Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ray White]

I may have blundered in with my comments. One particular fairly quick Ford that I remember from my teens was the Corsair GT. This was a low milage 2 door saloon with the 1500 engine. It tuned up quite well and my Dad got the most out of it. I believe they are practically extinct in RHD form and today would be very sought after. I really did like the Corsair GT 1500 but the V4 was pretty horrible, it has to be said.

[alastairq]

We're all focussed {!} on the higher performance versions of Escort, etc.....far outnumbered by the basic 1100, & 1300 bog standard versions...which are the ones I usually came into contact with.
These weren't driven about with drivers dreaming of being the next Clark or Makinen....but by ordinary folk, who really didn't care much about the motoring world, merely wanting to get from A to B cheaply.
The Escort & Cortina were 'company car of choice' in their millions. Reducing to the status of a fridge or washing machine.
Later usurped [my opinion] by Cavalier & Astra.

Despite their attributes regarding road holding & performance [1100 Escort??], they fail to excite me...much like Austin Cambridges?
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Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
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Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces.

[badhuis]

Agree, an Austin Cambridge would be just as boring. BUT it does have nice styling and details, things the Escort and Cortina do not have (Mk1 Cortina maybe excluded). It is something that 50s and 60s ordinary cars did have, but not their successors. The boring decade of the 70s is to blame.
A 60s Cambridge is quite likable, but not the Morris Marina. Same for a 60s Hillman Minx compared to an Avenger. Etc. My opinion of course - each to their own.
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a car stops being fun when it becomes an investment

[Ray White]

Alastair. I think it is because we are old enough to remember driving these cars when they were current that we feel little affection for them. There were many cars that we remember as being dull as ditchwater - that today are fetching what you might call silly money. My Dad would have paid beer money for his pre war cars - today they are fetching thousands!. The same with motorbikes. They still have the same faults now as they did back then but a later generation view them differently.

[Ray White]

[alastairq]

Oh dear...!

Thank you, Ray, for confirming things.....With the advancing years, comes a certain realisation of realities.
Whether they are politics, the society we now live amongst, or, old cars.

I have no affection for Cambridges [or Oxfords] from a driver's viewpoint..I have made my views known on these motors before...having used them 'in anger', so to speak.

But, I do admit, a Farina Cambridge, Oxford, or Wolseley would be, a 'nice thing to have'......although I would be reluctant to use it as I use my other two [three, really] roadworthy oldies.
_________________
Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
----------------------------------------------
Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces.

[Ray White]

I feel I must rush to the defence of the poor old Austin Cambridge!! All I can say is that when I was given an immaculate, low milage, Mk1 Austin Cambridge for my 21st birthday, I was delighted. The seats were real leather and the paintwork had real depth. The substantial doors closed with the convincing "clunk" of a railway carriage and once inside you felt "protected" by the ambience of sturdy build quality. My car fortunately had the more desirable floor change and while the A55 would never claim to have sporting pretensions the "B" series engine produced adequate power for a reasonable sized saloon of it's type.

The later, 'Farina' Austin Cambridge (Mk2 A55/A60) has it's supporters, I am sure, but the A55 Mk1 was a good, solid car which in my opinion was a better car to drive than it's predecessor with the pre war styling (which I like).

The original Austin Cambridge with the divided rear window had, I believe, a 10 hp side valve engine which let it down rather. They must be getting quite rare now?

[BigJohn]