Category Archives: Cars

Archive Work – 1998 Nissan Micra UK Brochure

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This is the brochure for the Nissan Micra for the 1998 model year. It covers the mid-life facelift that the K11 Micra recieved in the UK and covers the Equation, Si and GX trim levels over 38 full colour pages.

Quick Specs

This section will cover useful information taken from the brochure.

Trim Level Breakdown

Explains what spec and equipment was available with each trim, including optional equipment (which were offered as “packs”).

Equation Standard Spec and Equipment

  • Choice of a 1.0 or 1.3 litre engine
  • Choice of 3 or 5 doors
  • Choice of a manual or automatic N-CVT  transmission
  • Fitted with the following as standard
    • Engine immobiliser (software lock immobiliser)
    • Tinted glass
    • Rear wiper (with wash)
    • Driver’s airbag
    • Digital clock & trip meter
    • Stereo radio/cassette (security coded with RDS)
    • Body colour bumpers (with black inserts)
    • Rear fog lamp
    • High mounted stop lamp (high brake light)
    • Internally adjustable door mirrors (coloured black)
    • Steel wheels with wheel covers
    • Headlamp on warning buzzer
    • Cabin air filter
    • Variable speed heater fan
    • 2 speed and intermittent wipers
    • Heated rear window
    • Anti-dazzle rear view mirror
    • Reclining front seats
    • Rear A/ELR seat-belts
    • Rear centre static lap belt
    • Height adjustable front head restraints
    • Folding rear seat (without split)
    • Dual sunvisors
    • Tilt adjustable steering wheel
    • Interior courtesy light
    • Gloverbox with penholder
    • Front door pockets
    • Driver’s footrest
    • Child proof rear door locks (on 5 door configurations only)
    • Front seat-belt pretensioners
    • Side impact door bars
    • Audible and visible low fuel warning
    • Collapsible steering column
    • Twin catalytic converters

Equation Optional Equipment

  • “City Pack”
    • Power assisted steering
    • “Superlocking” (central locking)
  • “Audio”
    • 10 Disc Sony Multi-play CD player
  • “Security”
    • Alarm

GX Standard Spec and Equipment

  • Choice of a 1.0 or 1.3 litre engine
  • Choice of 3 or 5 doors
  • Choice of a manual or automatic N-CVT  transmission
  • Fitted with the following as standard:
    • Engine immobiliser (software lock immobiliser)
    • Tinted glass
    • Rear wiper (with wash)
    • Driver’s airbag
    • Digital clock & trip meter
    • Stereo radio/cassette (autoreverse, security coded with RDS)
    • Body colour bumpers (with black inserts)
    • Front electric windows
    • Remote keyless entry
    • Upgraded 6-speaker audio system
    • Rear spoiler
    • “Superlocking” (central locking)
    • Power assisted steering
    • Tilt/slide sunroof
    • Rear fog lamp
    • High mounted stop lamp (high brake light)
    • Internally adjustable door mirrors (coloured black)
    • Steel wheels with wheel covers
    • Headlamp on warning buzzer
    • Cabin air filter
    • Variable speed heater fan
    • 2 speed and intermittent wipers
    • Heated rear window
    • Anti-dazzle rear view mirror
    • Reclining front seats
    • Rear A/ELR seat-belts
    • Rear centre static lap belt
    • Height adjustable front head restraints
    • Folding rear seat (with split)
    • Dual sunvisors
    • Tilt adjustable steering wheel
    • Interior courtesy light
    • Gloverbox with penholder
    • Front door pockets
    • Driver’s footrest
    • Child proof rear door locks (on 5 door configurations only)
    • Front seat-belt pretensioners
    • Side impact door bars
    • Audible and visible low fuel warning
    • Collapsible steering column
    • Twin catalytic converters
    • Remote fuel release
    • Hinged rear windows (on 3-door configurations only)
    • Cigarette lighter

GX Optional Equipment

  • “Audio”
    • 10 Disc Sony Multi-play CD player
  • “Security”
    • Alarm
  • “Safety”
    • Passenger airbag
    • Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
  • “Air-Conditioning”
    • Air conditioning
  • “Sports”
    • Allow wheels
    • Rev counter (tachometer)
    • Body coloured mirrors and side mouldings
    • Sports bumpers and Si upholstery (for 3-door manual configurations only!)

Si Standard Spec and Equipment

  • Choice of a 1.0 or 1.3 litre engine
  • 3 doors only
  • Manual  transmission only
  • Fitted with the following as standard:
    • Engine immobiliser (software lock immobiliser)
    • Tinted glass
    • Rear wiper (with wash)
    • Driver’s airbag
    • Digital clock & trip meter
    • Stereo radio/cassette (security coded with RDS)
    • Body colour bumpers
    • Front electric windows
    • Remote keyless entry
    • Upgraded 6-speaker audio system
    • Rear spoiler
    • “Superlocking” (central locking)
    • Alloy wheels
    • Rev counter (tachometer)
    • Body coloured mirrors & side mouldings
    • Sports bumpers
    • Rear fog lamp
    • High mounted stop lamp (high brake light)
    • Internally adjustable door mirrors (body coloured)
    • Headlamp on warning buzzer
    • Cabin air filter
    • Variable speed heater fan
    • 2 speed and intermittent wipers
    • Heated rear window
    • Anti-dazzle rear view mirror
    • Reclining front seats
    • Rear A/ELR seat-belts
    • Rear centre static lap belt
    • Height adjustable front head restraints
    • Folding rear seat (with split)
    • Dual sunvisors
    • Tilt adjustable steering wheel
    • Interior courtesy light
    • Gloverbox with penholder
    • Front door pockets
    • Driver’s footrest
    • Child proof rear door locks (on 5 door configurations only)
    • Front seat-belt pretensioners
    • Side impact door bars
    • Audible and visible low fuel warning
    • Collapsible steering column
    • Twin catalytic converters
    • Remote fuel release
    • Hinged rear windows (on 1.3 engine configurations only)
    • Cigarette lighter

Si Optional Equipment

  • “Audio”
    • 10 Disc Sony Multi-play CD player
  • “Security”
    • Alarm
  • “Safety”
    • Passenger airbag
    • Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
  • “Air-Conditioning”
    • Air conditioning
  • “Comfort”
    • Tilt/Slide sunroof and power assisted steering

Accessories

These are the accessories listed in the brochure – they are available for any trim package.

