When I was a youngster (a very youngster!) our next door neighbour's son had a black Triumph Renown (Razor Edge). It's registration plate was JVO 10. Adrian Howard's Dad drove a Vauxhall 10. It's registration plate was FXY 333. That was 60 years ago. Don't, however, ask me what the registration number of my MX5: I've only had it since 2006! This must tell you something about me but I'm not sure what.
I was reminded of this when I saw a 1949 Triumph Renown parked at the repair garage I use in Napier.
I included the last photo despite not being able to get one without the reflections to show the beauty of the dashboard. Bench front seats were common then too. The gear lever was a 3-speed column shift and the shift mechanism and engine were the same as in the Standard Vanguard Phase II that I learned in ten years later.
The car driving along which can be seen through the windscreen is a fairly common sight in Napier. New Zealand must have the highest per capita ration of veteran and vintage cars in the world.
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It is a strange but welcome sight. I wonder why New Zealand has so many vintage cars? They all seem in beautiful condition so it is not lack of money,
ReplyDeleteHave you been in the Photographers Gallery?
DeleteFor some reason Adrian cars just do not rot here. Odd in some ways given the proximity of so many towns to the coast. However salt is never used on the roads - volcanic ash is used when necessary on ice.
DeleteThe Photographers Gallery (and coffee shop and cafe!) sometimes has truly awesome exhibitions. I haven't been in for a while because they are closed on Monday which is the day I'm usually in town with a few moments to spare. I shall try and call in tomorrow to see what's currently on offer.
I called in at The Photographers' Gallery at lunchtime. That proved to be a Bad Thing in that I ordered a coffee and waited over 15 minutes (and I wasn't alone). That was time well spent looking at two completely different exhibitions: one mainly portraits from the Balkans (chap does work for National Geographic) and the other horses (but not horse photographs as you know them Jim). They were very good. The smaller horse ones (many of the larger ones were in excess of 6' on the long side) were going for about $800 a pop. Printed on some fancy German paper apparently. So thanks for the reminder Adrian.
Deletehet is altijd makkelijk om boodschappen mee te doen.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure that I actually understood that comment Nik but I think that, in colloquial English, you may have meant 'it's always easy to dream'. If that is the case you are absolutely correct!
DeleteThat is fantastic that these vintage cars are still in operation. What love to keep them running smoothly after all these years.
ReplyDeleteOne can't help but admire such beauty....they sure don't come like that anymore.
They were all so individual in those days Virginia. The Triumph might have had the Standard Vanguard underpinnings and mechanics but no one would ever have known by looking at them.
DeleteWhat a grand old car. (Dare I use the word 'old'?)
ReplyDeleteYou just did Monica! And you are absolutely correct!
DeleteI'll bet you had a man with a red flag in front of you when you learned too.
ReplyDeleteMarcel I'd love to think of a witty response but, dullard that I am, nothing will come to mind.
DeleteI enjoyed your post as I like old cars, tractors and locomotive engines. Like everything else, at the time, we couldn't feature what we'd have today.
ReplyDeleteHad you been following me for the last however many years I've been blogging, Red, then you would have seen hundreds and most of them much older than this one.
DeleteIt's a wonderful car and very well kept. I wonder what petrol he uses.
ReplyDeleteIt was a relatively low compression engine Bill but as leaded petrol is not available here I suspect that unleaded 95 octane is used. From what I've read over the years most engines will operate well enough without lead or a lead substitute.
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