> > From: "Malcolm Smith" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: 2005/08/30 Tue AM 07:57:31 GMT > To: <[email protected]> > Subject: RE: PESO: cars on film > > frank theriault wrote: > > > WRT the last photo, it makes me recall that when I was a kid > > growing up in Montreal in the late 50's/early 60's, most > > imports into Canada were British. Other than the Volkswagen, > > if one wanted a smallish car, British was about the only > > option. In fact, we owned a Hillman Minx and a Vauxhall > > Victor. Each car only lasted a couple of years. > > We didn't even bother to try to drive them in the winter - > > hell, they had enough problems going more than a couple of > > hundred trouble-free miles in the summer! <g> We stored them > > from about December to March at a local garage, and it seems > > that many other people did the same thing. I don't think we > > bought snowtires and used a car through the winter until we > > bought our first North American car, a 1963 Rambler 660 Classic. > > > > "Built for Canadian Climate" indeed! <LOL> > > They weren't much good for Winter in the UK either! Sadly, I have no photos > I can find of the early to late 60s where I remember the Mk 1 Vauxhall Viva > we had was more or less expected to have a breakdown getting to Scotland and > back, a longer trip than today before the myriad of motorways and by-passes. > That was normal. Today, I would expect to stop once in either direction for > fuel and consider the journey as demanding as going to the local > supermarket. How far reliability and expectations from your car have moved > on in 40 years or so. The only thing which is getting worse is the condition > of the roads on which we drive; I need the L/Rover as much on road as I do > off. > > Malcolm
My headmaster bought a brand new Victor in 1966. It went to the scrapyard 18months later, with holes that you could put a fist through in most parts of the bodywork. The 1960s were a real low point in British car manufacture. OTOH, I lived near a Vauxhall plant until 1972. It was very useful for getting bits of motorcycle restored under "Government Contracts". m ----------------------------------------- Email sent from www.ntlworld.com Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software Visit www.ntlworld.com/security for more information
