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See Homepage. This page: Various classic cars spotted on a trip to Portugal, including restored cars and wrecks.

Old cars in Portugal.

Some classic Portuguese "finds".

Roadside petrol station sign in Portugal
Keeping a weather eye open for roadside relics isn't everyone's idea of fun admittedly, and 'erindoors didn't always quite get what was so interesting in an old roadside filling station sign, or a rusty BMW 1602. In fairness she probably isn't alone, but driving around the more rural areas of Portugal reminds me in some ways of driving around the UK twenty or so years ago. Yes the weather is much warmer over there, and the roads a fair bit quieter, but despite much inward investment leading to new roads, and the improvement of existing roads, there are still many roadside gems to be found. Afternoon forays into the wilds of Cheshire and Derbyshire in the 80s and 90s would usually turn up a selection of crusty classics, sightings that you'd struggle to replicate today. Properties get re-developed, and councils force homeowners to tidy up untidy gardens, leading to many fine wrecks being hidden away, or worse, weighed in for scrap. In Portugal though, things seem considerably more laid back, and the lack of speed cameras, excessive parking restrictions, and much less intrusion from government generally leads to people being able to run their lives more as they wish, rather than how others would wish. So, if you decide to park a 1950s Morris or a gently-mellowing old tractor outside your house, chances are no-one will complain.
Because of this easier-going attitude, there are plenty of old gems just waiting to be discovered at roadsides up and down the country. Despite the climate, many are beyond redemption, but probably still contain some very useful spares at the very least. Every now and then something in really tidy condition would turn up. I didn't have a camera to hand as I drove by a car transporter loaded with a selection of 1960's classics, where it was going or where it was coming from I don't know, but they looked to be in good nick, and included at least one E-Type roadster in their number.
Shown here are some of the more interesting classics that we stumbled across during a fairly leisurely fortnight. Many were seen on the side of main roads. Previous trips confirm that lengthy explorations away from the busier routes turn up even more old cars and lorries, and commercial garages can often be good hunting grounds for interesting old cars that have simply been parked around the back, awaiting resurrection one day.

Classic Portuguese fire appliances.

We couldn't help noticing that many of the fire service vehicles that were in use were of quite old design, yet maintained in very good order. Most interesting of all, and in preservation rather than active use, was this 1950s Bedford spotted outside a fire station. Although slightly faded, it was in pretty sound order overall, and was displayed complete with wooden ladders on the roof.
Classic Bedford fire truck in Portugal
Smart old Mercedes-based trucks, possibly of the late 1960s or early 1970s, were in active service elsewhere, and at a fire service HQ that I stumbled across on an industrial estate there were a number of older Land Rovers in fine fettle, including at least one Series 1 Landy.
Land Rover fire appliances

Preserved Dolomite Sprint and lots of Renault 4s.

I nearly fell out of our nasty little hire car (Renault Clio, bald tyre and badly worn brakes - thanks Europcar!) when we spotted this next classic on our travels, a sight more commonly associated with the UK rather than Portugal. How many Triumph Dolomite Sprints were sold in Portugal I wonder? I bet not too many, and this is the only Dolly of any description I've seen over there. Painted white, this Sprint was in great condition and a real credit to whoever keeps it on the road. I imagine the Portuguese climate has helped the Dolomite survive for this length of time, although how well its 16v motor copes with the high ambient temperatures in the summer is anyone's guess.
Triumph Dolomite Sprint
A fleet of Renault 4 cars
There are real extremes when it comes to the cars that are in regular use in this country. There are many new cars to be seen, mixing it with a fair selection of older makes and models, types that have all but disappeared from our roads. Most numerous of all is the Renault 4. They are everywhere, at times it felt like we were driving around in France. Citroen 2CVs did turn up from time to time, but the diminutive Renault, usually painted in white and in very straight order, easily outnumbered the tin snail and could equally be found in rural villages and modern trendy towns alike. In Portugal the Renault is known as the "Catrella", and the reason for their popularity is that they were assembled from kits in Guarda, a town in northern Portugal. Many were originally purchased by producers of olive oil, and also farmers, with many still in use with local authorities. In fact the line-up of Renaults shown alongside shows a selection of these cars in official use with council workers in a small town we visited.

A fine Mercedes and a Fiat Spider spotted near Coimbra.

During one day trip we screeched to a halt after spotting this lovely old Mercedes in a car dealership. Whether it was for sale or not I never managed to establish. Outside the same establishment was parked this cracking Fiat 124 Spider, so a quick snap was taken before we headed off - in vain as it turned out - to find a remote rural aerodrome we'd spotted on a map.
Classic Mercedes and Fiat 124 Spider

Roadside relics and cars under restoration.

The majority of the old cars we found were unrestored and left to deteriorate where they stopped. Some were for sale at the roadside, often with the owner's phone number scribbled on a card under a convenient windscreen wiper. One such location not far from where we were staying had an assortment of rusting classics, including a lone Morris Minor looking very sad, and a trio of proper Minis looking equally desperate. Joining them in slumber was a selection of very ropey Fiat 600s, a Peugeot 404 pickup, and a BMW 1602 (one of several '02s we found during our stay).
Examples of Renault 4 and 4CV were discovered undergoing restoration work. How many A40 vans, upright Prefects or lowlight Morris Minors still survive over there I wonder? The 1920s Renault must now be a rare survivor. The two-door BMW 700 was on sale for 2000 euros but needed a fair bit of work, whereas the 100E and Skoda 1100MB are spending their final days sat in the sun, enjoying their retirement.
Various old cars requiring work
Interesting commercial vehicles didn't turn up too often. One of the nicest of those we did see was this old Mercedes fitted with a wooden dropside body. It was in very restorable condition with minimal evidence of rot in the cab. Whether it will ever run again though is open to speculation, its current role is as a convenient storeroom, so as yet there are no signs of an imminent restoration. The diesel road roller was spotted in a transport yard, as was a rough 4CV perched on top of an old truck body.
More old cars in Portugal
Most of these vehicles were uncovered without trying too hard, so a concerted expedition properly exploring some of the quieter towns would no doubt turn up some really interesting old motors. In recent times there was much excitement about a huge collection of cars "found" in a Portuguese barn. While I don't think there will be too many pre-war cars lying around waiting for new homes, I think there will be a good number of 1950s and 1960s cars out there to discover. As areas are re-developed, the stock of project cars will undoubtably reduce, but for now there are still some interesting relics to find.
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