  • Roof bars
  • Surfboard holder
  • Pillar decals
  • Overfenders
  • Wind deflectors
  • Body coloured roof spoiler
  • Nissan entry door guard
  • Coloured interior panel (center console)
  • Silver gearshift knob
  • Chrome exhaust tip finisher

Alloy Wheels

There are 4 alloy wheel designs offered however the brochure only refers to one of them by name (which is the only design that doesn’t have a front-on picture) – the name of that design is “Cosmic”.

Paint Colour Names and Codes

These are the colour names and their paint codes from the brochure.

Standard Paint

Metallic Paint

Notes regarding Paint

  • It is not made clear in the brochure if metallic paint costs extra, however it is is likely that this would be the case
  • The sample for “Starburst Silver KL0” is the least accurate as it is printed over the seam of the page.
  • Although many of the colours contain a simple colour name (e.g. Black, Blue, Green) some of the more unusual colours do not
    • “Peridot” is more of a dark green than a black as seen in the brochure.
    • “Cinnabar” is a dark red, close to a burgundy colour
    • “Caramel” is a strong orange colour
    • “Salmon” is a bright red

Engine Specs

1.0 Litre

  • Engine Code – CG10DE
  • Fuel Type – Petrol, Unleaded
  • Fuel System – Multipoint fuel injection
  • Valves – 16
  • Mounting Orientation – Transversely
  • Overhead Camshaft – DOHC
  • Cooling – Water-cooled
  • Capacity – 998 cc
  • Bore x Stroke – 71.0 x 63.0 mm / 2.80 x 2.48 inches
  • Maximum Power – 54 PS / 40 kw @ 6,000 rpm
  • Maximum Torque – 79 Nm / 58 lb.ft @ 4,000 rpm
  • Compression Ratio – 9.5 to 1

1.3 Litre

  • Engine Code – CG13DE
  • Fuel Type – Petrol, Unleaded
  • Fuel System – Multipoint fuel injection
  • Valves – 16
  • Mounting Orientation – Transversely
  • Overhead Camshaft – DOHC
  • Cooling – Water-cooled
  • Capacity – 1275 cc
  • Bore x Stroke – 71.0 x 80.5 mm / 2.80 x 3.17 inches
  • Maximum Power – 75 PS / 55 kw @ 6,000 rpm
  • Maximum Torque – 103 Nm / 76 lb.ft @ 4,000 rpm
  • Compression Ratio – 9.5 to 1

Brochure

Alfa Romeo – Used Car Price Comparison – 1972 to 2018

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Being the magpie I am for things that interest me, I have recently started picking up old copies of various car magazines that were released in the UK; Auto Car, Motor, Auto Express etc.

I usually dip in and out of them, reading this article and that road test; but one thing I didn’t realise these magazines would contain is the extensive listings for used cars in the back. For some issues this makes up a good percentage of the thickness of the magazine, providing an insight into the used car market at the time of publication.

I thought it could be interesting to take this data from these magazines, bring it into the modern digital age of information (or simply the internet) and compare the selection and prices to what is available at the moment on the UK market.

I understand that with most of these posts we will be taking what were once ordinary cars and comparing them against classic car prices, but it will be interesting to see how much these cars have depreciated, or in some cases appreciated, in value. Also who doesn’t want any excuse to go car shopping, eh?

The Source

The source of the data for this post comes from a 1972 issue of Auto Car from the 11th May. This magazine has 104 pages and had a cover price of 12 ½ pence. The cover stories for this issue were:

  • Autoproject – An Aston Martin for £5,000
  • Used car test: Jaguar XJ6
  • Autocare: SU carburettors
  • Better Driving Part Two (which has a Utopian photograph of a motorway in the 1970s, where is all the static traffic and average speed zones!)
  • Road Test of the Datsun 240C
  • Road Test of the Hillman Hunter GLS

The used car listings stretch from page 66 to page 91 with the odd “dealer” graphic advert.

For this post we will concern ourselves with the listings under the heading ALFA ROMEO.

The Table Explained

OK so I like to try and keep these tables pretty simple.

  • Model this is the model of the car including its trim level/displacement if stated. Back in the days of classified ads you’d normally pay per word or generally have a word limit, meaning some dealers would omit parts of the model name so that they could advertise features such as radio, service history or sun roofs
  • Year this is the year of registration stated in the magazine. It doesn’t always directly equal the year of manufacture, however it is odd for this to be wildly out. Some dealers would simply refer to the car by the last or first letter of its registration – common nomenclature for the selling of cars in the UK even today, however instead of referring to something as an “F reg” you’d normally now say “56 plate” instead. This behaviour of simply referring to a vehicles age by its registration letter seemed smart between 1963 (A) – however in 1983 when the DVLA (then DVLC) ran out of letters they started at the beginning again but simply moved the letter from the end of the registration number to the front. This however meant that “F reg” could be applied to a car from  1967/1968 or 1988.
  • Notes in this field I will list any interesting points the advert lists such as mileage, colour, interior colour and features
  • 1972 Price the price listed (ONO or set price) in the advertisement. If the price is set in the table as “Offers” then this is because the dealer selling the vehicle has not listed a price, and is usually fishing for interest or hoping the punter will give him a price that he is comfortable with; not very helpful for our research but included to demonstrate the selection available at the time.
  • 1972 Price Adjusted is the 1972 list price but adjusted for inflation in 2017 (the latest year available using the Bank of England Inflation Calculator). This is not the value of the car in 2018/19, nor the average price on the classic car market. It is however useful to gauge price difference (deprecation/appreciation) to the current market in 2018/19. The calculated cost is rounded to the nearest £10.

