Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ellis]

[img]

Has there been any car or motor vehicle which you can remember being around your area for a long, long time?

Like the one in the above photo, there was one particular example around here for 25 years or more. FEJ 369 was a grey four door Austin A30 which first appeared in Betws y Coed in around 1963 when it was already several years old. It was bought by a local council worker as a second hand car. It had travelled quite far from the old county of Cardiganshire where it was first registered sometime in 1956.
In 1965 it was bought privately by one of my father's employees as her first car and then on to another of his employees when she married in 1967.
It changed hands twice more to villagers until it was bought by a retired local gentleman in the mid 1970's. It remained with him in daily use until about 1988 when he, now a widower, moved to live with his son many miles away. The A30 went with him.

It was still in good condition when I last saw it in 1988 but by then it had normal indicators.
I looked it up on the DVLA website last night but there are no details.

Two more come to mind, WCA 507, a Wolseley 1500 and a Morris Minor. 4495 UN which seemed to be around for years and years in the nearest town, LLanrwst.

True survivors.

Can you recall any from your own area?
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Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[badhuis]

Slightly different -
A neighbor came to live in our street 16 years ago. He just had bought a one year old BMW 320. I did not much pay attention to it as it was a newish car, and those in general do not interest me much. Just another boring car...
But the thing is that he still has the car! In a very good shape, especially considering it is outside all the time. Now I admire him for keeping the car for so long. I spoke to him a few weeks ago and he has no plans to ever change the car.
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a car stops being fun when it becomes an investment

[emmerson]

Not strictly on topic, but the landlord in my local has a 51 plate Merc. Nothing unusual in that, he's only had it a couple of years, but it is only his third car. In forty-two years!

[Ray White]

My wife's uncle died recently. He bought a 1930 Austin Swallow (like mine) to restore but somehow never got round to finishing it.

He drove it into his garage and began by stripping it down. New Ash was purchased and a start was made on rebuilding the frame.......

That was over 50 years ago!!

[Dipster]

I got my Defender new in January 1998. It is still my daily driver. It is not expensive to run (35 plus mpg) and has loads of space. Why change?

[Rootes75]

My father has a 1967 Mk11 Cortina 1600E, one of the earliest produced we have been informed.

He bought it from our local Ford dealers in 1974, he traded in his Mk1 Cortina GT!

[Rick]

My A40 Mk1 has been with us since 1987/8, but was bought new by my great aunt and uncle in 1960 (I remember riding in it in the 1970s during a visit).

RJ
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[mikeC]

There's a 1933 Austin Seven in Derbyshire that was owned by the local headmistress; until the present owner retired five years ago and moved three miles away, it has always lived in the same village.
I have just bought a 1931 Austin Seven that has never been owned outside the county.
My brother has now lived in the same house for forty five years, and still owns two of the cars which he had when he first moved there.

[kevin2306]

My Singer was bought new in Wrexham (supplied to its original owner in Wrexham) in 1965 and has always lived within a 5 mile radius.

Kev

[Dipster]

Further to my earlier posting (08h23 today) I have just remembered that we still have a 2 door Uno that we bought new back in 1983 or was it 84......

It was one of the first out of a Fiat dealer in Paris. It is still with us and is used to go shopping etc. when we are in France! No rust (honest) although the silver paint job is looking a bit tired. More than patina! I still enjoy driving it too.

I tend to hang on to things that work well.

[Ellis]

[bob2]

I tend to hang on to my cars so most of my cars have been with me for years but my green mini is the one that we've had longest. Bought new by my dad in 1976 and I still have it in my garage. My daily driver a 1995 hyundai accent bought from its first owner in 2002 is still my daily driver whilst my other mini which previously belonged to a cousin of mine was bought in 2000 and restored in between 2000 and 2001 and has been with us since then too.
My 1970 hunter was bought used but only some months old in early 1971 by my father in law and around 2007 was handed over to me since I liked old cars and given a restoration and as you can guess I still have it too.
Thought about selling it various times and get something older but given the work I've done to it and the fact it is presently in its best form since I've had it, I decided I'll be keeping it for a bit longer.

[Brian Read]

I expect someone will be able to top this but here goes anyway
A friend of mine who shall be nameless turned up in a lovely little 1936 Austin 7 saloon that has that patina of age that only years of care can produce although it looked as though it may have been restored at some time. In casual conversation I asked him how long he had owned it and he said he bought it when he was a 16 yrs old student for the price of a pint. Yes - it had been restored but that was when he bought it. As he was too young to drive then it he took it to bits and rebuilt it into a useable little car. He is now the wrong side of 70 and uses it daily. It looks and performs superbly but the only slight downside with most vintage vehicles is that you have to be a very good judge of stopping distances. If you want to stop for an afternoon cuppa somewhere at a country tea shop best apply your brakes on in the morning. If any of you just happen to be in the Woking or Guildford area and you see a little green A7 give him a wide berth and a wave"

[Rusty]

I made a comment to my fiancé about a nice original Morris Minor 1000 that I quite often see running around town here and she said "OH that's my old schoolteacher she has always driven that" ! Sue is now 52 and it was being used when she was going to primary school she thinks the lady owner bought it new about 1960 and it has always been licenced and always been used, it still looks and runs like a 5 year old car.

[goneps]