Traffic jams would be made more bearable if they still featured interesting vehicles like this!

OldClassicCar - visit the OCC homepage. (C) R. Jones 2012

1. A busy road at Star Hill in Rochester.

Busy roads and congested junctions are not a recent phenomenon, as this period photo taken at Star Hill in Rochester demonstrates. Traffic congestion has been an issue in some areas since the earliest days of mechanised transport, yet somehow everyone managed and got on with their business, without all the hoohaa, punitive parking regulations and Big Brother camera technology that is seemingly foisted upon the motorist at every given opportunity today. If traffic jams were as interesting as this nowadays, I wouldn't mind a few hold-ups - perhaps everyone should revert to driving 50s vehicles!

Busy roads and traffic in the fifties

I've had a go at identifying some of the vehicles shown in this great photograph, all corrections welcomed of course :-)

Identify the cars in this traffic jam

1. Rear view of a Morris J Type (or possibly an OHV JB).
2. Morris J2 van
3. Update Believed to be Vauxhall HIY Ten Four
4. Standard 10 Companion (estate car), reg. YYF 547
5. Update Believed to be a Simca Aronde estate
6. Austin A30 van
7. Triumph TR2 or TR3
8. Standard 8
9. Austin A40 Countryman
10. Standard 10
11. Morris Minor pickup
12. Austin A40 Devon

Thanks to poodge and John R for the identification of cars 3 & 5, John also confirmed my thoughts that the bus on the left is a Leyland Atlantean PDR1, in the colours of Maidstone and District.

2. Road junction in Ashford, Kent.

This traffic scene is slightly later, 1964 to be precise, and was sent in by Les F a little while ago. The location is Elwick Road, Ashford in Kent. A number of classic cars and vans are visible here. Behind the motorcycle and sidecar combination I've so far identified a Wolseley 1500, an Austin Minivan (note the vent in the roof of these early vans), followed by an E83W van, and several unidentified vehicles. Les thinks the E83W may well be one used by Vye and Sons, a chain of stores in the South East at that time. To the right are a couple of vans; the one with its rear doors open looks like a Morris LD, with a J Type (or JB) Post Office van preparing to pull out into the traffic. Visible to the left are (I think) examples of Minor van, Austin A55/A60 van, plus a Mk1 Consul.

Vans and cars driving along a road in Kent

Vans and cars driving along a road in Kent

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