The Listings

Model Year Notes 1972 Price 1972 Price Adjusted
Giulia 1600 1964 £350 £4,390
Giulia GTC Convertible 1966 13,000 miles Offers —
Giulia 1300 Ti 1969 bluette
red trim
push button radio
new tyres		 £900 £11,290
1750 GTV 1970 white
black interior
sun roof
radio
heated rear window
17,000 miles		 £1,795 £22,520
1750 1969 white
black interior
radio
21,000 miles		 £1,195 £14,990
Spider Veloce 1950 1968 cream £1,295 £16,230
Giulia 1600 Super 1968 white with black trim
radio		 £725 £9,100
Giulia 1600 Super 1967 red, black upholstery £650 £8,150
GTV 1750 1969 29,000 miles £1,495 £18,750
1750 Saloon 1970 white
red trim
9,950 miles		 £1,575 £19,760
1750 GTV 1970 white
black interior
21,000 miles
Webasto roof
radio		 £1,595 £20,000
Sprint GTV Coupe 1967/68 (F) £815 £10,220
1750 1970 beige with tan trim £1,175 £14,740
1300 GT 1968 ochre
radio
heated rear window
Webasto roof
special wheels
35,700 miles		 £1,095 £13,740
1750 GTV Coupe 1969 dark blue
black upholstery
sunroof
radio
28,000 miles		 £1,525 £19,130
1750 GTV 1970 maroon
heated rear window
radio
twin speakers		 £1,795 £22,520
1300 Giulia GT 1971 12,000 miles
radio
heated rear window
superb white with black trim		 £1,575 £19,760
1750 Veloce fixed-head coupe 1968 British racing green
25,665 miles
full service history		 £1,465 £18,380

With this data we can see that most of the cars for sale in this period are variants on the Alfa Romeo Giulia model. We have 6 models listed as being part of the Giulia family, one of which being a convertible edition, along with 11 listed as being part of the sportier GTV model series. Alfa Romeo were a marque who were wonderful at releasing variants of their models with different names, causing a lot of confusion as can be demonstrated here. The Giulia models are easy to spot due to having the Giulia name plate included, however the GTV model count includes the listings for just “1750” and the “1750 Veloce”. We can assume the listing for a “Spider Veloce 1950” is a mistake, which is meant to read “1750 Spider Veloce”. This leaves us with just one listing unaccounted for, the “1300 GT” which we could assume refers to the GT 1300 Junior model line.

To break this down, we have three models listed for sale:

  • Alfa Romeo Giulia with an average adjusted price of £10,538
  • Alfa Romeo GTV (of Giulia origin) with an average adjusted price of £17,931
  • Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior with an average price of 13,740

It is often rare to see cars in these used pages that exceed 10 years of age, so concerning Alfa Romeo’s car line up between 1962 and 1972 the listings only cover a small amount of the marque’s complete line up of that period.

2018 Listings

Bringing ourselves into the current day we shall first begin our search at eBay Motors UK Classic Car selection.

Straight off the bat we have a beautiful example of a 1968 Alfa Romeo 1750 Spider Veloce in a beautiful red colour with 90,000 miles on the clock. Not an original UK model however, as the seller states it was imported from South Africa to the Republic of Ireland, to then be reimported into the UK around 2014. The car has however been lovingly restored with a few modifications such as fast road cams, electronic ignition from MSD and a performance air filter. This example sports replica “GTA style” wheels by Alfaholics and has had an interior re-trim in a period correct black. The listing price for this example is £34,995 – which works out to be a price increase of around 73%.

See archived listing PDF here.

Looking through the rest of the listings there are a few more examples from the period that our data set concerns; however there are no perfect matches. Moving onto another classic car listings website, Cars and Classic, we find a slightly larger pool of cars from the era.

One example of interest would be this listing for a 1968 Alfa Romeo 1750 GT Veloce in white (Bianco Spino) with black interior (Skai Nero). It is another import, this time from Bahrain, however the history of the car has been lost to time. It has 97,340 miles on the clock and appears to be in beautiful condition. The current dealer is asking £34,995 for the car, which makes for a 62% appreciation on the listing from our magazine for the comparable “1750 Veloce fixed-head coupe”.

See archived PDF listing here.

Keeping within the confines of Car and Classic we come to another close match listing for this 1969 Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV, a year off our listings for the 1970 model. This car is being offered by dealer, Cars of Extinction, and carries its original white paintwork with black (Nero) interior. The listing includes a photograph of an extensive amount of documents to serve as a diary of the cars life over the last 50 years. The listing doesn’t mention the mileage of the vehicle, nor does it mention if any parts of the car have been restored – so we can assume this is a genuine original example. The asking price for this example is £49,950 making it the most expensive example so far. Comparing the figures to the 1970 listings, we are looking at an appreciation of 85% on £20,000 or 75% on £22,520. Big numbers for sure.

See archived PDF listing here.

