Congleton this morning. Unusual in more than one sense of the word:
www.cqql.net/bmw.htm
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Bazza Bear,
Was it really a four wheeler?
The three wheelers were the norm in the UK owing to the cheaper tax situation IIRC.
--
I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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You could also block off the reverse and drive them on a bike licence.
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Seen on the A 36 today:
A tatty blue/green Austin A60 pick-up with wooden slatted side extensions. Old farmers used to use these things 25 years but I'd have thought any left today would be in preservation.
Similar to:
www.chrishodgephotos.co.uk/funpics/pixww/2003/03bc...g
Cheers, Sofa Spud
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A new model VW Beetle cabrio in beige.
Not unusual you may say- but there was an identical one behind it.
Yesterday , near Bakewell.
And yes, they were being driven by a couple of ladies.
--
I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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Errr, not too sure if I should admit to getting really excited by this, but saw a Citroen HY van driving through Taunton yesterday. Absolutely adore these.
Saw a Phaeton recently (boring). And in honour of the original poster, saw a Focus saloon in gold metallic coming of the slip road into Taunton a few days back......
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And in honour of the original poster, saw a Focus saloon in gold metallic coming of the slip road into Taunton a few days back......
two very rare sightings -
1 - Ariel Atom in the middle of Bolton yesterday
2 - Focus saloon in gold metallic heading in the direction of Adams house on Monday at eight o'clock IN THE MORNING. Not seen it since, so he must still be having a lie down
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One for the bikers.
A Yamaha Bulldog at Matlock Bath.
Not seen one before and rather like a Buell i.e. chunky and full of engine.
--
I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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Yesterday saw a Delorean in Chelmsford, which was first time ever seen one on the road although seen one in a museum.
Then today on the A130 duel carriageway in southern Essex a proper bona-fide Ford Model T 4 seater in black of course, cruising around 30mph! Don't recall ever seeing one of these on the road before either.
They are absolutley huge!
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Yesterday saw a Delorean in Chelmsford, which was first time ever seen one on the road although seen one in a museum.
I've only ever seen one of the road and it was in of all places Barmouth!
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Passing one of our many open-air bars last night, I counted 42 VW Beetles and 3 trikes with chromed VW engines. Turned out the local Beetle Club was having its annual AGM and Bugfest. I was less impressed with the metalflake paint and lowered ones than a lovely split rear-window Bug restored to perfection to its original spartan spec. Even the paint had a believable post-war finish in slightly dull grey, and it wasn't hard to imagine the thing spluttering its way down the empty autobahnen c. 1948.
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Unusual sightings.
This morning a black MG ZT, nothing strange in that I here you cry, but this one had a chrome rack on the boot lid, similar to something you would see on a 1960's MG.
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Ariel Atom - First one I've seen in the metal.
It was on the back of a parked recovery truck near my office when I went to have a nose.
Unfortunately this one came with smashed nose cone and front suspension - heading back to Somerset for repair according to breakdown truck driver.
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Driving through Fishguard today, a red Reliant. Couldn't tell whether it was a Railto or a Robin, but it had a full body kit, flared arches, skirts and a spoiler sticking up from the rear of the roof.
I can't decide if it looked a hideous mess or had a seriously cool appeal to it. Either way, I wouldn't like to meet the owner down a dark alley. Obviously the product of a deeply disturbed mind.
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Today outside the Fish & chip shop, i saw a Proton Persona thingy, with big shiny alloy wheels & an F1 style rear wing, as it drove by you can hear the stainless steel exhaust raw through the village.
Right mods, wrong car!!!!
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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Last Saturday just of Juntion 28 M1 a weird colour(sort of gun metal with a touch of gold) Proton Gen 2.
And yes it was an old couple in it.
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Bright red Maserati Quattroporte this morning. Only seen them in silver/gold metallic before, but really looks good in solid red. Sounds pretty good when accelerating away as well.
StarGazer
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Tuesday am. Saw an silver Austin Ambassador on the M4 near Jct 19 westbound. 'A' reg I think. Quite a surprise.
Thirty years ago, I owned an NSU 1200c, are there any of these still about?
