The Car Factoids

Factoid: Yes, the long, low, sleek look is exactly what a pick up needs to be, though it’s good to know Rootes’ artistic license extended to light commercials in their ads…

Christmas Motoring Gifts of Times Past

No:5 Rootes Special Accessories
Well, what better time to get that roof rack for your Minx than Christmas?
(Just the thing to carry all your gifts the following Christmas)…

Factoid: Rootes did a good job creating an Imp coupé & the Stiletto was the fanciest model, but only 8,900 were made btwn 1967-72 & aside from being overshadowed by the Mini Cooper, ads like this didn’t help either…

Christmas Motoring Gifts of Times Past

No:4 Krooklok
Yes, nothing says Christmas quite like a Krooklok for your R-reg Chevette (just be careful not to drop the present on your foot)…

Btw, it seems to make ad festive you just added some holly (& hopefully remove it before using it)…

Factoid: Trouble was, for slightly less money you could get a BMW E21 323i which obviously wasn’t as well equipped, but so much better as a driver’s car (no matter how intriguing ‘glow paint’ was)…

Friday Commitment: Skinny tyres + limpet-like grip + generous body roll = cornering in a French car from the late ‘60’s…
(📸: Autocar)

Christmas Motoring Gifts of Times Past

No:3 Windscreen Squeegee
Never let it be said Trico didn’t go to a lot of effort in promoting of effort in promoting their squeegee as a potential Christmas gift.

(That said, you’d hope ‘the motorist’ received some better gifts in 1980)…

Christmas Motoring Gifts of Times Past
No:2 The Lister Car Washing Kit
Save your just-launched Anglia from the perils of ‘mud-caked steering’ which clearly was a problem back in 1959 in those nascent days of the motorway age…

Factoid: In many ways Riley’s demise in July 1969 was inevitable not just due to cars like the 4/Sixty Eight & 4/Seventy Two but in BMC’s failure to create an identity for the brand buyers appreciated…

Factoid: The dashboard of the MG Magnette Mark III though it could also be a Mark IV as it remained the same with the only obvious change btwn the two cars from the driver’s seat being repositioned windscreen wipers…

(Btw, no rev counter, only the Riley 4/68 & 4/72 got that ‘luxury’…
(📸: Autocar)

Factoid: Yes, a 1978 Supercover ad, but BL geeks will also note this might be the 1st example of the firm’s rebrand from the ill-advised Leyland Cars era…

Austin Morris & Jaguar Rover Triumph (JRT) divisions soon followed…

Christmas Motoring Gifts of Times Past
No:1 Binoculars
Never mind this potential gift idea have a look at the reasons they offer for why…

Factoid: It was quite a stretch to suggest the badge-engineered Magnette MkIV owed anything to a TT-winning, Nuvolari-driven ‘30s race car but then the same could be said of it having an ‘advanced design’…

Factoid: The announcement of the 1.3-litre Fiesta, a road test of Chrysler Sunbeam plus a report from the Frankfurt Show - that’s what I call an issue.
Oh & a Maserati, but I think I know what’ll interest you guys…

It was the 57th best selling car in the UK with 6,491 sold (just ahead of the BMW 3-Series by 6 cars) ahead of the MGB/GT (in 63rd place with 5,214) & way ahead of the TR7 in 100th place (1,646 cars sold)… Btw, while it was the 2nd best selling coupé in the UK, the best seller, the Ford Capri, was way up in 8th place with 49,147 cars sold…

Factoid: The Mk1 Scirocco proved remarkably popular in the UK & an example was a couple of yrs after this 1977 ad when not only was it one of the UK’s best selling coupés, it also outsold all of BL’s sports cars…
(Click ‘ALT’ for Grade A geekery)

Factoid: This ‘reflective glory’ 1969 supplier ad when the Maxi arrived reminds us how commonplace front disc brakes had become for family cars by the late ‘60’s though given the lacklustre performance from its disappointing 1485cc, E-Series engine, ‘taming it’ was a relatively straightforward task…

Factoid: Manufacturers made much in the ‘80s having multi-valve engines in their cars but here’s your quick reminder the trio here had them installed in three ways: MR2, mid-engined RWD, Celica, FWD & Supra, RWD.

Factoid: Yes, It’s that time of year again & while you ponder presents, a reminder in 1981 Motor used this cover to launch their guide with the help of some Corgi models (including the just-launched Triumph Acclaim)…
(📸: Motor)

Factoid: It’s open to Q what was the worst example of BMC badge engineering but the MkIV Magnette would certainly be in the mix.
Perhaps those who could only afford the vastly superior MG 1100 had a lucky escape?

Factoid: By 1986, a 5dr supermini had become the norm (though the Mk2 Fiesta & Mk2 Polo were notable exception) & so a 5dr Ibiza wasn’t unusual though the copywriters’ take in promoting it was humorously novel…

Nsu Nergal by Aldo Sessano The NSU Nergal was an angular hatchback coupé designed by Aldo Sessano and built by the Turin based coachbuilder Eurostyle.

As the NSU Prinz had a rear engine, one of the legacies of that layout on the SEAT 1200 Sports were the rear air vents…(2)

www.carrozzieri-italiani.com/listing/nsu-...

Factoid: 50 yrs old this month, the SEAT 1200 Sports was possibly prettier than the Fiat 128 3P but interestingly the former’s original design was based on a concept car called the NSU Nergal which was based on the Prinz (1)…
(📸: Motor)

Factoid: Volvo’s ‘80s ad themes came up again & again (like the life expectancy of the cars) but as with all the best car advertisers it was the creativity of how that message was conveyed that kept them ‘fresh’…

YouTube video by Retro Sports HQ F1 racing Graham Hill Jackie Stewart funny interviews

This captures Hill’s dry humour perfectly…

youtu.be/bmM7klQWLd4?...

It’s my pleasure, Matt.

You & Richard have created an essential podcast about motorsport history.

YouTube video by BBC Archive 1969: What Makes a McLAREN? | Wheelbase | Retro Transport | BBC Archive

Here’s something that BBC Archive recently uploaded to their YouTube channel which I’m sure you’ve seen…

youtu.be/EwbK7U_rrgo?...

The Bruce McLaren story: A life measured in achievement, not in years alone

@thebishf1.bsky.social, can I offer my thanks for the brilliant episode about Bruce McLaren & the creation of his eponymous team.

I learned some much about his remarkable & sadly tragically short life…

open.spotify.com/episode/32O2...

Factoid: Compared to the 964, the 993-gen 911 was a decided visual improvement bringing back the grace of previous generations (the work of Yorkshireman Tony Hatter which is something I’d forgotten about).

Of course more important were the substantial rear suspension changes….

Factoid: A Granada Estate with a 2-litre & in fancier LX form for less than this 240 DL Estate (£288 less in fact), but then again it wasn’t a Volvo…

Still, in 1985 Ford dropped the Granada Estate when the Mk3-gen arrived & saving Volvo a lot of money in advertising while gaining a lot of sales…

Well, he’d be angry with the copywriters then…