Although there are many listings in the period of concern on Car & Classic at the time of writing, there are few direct or close matches to our original set of listings. However there is one listing for a 1965 Alfa Giulia 1600 Ti which we could match to the first listing in our data set, the 1964 Giulia 1600.

This example being sold by a restoration company, Ian Ellis Classic Alfas, is reported to have 55,000 miles on the odometer with only just two previous owners. The car has been restored after being found in a barn in Oxfordshire in around 2010. The car has undergone a colour change from Verde Muschio to Grigio Grafite (graphite grey), however the tan interior trim is said to to be original. As you would expect from a restoration company such as Ian Ellis, the car has been subject to a full engine rebuild with a few retso-mods along the way including changing the Solex carburettor to a single Weber model. The car also sports its original 15″ rims (refurbished) and is fitted with period correct tyres. The asking price for this car is £50,000 which beats the previous example, the 1969 Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV, by £5,000. Working on the matched listing’s adjusted price of £4,390, the £50,000 asking price in 2018 means a 167% appreciation in value.

See archived PDF listing here.

Summary

It is no surprise to me that cars as beautiful as those manufactured by Alfa Romeo from this period are asking such high prices these days. It would be interesting to see how the later models, the models I am more familiar with, from the 1990s and early 2000s fare in the coming decades – for at the moment these models are asking the rock bottom prices that go even lower than those seen in the magazine listings.

I can’t deny I’d love to own any one of these beautiful cars, however I think I’d never want to take it out of the garage unless I could somehow convince everyone else to avoid the roads I was using.

I hope you enjoyed this little brief look into the past. I hope to proceed to do more posts like this throughout the year – they won’t all be focused on this period, nor will they always be about Alfa’s. I have plenty of magazines with thousands of listings available.

JapShow – 10th June 2018

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We had a wonderful summer season in the UK in 2018 with some of the hottest days in years. This meant that I was more than eager to take my then reasonably new Toyota Celica GT-Four to a selection of meets around the country. JapShow at the Santa Pod drag strip was a show that I had missed years previous so I made an effort to visit.

After getting lost trying to find the club stand and nearly ending up on the drag strip itself; we settled down and began to peruse the selection of vehicles on display. Along with this the event had a RWYB style event for mostly Japanese only vehicles which provided some good entertainment for the day.

I probably would visit JapShow again in the future, the selection of cars on show was a nice mix and included some models that I hadn’t seen before at these kind of shows; such as the Honda S660.

Review/Overview of American Cars of the 1960s (Haynes, 1977)

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I picked this book up for quite abit more than I would normally have ever spent on a book of this nature – £12. OK not bank breaking, but considering that I normally pay less than £1 a book this was unusual. I actually visited this particular antiques and collectables shop a week prior and found this book along side some very fairly priced copies of AutoSport magazine (at £1/issue, more my level). But I couldn’t shake the thought of how interesting this book was to me. It just stood out.

An unusual size in that this book is extremely long, and not very tall – this 80 page delight contains a chronological list of every American car of the 1960s. What is nice is that although the book is an unusual shape, it is not so big that it becomes a nuisance to store – much like many art books are.

Working from 1960 through to 1969 the book features cars from a range of US marques including Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ford, Pontiac, Cadillac, AMC, Plymouth, Buick, Oldsmobile, Dodge and Lincoln – as well as smaller now forgotten marques such as Metropolitan and Rambler.

The book is set out very similar to a bird watchers guide – with nice clear photographs (mostly library style photos) with a number and letter designation. This code then matches a short paragraph about the vehicle – some longer than others. At this time of fast paced car development the book demonstrates and covers even small revisions between the years for models.

Although part of me wishes for the book to have more detail about some cars, I feel that I would probably dislike the book if it did so – as it would cause it to become the unruly size that I so detest to store.

One big negative point is the lack of any glossy colour photographs of the cars. At a time when most of these beautiful land yachts and muscle cars came with beautiful metallic paint jobs, they have all been confined to a very dull grey throughout the book. Likely a limitation imposed by the time of publication – also taking into account that Haynes are more known for their technical workshop guides which are black and white through-and-through.

A not-so-serious negative for this book is it makes me yearn to drive, or even ride, in some of these wonderful cars. However encountering an example in the UK is rare even for the more popular models featured in this book. Being the terrible car hipster that I am I want to ride in the lesser known automobiles on show; alas I can at least pine over them on various American car sales websites and portals with the ever lasting hope one will show up on Jay Leno’s Garage or Regular Car Reviews.

Book Details

Title: American Cars of the 1960s
Series: Auto Library
Publisher: Haynes
Year of Publication: 1977
Year of Reprint: 1987
Format: Hardback
Pages: 80
Original Price: £6.95
ISBN: 0854295658

Feature List

The following cars are featured in this book:

