Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ellis]

I believe everybody will agree that this country has changed beyond recognition in the past fifty years socially, economically and morally.
Whether for the better is beyond the remit of this post but I would like to share with you my impressions of the 1960's as seen through my own eyes and memories.

Many of the luxury houses in this are were owned by "Old Money" people or retired professionals such as doctors, lawyers, retired judges, academics or company directors. Others were owned by "Gentry" - not aristocracy but upper middle class.
Most of these fine houses now are country hotels, converted to luxury apartments or outdoor pursuit centres and in one case a YHA Youth Hostel.
More than a few are now privately run retirement care homes.

What sort of cars did those people own in the 1960's?
One retired Army colonel bought a hotel here after his lifetime military career and he always drove a Bentley. I vaguely remember the two tone Mark Six but he owned a Series One and a Two and those I do recall.
The latter he bought used in 1967 was a silver one with his own number, PNE 100.
I stood by it's grille one day soon after he bought it and a voice boomed behind me "What do you think of it young man?"
"Where's the mascot Colonel Yates?"
"The mascot, the mascot? It's a Bentley not a bloody Rolls Royce. Those are for showbiz people and cads. A gentleman drives a Bentley!"
Suitably admonished, I had learned something that day.

There were more Daimler 2.5 V8's around than Jaguar Mark 2's. Jaguars Mark 2's were driven by raffish types and wide boys I was told.(I've owned one for 23 years and I'm certainly not one!)

But what did most of the upper middle class own and drive?
Rover P4 and Rover P5. A retired senior merchant navy Captain owned two P5s and would not buy a P5b because he thought the new Rostyle type wheels "demeaning". The local landed gentryman, also a retired Colonel thought so too and bought a Rover P6 3500 rather than a P5b.

And the others?
These :

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There were also quite a few of these :

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One "Old Money" family had a grey and black Vanden Plas 3litre Princess for as long as I could remember and in the 1964 a London commodities broker retired to the village with a 4.0 litre in two tone beige and brown. My father, as the local pharmaceutical chemist was friendly with him and I was fascinated by the sheer luxury and quality of the vehicle.
Even after my father retired early in 1970 this gentleman still called for some cough medicine or cold remedy and a chat.
In the October of 1970 he bought a new car :

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An Austin 3 litre in a midnight blue. I was appalled. He sensed my disapproval and said "It's a better car than that Rolls engined thing I had before and a damned sight easier to drive"

He moved back down South in 1978 to be near his daughter.
His former house is now a Bed and Breakfast guest house albeit a fine one.

Austin Westminster, Wolseley 6/110, Vanden Plas, Rover P4 and P5, Daimler V8 250, Jaguar "S" Type/420 or Daimler Sovereign and the occasional Alvis were what the elite drove as I remembered.

To put things in perspective I also remember dozens of Austin A 60/Morris Oxford/ Riley 4/68/72 and MG Magnettes. Business people owned Vauxhalls, Ford Zodiacs or Zephyrs, Singer/Humber/ Hillman. Ours was a Vauxhall Victor followed by a PB Velox.

Do you remember anything different?[/img]
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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

[kevin2306]

My dad drove a Wolseley 6/110 in snowberry white with a red leather interior. he bought is in 1969 when it was 1 year old. its still in his garage with 70k on the clock. interior and engine are in good condition but sadly the bodywork is in need of a lot of investment..one day perhaps.
Always amazes me when in any town or village at some of the old houses and how grand they must have been in the day before being converted to apartments and offices. Rectorys and the like are even more impressive.
the company I work for have their office in a rectory in Warrington. Its a truly impressive building



Kev

[peter scott]

As a general rule "old money" only bought coachbuilt cars. Everyone else bought mass produced.

Peter
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https://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

[Riley Blue]

Wealthy people bought more expensive cars shock!

[Ashley]

My Dad was a dentist was and had a Rover 16 Sports after a Morgan three wheeler in the early fifties, then he had a succession of awful economy cars till in '52 he bought a new Minor Estate. It got though about five engines and lasted until it was growing plants and moss from the woodwork. Later on he did have a Healey 3000 for a bit, but the minor was embarrassing because many of my school friends parents my parents friends and various relatives had Rolls-Royce's, Alvis's, Jaguars, you name it.

The reality was that most had normal cars, Austin Cambridges, Morris Minors and what everyone else had but it didn't seem like it when my dad had this terrible, rotting heap!

Like my uncle who became a well know artist, I've always had flash cars, except when the kids were growing up, then it was Saabs and Citroens, but that included a couple of XMs and a BX19 GTI.

Mine is a car family because even my great grandfathers had them. One was a Doctor and had his first, a Stanley Steam car in 1902 and another who was a Farmer had R-Rs, but then expensive cars only cost about 30% more than ordinary ones and the same if they were a couple of years old.

Now high end cars are crazy money to buy and own because they're designed for wealthy morons to pose in, rather than for specific purposes. Whatever you may think of old money, most were frugal and very conservative and not anxious to show off. They bought what they needed and if they travelled a lot, then they bought a suitable car. All except my dad and his dreadful old minor.