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Friday lunchtime A515. Mid-green Austin A40 Hereford , hideous and bulbous early 1950's product. My great uncle Jack ran a black one, EGG 92, as a taxi and took us on our annual holiday to the Scotish Borders every year. I can smell that horrible odour of engine oil and exhaust fumes.
Was sick several times IIRC. Happy days!
--
I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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Spotted today in deepest darkest Oxfordshire A361 (near Banbury)an orange and black Hillman Avenger 1500 GT twin carb. In the 70's my dad used to have a white 1300 Avenger - he swapped it after getting probably one of the worlds most underpowered cars - a 1250 avenger.....
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Spotted today in deepest darkest Oxfordshire A361 (near Banbury)
Watch out for a red V40...
an orange andblack Hillman Avenger 1500 GT twin carb.
I thnk I have seen this one as well
StarGazer
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A brand new Tata Safari. Why anyone in their right mind would choose one of these is beyond me.
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Funnily enough a BMW Z4 in Safari green with a Khaki hood. Looked like a german army staff car.... absolutely awful.
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A BMW 1-series, blatting along the M9.
Not that unusual in itself, apart from the fact that its reversing lights were on!
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Today in Bath - a very well-kept AC invalid carriage - one of those little pale blue three-wheelers with a singe-cylinder engine. I've seen it a few times.
Sofa Spud
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I thought I'd start a new thread as the old one has nearly 70 posts. {Cancelled as we allow threads to go to approx 100 posts ;o) DD}
Spotted a brand new Toyota Aygo earlier, in silver. Liked them when I saw them in What Car? but now I've seen one in the flesh, I'm not impressed. They're tiny! Seem much smaller than my Corsa, and the prospect of being hit by the X-trail following it doesn't bear thinking about.
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I saw the Citroen version of it before with loads of Citroen rubbish written on.
Tiny? Yes. Do I like it? Hell No. Would my Mum - Yes. Yes she would.
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Adam
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I'm not a great fan of the toyota version to be totally honest (i think the pug and citreon look better) but if i was in the market for a cheap car i'd rather have a decent spec Aygo than a base model yaris for similar money.
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A yellow soft top TR7 on the A11 this morning. Funnily enough a nice piece on the same in yesterday's Indie:
motoring.independent.co.uk/features/article301592....e
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Seemed a bit ill-informed bearing in mind that there were factory V8 engined 7s (or TR8s)
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Just back from sunny Devon. Before my tan fades time to recount two sightings:
1. On southbound M5, a British registered, American spec Toyota Camry, on a 54 plate.
2. At the holiday park, a Mercury Sable on an R plate. Looked about the same size as a Mondeo, so made me wonder why the owner didnt just buy a Mondeo.
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Cobham Surrey, Citroen DS cabriolet
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Peugeot 304 cabriolet parked out side our house!
Belongs to the neighbour. Not in particularly good nick, quite a bit of rust appearing now.
I shall wait for the MOT to expire and then put an offer in...
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A Datsun 120Y coupe, S reg - that's errr 1975 ? Shabby, but I thought they'd all rusted away.
John
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Apparently a much-stolen car, after which they get sent to Africa.
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And, on this subject, a beautiful Citroen CS Pallas coupe thingy in Frankfurt - didn´t even know they had made them. Looked like something from another world, lower when parked then the Porsche Boxter behind it!
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Sorry, should have written CX coupe.
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The ´net tells me it was an SM. End of posting.....
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an SM. Wow. That was part Maserati.
John
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an SM. Wow. That was part Maserati.
see http:tinyurl.com/e3u4v
www.pistonheads.com/doc.asp?c=140&i=8108
Some quotes on jobs are " interesting"
If you are in West London just off the A4, there is an SM parked in the one way part of Margravine Gardens just by Barons Court Underground Stn, West London.
I have driven past it, slowly, for several years.
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My business partner has three. Still look special though even though I see them regularly.
Mind you, like all Citroens it needs lots of attention!
--
Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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Two new VW models sighted today: VW Golf Plus - a demonstrator with transfers all over it telling the world what it was, and one of the new Passats. I'll have one of each!!!
cheers, Sofa Spud
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Mum and Dad got back from the IOM yesterday and were telling me of a "car I would have liked" on the ferry.