1960 Buick Invicta 4600
1960 Cadillac 62 Series
1960 Chevrolet Corvair 500
1960 Chevrolet Corvette XP-700
1960 Chevrolet Impala Convertible
1960 Chrysler Valiant V-200
1960 DeSoto Adventurer
1960 Dodge Dart Phoenix
1960 Ford Falcon
1960 Ford Galaxie
1960 Ford Thunderbird
1960 Imperial Le Baron
1960 Lincoln Continental
1960 Mecury Montclair Hardtop
1960 Mercury Comet
1960 Metropolitan 1500
1960 Oldsmobile Dynamic ’88’
1960 Plymouth Fury 8
1960 Pontiac Bonneville Sport Coupé
1960 Pontiac Laurentian
1960 Rambler Ambassador
1960 Rambler American
1960 Studebaker Hawk
1960 Studebaker Lark Convertible
1961 Buick Le Sabre
1961 Buick Special
1961 Cadillac ‘Shaikh’
1961 Cadillac Sedan de Ville
1961 Chevrolet Corvair Lakewood Station Wagon
1961 Chevrolet Greenbrier Sports Wagon
1961 Chevrolet Impala Sport Sedan
1961 Chrysler 300 G
1961 Chrysler Valiant Station Wagon
1961 Desoto Two-door Hardtop
1961 Dodge Dart Pioneer Station Wagon
1961 Dodge Lancer
1961 Ford Sunliner
1961 Ford Thunderbird
1961 Imperial Crown
1961 Lincoln Continental
1961 Mercury Monterey
1961 Oldsmobile F-85
1961 Oldsmobile Super ’88’ Holiday Sedan
1961 Plymouth Fury 8
1961 Plymouth XNR
1961 Pontiac Bonneville Hardtop
1961 Pontiac Tempest
1961 Rambler Ambassador V8
1961 Rambler American Convertible
1961 Studebaker Lark Regal
1962 Buick Electra 225
1962 Buick Special Convertible
1962 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible
1962 Chevrolet Chevy II ‘300’
1962 Chevrolet Corvette
1962 Chevrolet Impala Sports Sedan
1962 Chrysler 300 H
1962 Chrysler New Yorker
1962 Dodge Polara 500
1962 Dodge Turbo Dart
1962 Ford Fairlane 500 Town Sedan
1962 Ford Falcon Futura
1962 Ford Galaxie County Sedan
1962 Imperial Le Baron
1962 Lincoln Continental Convertible
1962 Mercury Comet
1962 Mercury Monterey Custom
1962 Oldsmobile ’98’ Holiday Sports Sedan
1962 Oldsmobile F-85 Cutlass
1962 Plymouth Fury Suburban Station Wagon
1962 Plymouth Sport Fury Hardtop
1962 Plymouth Valiant 200
1962 Pontiac Cataline Vista
1962 Pontiac Tempest
1962 Rambler American 400
1962 Rambler Renault
1962 Studebaker Avanti
1963 Buick Riviera
1963 Buick Special
1963 Cadillac Sedan de Ville
1963 Cadillac Special Fleetwood
1963 Checker 9-passenger Aerobus
1963 Chevrolet Chevy II Nova 400
1963 Chevrolet Corvair
1963 Chevrolet Corvair Testudo
1963 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
1963 Chrysler New Yorker
1963 Chrysler Turbine
1963 Dodge 330
1963 Dodge Dart GT
1963 Dodge Polara 4-door Hardtop
1963 Ford Fairlane 500 Sports Coupé
1963 Ford Falcon ‘Clan’
1963 Ford Falcon Futura Sedan
1963 Ford Galaxie 500 4-door Hardtop
1963 Ford Mustang Experimental
1963 Imperial Le Baron
1963 Jeep Wagoneer
1963 Lincoln Continental Executive Limousine
1963 Mercury Monterey
1963 Oldsmobile 98 Holiday Sport Coupé
1963 Plymouth Valiant V-200
1963 Pontiac Grand Prix
1963 Pontiac Tempest
1963 Rambler Classic 770 Sedan
1963 Studebaker Hawk Gran Turismo
1964 Buick Electra 225
1964 Buick Special
1964 Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado Convertible
1964 Cadillac Sedan de Ville
1964 Checker Marathon Sedan
1964 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu
1964 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Spyder
1964 Chrysler New Yorker
1964 Dodge Custom 880 Convertible
1964 Dodge Polara 500 Hardtop
1964 Ford Fairlane 500 Sedan
1964 Ford Falcon Sprint
1964 Ford Galaxie 500/XL 4-door Hardtop
1964 Ford Mustang II
1964 Imperial Crown Hardtop
1964 Mercury Comet Caliente Hardtop
1964 Mercury Montclair Hardtop
1964 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88
1964 Oldsmobile F-85 Vista Cruiser Station Wagon
1964 Plymouth Barracuda
1964 Plymouth Sport Fury Two-Door Hardtop
1964 Plymouth Valiant V-200
1964 Pontiac Grand Prix Sports Coupé
1964 Pontiac Star Chief
1964 Pontiac Tempest Custom Four-door Sedan
1964 Rambler Ambassador Station Wagon
1964 Rambler American
1964 Rambler Classic 770
1964 Studebaker Commander
1964 Studebaker Cruiser
1964 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk
1965 Buick Riviera
1965 Cadillac de Ville Convertible
1965 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special Edition
1965 Chevrolet Chevy II Nova SS Sport Coupé
1965 Chevrolet Concours
1965 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible
1965 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Coupé Hardtop
1965 Chevrolet Impala Station Wagon
1965 Chrysler New Yorker Hardtop
1965 Cord Sportsman 8/10
1965 Dodge Coronet
1965 Dodge Custom 880
1965 Excalibur SS
1965 Ford Fairlane 500
1965 Ford Galaxie 500 XL Convertible
1965 Ford Mustang 2+2 Bertone
1965 Ford Mustang Fastback 2+2
1965 Ford Thunderbird Convertible
1965 Imperial Crown Coupé
1965 Lincoln Continental
1965 Mercury Montclair
