Interesting ads. I'm not all that familiar with the post-war British car industry, so never heard of a Lea-Francis before. I assume that most of these brands were gone by the late sixties; would be interesting to know how that played out.
@HoonThatFerrari: Let's have a look at the manufacturers that started building cars, never stopped, and continue to this day without any brand changes or assimilations.
Morgan. Bristol. Caterham. And Ginetta. I didn't even know who Ginetta were until I read the article.
I love the 401 and 403 Bristols, having owned one briefly in the mid-70s, wouldn't mind another one (albeit in better condition), and liked the ad a lot. The Jaguar ad was great too, and that car (the Mark VII-IX saloons) are another favorite of mine. Impressive assortment of ads!
@skaycog-live,love,laugh!: Very cool. One of the guys that works at Flyin' Miata in Colorado has a '57: [keith.miata.net]
He dyno tested it at 38 horsepower if I remember correctly.
I'd take any of these except of course for the Mayflower. The ads are as good as the cars. How are you gonna argue with Rolls? "The Best Car in the World." Game, set and match.
British car advertising was wonderful - unlike American car ads, there was no attempt to evoke sex appeal, adventure, or excitement. It was all sensible nuts-and-bolts practicality with the occasional mention of prestige. The closest thing to thrills you'd find in a British ad would be a dry discussion of a car's hill-climbing ability (though the Jaguar ad does mention a top speed of 100 mph without any implication of fun). And what the hell is "gracious motoring"?
Of the cars pictured, the Bristol is the one I'd love to have. Sleek bodywork and ex-BMW engineering - it even has the double kidney grille! I remember seeing a Triumph Mayflower around Miami several years back - so tiny yet ridiculously pretentious, it had a charm of its own. Reminds me of Mitsuoka who turn tiny Japanese cars into mini Jags and Bentleys.
@tonyola: I'd pick the Bristol too, though I wouldn't mind a Lea-Francis either. And i'd be very tempted to turn a worn-out Mayflower into a gasser (I'd leave a stocker as is).
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[en.wikipedia.org]
Oh, but make sure you click "show" off to the right, or you'll go: "Oh yeah, REEEAL interesting chart, HTF, there's NOTHING there!"
08/23/09
Morgan. Bristol. Caterham. And Ginetta. I didn't even know who Ginetta were until I read the article.
08/23/09
@FP - Activity resumes!:
Check out Ginetta's G-21... if you've ever wanted to know what a 911 front end chimera'd onto the back end of a 240z, then here it is...
08/24/09
I love how British Leyland rises from the abyss, and collapses perilously shortly afterwards.
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He dyno tested it at 38 horsepower if I remember correctly.
08/23/09
Space
Pace
What more needs to be said?
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Of the cars pictured, the Bristol is the one I'd love to have. Sleek bodywork and ex-BMW engineering - it even has the double kidney grille! I remember seeing a Triumph Mayflower around Miami several years back - so tiny yet ridiculously pretentious, it had a charm of its own. Reminds me of Mitsuoka who turn tiny Japanese cars into mini Jags and Bentleys.
08/23/09
I guess it's the similar to James May's notion of "Christian motoring."
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