I was guessing until Dad said "red with white stripes". I walked him into my room, showed him my desktop wallpaper of a Ford Mustang in red with white stripes.....
"yeah - that's it exactly! How did you know that??"
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Adam
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Centre of Oxford this morning, Blue Renault 4. Brings back lots of memories of squeezing 5 students inside together with 5 sets of archery equipment and zooming of to the neaest tournament. Seemed to run on petrol vapour most of the time as it rarely visited a petrol station. Ride was superb considering the abuse it received.
StarGazer
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On the A3 outside Frankfurt this pm - the new Opel Astra Coupe Cabrio, and it looks absoultely fantastic. MILES better than the 307 CC. A real stunner.
And, one block away from my flat, a blue rear engined Alpine turbo, one of the 911 chasers ca. 1979. Looked liked something out of Smokey and the Bandit.
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Just seen today at lunchtime, the most extraordinary vehicle. Front end from a chopper style motor bike, rear end from (I think) a FIAT X1/9 - the mid engined sports car they made a few years ago.
Driver(rider?) wore a crash hat and rode a bike style seat in the open air with footpegs. Did not see if the original car seats were in place. Whole thing seemed to bend in the middle.
Mark
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Ferrari P4 ,sports racer, or a good look-alike . Last week in Tours, France.
A couple of hours earlier I'd seen an oldish, chunky jogger, looking rather like Dave Gilmour (Pink Floyd)
Spent a fruitles 5 minutes trying to enthral SWMBO with my theory that he was the owner.
--
I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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I see Rolls Royce Phantoms all the time, as I live near the factory. The other day I also saw what was obviously a new suzuki vitara at a marina on the south coast. it had what looked like a lot of black parcel tape on it. Probably a pretty poor effort at trying to hide it.
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Two others actually. Last year (or perhaps the year before) on a bus from brighton to chichester one sunny evening, i counted at least 150 identical silver audi A3s driving eastbound in convoy, some time before the launch.I have no idea why.
Also last week I saw a convoy of modded up American Cars (hot rod type things) most of which followed me into the petrol station.
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This morning I saw a crashed Citroen C4 - not wrecked but badly bumped. The headlamps were both hanging out sideways and the bumper had opened up like lobster claws.
I couldn't help thinking this poor C4 looked like it had been trying to do the robot dance like in the TV advert!!
cheers, Sofa Spud
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Thsi morning on the A14, an H reg Montego in good nick and two transporters full of brand new (well, unregistered) Rover 75's
Have a nice life! :-)
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Seen quite a few transporters full of brand new Rovers heading doen the motorway in last few weeks.
New Mustang last Thursday and bright yellow Chevy SSR on Friday.
This morning spotted a twin hull off shore powerboat racer going northbound up the M5 (on the back of a trailer). Was so wide had to put it virtually on its side to fit onto the lorry.
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Their will be loads of Porsches heading for the Brands Hatch Porsche Festival this weekend me included!
Loads of very rare and/or expensive such as 917 & 908
Jim
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Trying to park in a car park in High Wycombe today, a mint condition Lancia Thema K-reg, with a woman driver struggling to get it in a space lol!!!
The engine sounded as though its running smoothly too!!
--
Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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with a woman driver struggling to get it in a space lol!!!
Unusual sightings?
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The other day I saw my first Chrysler 300 - the big lumpy one with the big grille.
What makes the sighting more unusual was that this 300 was a super-strech monster limo, in white.
cheers, Sofa Spud
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This morning, Citroen SM. liked the clear plastic cover over the front lights and number plate....much easier to clean the bugs off!
StarGazer
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Yesterday,red Porsche 924GTS. Very rare. Like an 924 with wheel arch
extensions and a bonnet air scoop. Not pretty! Raced at Le Mans IIRC.
--
I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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Yesterday,red Porsche 924GTS. Very rare. Like an 924 with wheel arch extensions and a bonnet air scoop. Not pretty! Raced at Le Mans IIRC. -- I wasna fu but just had plenty.
2.0 turbo 210 bhp, looked rather like the later 944.
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