1965 Mercury Park Lane Experimental
1965 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 Holiday Coupé
1965 Oldsmobile Jetstar 88 Holiday Sedan
1965 Plymouth Barracuda
1965 Plymouth Valiant Signet 200
1965 Pontiac Bonneville 4-door Hardtop
1965 Pontiac Tempest GTO
1965 Rambler Ambassador 990 Convertible
1965 Rambler American
1965 Rambler Marlin
1965 Studebaker Daytona Four-door Sedan
1966 Ambassador 990 4-door Sedan
1966 AMC AMX II
1966 Avanti II
1966 Buick Electra 225 Hardtop Sedan
1966 Buick Skylark
1966 Buick Skylark 4-door Hardtop
1966 Cadillac Coupé de Ville
1966 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham
1966 Chevrolet Caprice Custom Sedan
1966 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu Sedan
1966 Chevrolet Corvette Mako Shark II
1966 Chevrolet Impala Sport Sedan
1966 Chrysler 300 2-door Hardtop
1966 Comet Escapade
1966 Dodge Charger
1966 Dodge Polara 4-door Hardtop
1966 Excalibur SS
1966 Ford Country Squire Station Wagon
1966 Ford Falcon Futura
1966 Ford GT 40
1966 Ford Mustang Hardtop
1966 Imperial Crown
1966 Lincoln Continental 4-door Sedan
1966 Marlin Coupé
1966 Mercury Park Lane 4-door Hardtop
1966 Oldsmobile Cutlass Holiday Hardtop Sedan
1966 Oldsmobile Toronado
1966 Plymouth Valiant Signet 200
1966 Pontiac GTO
1966 Pontiac Le Mans Sprint
1966 Rambler American Station Wagon
1966 Studebaker Cruiser 4-door Sedan
1967 Ambassador 990 4-door Sedan
1967 AMX III
1967 Buick Le Sabre Four-door Hardtop
1967 Buick Riviera
1967 Cadillac Coupé de Ville
1967 Cadillac Eldorado
1967 Chevrolet Camaro Super Sport Coupé
1967 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Sport Sedan
1967 Chrysler New York 4-door Hardtop
1967 Dodge Coronet 500
1967 Dodge Dart GT
1967 Dodge Monaco
1967 Dodge Polara 500
1967 Excalibur 35 X
1967 Excalibur SS Roadster
1967 Ford Fairlane 500
1967 Ford Mustang GT 500
1967 Ford Thunderbird 4-door Landau
1967 Imperial Crown
1967 Kaiser Jeep ‘Jeepster’
1967 Kaiser Jeep Wagooner
1967 Licoln Continental Hardtop Coupé
1967 Marlin Fastback Hardtop
1967 Mercury Cougar
1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Holiday
1967 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Hardtop Sedan
1967 Oldsmobile Toronado
1967 Plymouth Barracuda Formula GX ‘Idea Car’
1967 Plymouth Valiant Signet
1967 Pontiac Firebird
1967 Pontiac GTO Cabriolet
1967 Pontiac Le Mans
1967 Rambler Rebel 770 Station Wagon
1967 Rambler Renault Rebel
1968 Ambassador SST Sedan
1968 AMX II
1968 AMX SST Sedan
1968 Buick Electra 225 2-door Hardtop
1968 Buick Skylark Custom
1968 Cadillac de Ville Convertible
1968 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham
1968 Chevrolet Caprice Coupé
1968 Chevrolet Chevy II Nova Coupé
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
1968 Chrysler 300
1968 Dodge Charger III
1968 Dodge Charger III
1968 Dodge Coronet
1968 Dodge Polara
1968 Ford Fairlane Torino GT Fastback
1968 Ford Falcon Futura Sports Coupé
1968 Ford LTD Hardtop
1968 Imperial Crown Hardtop Sedan
1968 Javelin SST
1968 Kaiser Jeep Gladiator
1968 Lincoln Continental Mk III
1968 Lincoln Continental MK III Coupé
1968 Mercury Cyclone GT Hardtop
1968 Mercury Montego MX
1968 Oldsmobile 442 Coupé Fastback
1968 Oldsmobile Cutlass
1968 Plymouth Barracuda S
1968 Plymouth Fury III
1968 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible
1968 Pontiac Le Mans 4-door Hardtop
1968 Rambler American 440 Station Wagon
1968 Rambler Rogue Hardtop
1969 Ambassador SST 4-door Sedan
1969 Ambassador SST Station Wagon
1969 AMX Hardtop Fastback Coupé
1969 Avanti II
1969 Buick Riviera
1969 Buick Skylark Custom Convertible
1969 Buick Wildcat Custom V8 Hardtop Coupé
1969 Cadillac de Ville Convertible
1969 Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado
1969 Chevrolet Camaro ‘RS’ Convertible
1969 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu 350
1969 Chevrolet Corvair Monza
1969 Chrysler 300 Hardtop
1969 Dodge Charger
1969 Dodge Dart Swinger
1969 Dodge Monaco Sedan Hardtop
1969 Ford Fairlane Torino
1969 Ford Mustang
1969 Ford Thunderbird Landau
1969 Imperial Le Baron Hardtop Sedan
1969 Javelin SST
1969 Lincoln Continental MK III
1969 Lincoln Continental Sedan
1969 Mercury Brougham 4-door Hardtop
1969 Mercury Comet Sports Coupé
1969 Mercury Cougar Convertible
1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass Sedan
1969 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight
1969 Oldsmobile Toronado
1969 Plymouth Barracuda
1969 Plymouth GTX
1969 Plymouth Valiant Signet Sedan
1969 Pontiac Grand Prix Coupé
1969 Pontiac Le Mans 4-door Hardtop
1969 Pontiac Steam Car
1969 Rambler 440 Sedan
1969 Rambler Rogue 2-door Hardtop
1969 Rebel 2-door Hardtop
1969 Rebel 4-door Sedan
1969 Rebel SST 2-door Hardtop

’56 Ford Pick-Up (Metallic Blue) – Matchbox Model

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I don’t recall when I got this model. The year of copyright on the base is 1996, but I feel that I bought this car with pocket money well into the 2000’s. Either way, I have had this model for a serious amount of time.

Rear/Side

Considering the amount of time I have owned this model, there are barely any signs of play. The axles are straight and all wheels roll freely. Paint work is in great condition with no chips or scratches. The plastic glass on the window has a few very fine marks, but otherwise clear. There is only a small crack in the base plastic that forms the side step for the passenger door.

Front

The model is of a 1956 Ford F100 Pick-up, however the base simply refers to it as ‘Pick-up’. I likely bought the car amongst my phase of being a self-confessed muscle car nut – which is surprising with the little amount of knowledge I have of the cars. In recent years I have seen a fair few F100’s at shows here in the UK and they certainly have a road presence. Although probably not one of my first choices to own from the line of American pick-ups, you can’t deny the styling of the F100 is wonderfully brilliant for what is a farm truck. Most F100’s these days have taken on a life of glamour, leaving the dusty and smelly farm work behind them – this model seems to represent the new life for many F100’s.

The model features a beautiful blue metallic paint that sparkles in the light, really catches your eye. Paired with a gleaming ‘chrome’ effect bumper and side steps, which are part of the base plate, the model looks to be worth more than it is on first glance.

Rear

Surprisingly for a toy there is a considerable amount of detail found on this model. The embossed Ford badge on the tailgate is painted in a slightly darker shade of blue with a simple discreet decal above it. Along with this we have painted headlamps and taillights. The bed features ridges and is big enough that you could fit some small items in it (such as scale appropriate barrels or animals). Moving forwards towards the front of the car the model has minute details such as a petrol filler cap (present on the passenger side), door handles, cabin vents and handles to release the hood. The front grille is nicely formed as to stand away from the body of the car, giving the front of the model a nice 3D look.

The models interior is plastic and white in colour. Visibility into the cabin is possible by the 2 crystal clear windows (windscreen and rear window) along with two quarter windows for each passenger. However the cabin lacks detail with only a bench seat and basic steering wheel mould present.

Underside

The model doesn’t feature any kind of suspension, so bent axles are a potential hazard with this model. Much like its real life counterpart the model doesn’t sit very high from the ground, giving an almost low-rider effect. The four Matchbox branded plastic wheels spin freely and independently on two axles. These wide plastic wheels fill out the wide flared arches of the body nicely.

As with many Matchbox vehicles the base plate is made from plastic, but in this case has been painted a sparkly silver colour. The base plate also is nicely moulded with mouldings for sump, transmission, driveshaft, differential, spare tire and basic chassis structure. The base is riveted to the die-cast body with two rivets, one at the front and one at the back.

A real 1956 Ford F-100 Pick-up

This model of mine doesn’t require any restoration. It fits in nicely with dioramas with hot rod/muscle car themes. As it is likely I purchased this model late in my life, this is probably the reason for its high quality condition.

Model Status – In Collection 

Model Details

Model Manufacturer Matchbox
Model Scale 1/65 (?)
Year of Manufacture/Copyright 1996
Country of Manufacture Thailand
Model of 1956 Ford F100 Pick-Up
Identifiers none
Variant/Speciality Not a special variant
Colour Blue, metallic
Decals Very fine decal on the tailgate
Feature no feature
Body Material Die-cast metal
Base Material Plastic
Base Colour Silver (sparkly)
Interior Material Plastic
Interior Colour White
Glass Colour Clear
Wheel Material/Style Plastic/Matchbox branded multi-spoke
Suspension No

 

Citroen Acadiane Post Van (Yellow) – Majorette Model

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This beautiful Citroen Acadiane van is a recent pick up for myself. Sitting in a wicker basket of heavily play worn toy cars of various scales and qualities, this little gem cost me all of 50 pence.

A Real Citroen Acadiane in Blue

Although these days I am quite particular with what models I buy (focusing on specific vehicle marques and generations (1970s-1990s)) I am a sucker when it comes to Marjoette models. I love their attention to detail for such regular cars. Not to shame the fantasy models that exist, they have their place, but when I was a lad I would love to play with cars that I would see on the road, or that family members owned.

Rear-Side shot

This little van is an unusual ‘postal van’ variant which sports two blue and white envelope decals on the side of the van box and a strange planet decal on the bonnet/hood; which vaguely resembles the planet Saturn. Unsure what the planet has to do with postal delivery, it may be a poor attempt of showing an arrow moving around the world to indicate the worldwide presence of post?

As with many Majorette models this model has a feature in that the rear doors open. Each door opens freely, although there is no catch system to stop doors opening when the model is in motion. The plastic doors are the same colour as the interior colour (white) and are nicely detailed with door handles, ridges in the panelling, a vehicle registration plate and two cleanly defined windows. There isn’t any detail inside the van compartment but it is a nice wide open space for the scale. Visibility of the cockpit is slightly obscured by the low-slung roof of the cabin and small windows however one can distinguish a bench seat and basic steering wheel mould are present. No other details are present for the interior.

Head-on shot

The model features clear plastic glass for 5 windows: windscreen with wiper and mirror etchings, driver side window, passenger side window, driver side rear window and passenger side rear window. The rear door windows do not contain any plastic ‘glass’.

The car features an all metal body and base, the latter of which is unpainted. Sporting a bright yellow paint job body helps bring out the finer details on this model. Moulded headlights, turn signals, front grille, front emblem, rear taillights, rear turn signals, door handles, ridged panelling for the van box, petrol filler cap, air vent on the bonnet and a metal cast vehicle registration plate on the front of the model really demonstrate how much attention Majorette give to what most would simply consider a toy.

Rear Shot with Feature

The model features four plastic wheels which spin freely and independently on two axles. As with many Majorette models a form of suspension is present, which acts as a deterrent to bent axles from heavy play. The wheel design is lacking and sports a tri-spoke design.

The model is fixed together by one rivet towards the front of the body, with a metal clip to the rear of the van holding the base to the body with the plastic interior and glass being sandwiched in.

Underside shot

The condition of my model is average. There are a few marks across the body where paint has chipped off over the years; however there doesn’t appear to be any serious amounts of corrosion. The decals have held up well during this cars life-span, with the odd planet decal being the worst for wear. All the axles appear straight and the car rolls freely along a surface, however hits some resistance quite soon. I am unsure if I will ‘restore’ this vehicle as I don’t want to lose the decal designs. I may however look to adding some detail to the headlights, taillights and turn signals. I love to collect utility cars, even more so when they are licensed vehicles, as they are great additions to diorama scenes.

Model Status – In Collection 

Model Details

Model Manufacturer Majorette
Model Scale 1/60
Year of Manufacture/Copyright Unknown
Country of Manufacture France
Model of Citroen Acadiane
Identifiers No. 235 (base)
596HN69 (vehicle registration)
Variant/Speciality Post van
Colour Yellow
Decals Left-side: Envelope
Right-side: Envelope
Bonnet: Planet (Saturn)
Feature Opening rear doors
Body Material Die-cast metal
Base Material Die-cast metal
Base Colour Silver/Unpainted
Interior Material Plastic
Interior Colour White
Glass Colour Clear
Wheel Material/Style Plastic/Tri-spoke
Suspension Yes

 

Ford Sierra MK2 (1986-1993)

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This is a post where I will share various bits of information regarding the second generation of the Ford Sierra – including adverts, articles, forum posts, pictures, media appearances and more.

In 1989 the third generation Cavalier received a face-lift to better compete with other models in the decade. In 1993 the model was retired in favour of the new Ford Mondeo.

Advertising

Media Appearances

Notable Registrations (VRNs)

The following vehicle registration numbers could be considered notable for their appearances in magazines, brochures, newspapers, adverts, television programmes or films.

H192OAR

This is the VRN for the black Ford Sierra that appears in the 1993 episode Over The Moon with the Cavalier (From A to B: Tales of Modern Motoring). The VRN does exist in the DVLA database however they have no record of any MOT history for this vehicle. The car was last taxed September 1999.

H831DRG

This is the VRN for the blue (registered green) Ford Sierra that appears in the 1993 episode Over The Moon with the Cavalier (From A to B: Tales of Modern Motoring). The VRN does exist in the DVLA database however they have no record of any MOT history for this vehicle. The car was last taxed January 2003. The car was last taxed April 1994.

J200JDS

This is the VRN for the red Ford Sierra that appears in the 1993 episode Over The Moon with the Cavalier (From A to B: Tales of Modern Motoring). The VRN does exist in the DVLA database however they have no record of any MOT history for this vehicle. The car was last taxed December 2003.

 

Websites

 

Nissan Primera P10 (1990-1996)

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This is a post where I will share various bits of information regarding the first generation of the Vauxhall Primera – including adverts, articles, forum posts, pictures, media appearances and more.

Advertising

Media Appearances

Notable Registrations (VRNs)

The following vehicle registration numbers could be considered notable for their appearances in magazines, brochures, newspapers, adverts, television programmes or films.

 

Websites

 

Ford Puma (1997-2002)

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This is a post where I will share various bits of information regarding the Ford Puma – including adverts, articles, forum posts, pictures, media appearances and more.

Advertising

Media Appearances

Television

  • A silver Ford Puma (X636XPU) is driven by Tiff Needell in his programme Burning Rubber. The Puma is used to show off various ‘tricks’ that can be performed in a front wheel drive car.

Notable Registrations (VRNs)

The following vehicle registration numbers could be considered notable for their appearances in magazines, brochures, newspapers, adverts, television programmes or films.

  • X636XPU – Appears as a featured car in Tiff Needell’s Burning Rubber

Websites

Notable Forum Posts

 

Vauxhall Cavalier Mark 3 (1988-1995)

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This is a post where I will share various bits of information regarding the third generation of the Vauxhall Cavalier – including adverts, articles, forum posts, pictures, media appearances and more.

In 1992 the third generation Cavalier received a face-lift to better compete with other models in the decade. In 1995 the model was retired in favour of the new Vauxhall Vectra.

Advertising

Media Appearances

This section concerns appearances of this car in television programmes, films or other filmed material that was sold/distributed to the public.

Notable Registrations (VRNs)

The following vehicle registration numbers could be considered notable for their appearances in magazines, brochures, newspapers, adverts, television programmes or films.

H674CMF

This is the VRN for a grey Vauxhall Cavalier that appears in the 1993 episode Over The Moon with the Cavalier (From A to B: Tales of Modern Motoring). The VRN does exist in the DVLA database however they have no record of any MOT history for this vehicle. The car was last taxed May 2004.

H711PDW

This is the VRN for a white Vauxhall Cavalier that appears in the 1993 episode Over The Moon with the Cavalier (From A to B: Tales of Modern Motoring). The VRN does exist in the DVLA database however they have no record of any MOT history for this vehicle. The car was last taxed October 1994.

J33EVE

This is the VRN for a white Vauxhall Cavalier that appears in the 1993 episode Over The Moon with the Cavalier (From A to B: Tales of Modern Motoring). The VRN does exist in the DVLA database however they have no record of any MOT history for this vehicle. The car was last taxed March 2001.

J46NBM

This is the VRN for the grey Vauxhall Cavalier that appears in the 1993 episode Over The Moon with the Cavalier (From A to B: Tales of Modern Motoring). The VRN does exist in the DVLA database however they have no record of any MOT history for this vehicle. The car was last taxed January 2003.

Websites