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UKMotorTalk
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Hi, everyone. We're back. I'm Mike. I'm Jim. Hello. I'm Graham. Good evening to you. And we are most of UKMotorTalk. Dave, who has been out and about in a wonderful place. It sounds terrible. I think we said this before, but in Grimsthorpe, it just doesn't sound great. Anyway, we'll come back to that in just a moment.
00:00:37:17 - 00:01:06:13
How are you all doing? Wet, cold, miserable. It's horrible. I mean, it's I think I've picked it must be me. I mean, they always say that when you when you wash the car, that's what makes it right. So I, I wash the car and it frequently rains. You of think it seems to be pretty much ever since I bought the Caterham it has just constantly rained Tuesday I'm going to get all kinds of you the other day so it was a lovely sunny day was all bright sunshine, needed sunglasses and a hat and whatever else.
00:01:06:14 - 00:01:19:13
Hopped in the car, came around to see you, to see if you could come out and play for for half an hour. And we stood outside chatting and it something got very dark. And then by the time I hopped in the car to go home again, and by the time I got to the end of the road, it started raining again.
00:01:19:13 - 00:01:45:09
I mean, it's just this this summer is just miserable, isn't it? It's just not. Not good. A cloud literally exploded. It just went everywhere and it was fine. And then it was like it turned a bowl upside down. There was crazy amount of rain for all of about from 10 minutes, which is just the right amount of time to get absolutely soaked and then just be cold and miserable, soggy and damp in places that you wouldn't want to be wetter than a not as pocket, if you will.
00:01:45:11 - 00:01:59:12
But yes, it's your fault for buying a car with no roof. It's got a roof. It just kind of lives rolled up in the corner of the garage because it's unnecessary weight, isn't it. And it takes so long to put on and you just generally never drive it in the right in any way. So why would you bother if it rains?
00:01:59:12 - 00:02:15:03
Just keep going. Actually, when I was coming back, it was good little test because when you stopped, obviously you got wet as you were doing over about 20 miles an hour. You didn't feel anything. You didn't get wet. So there we are, top tape. You're going to drive the car from in the rain and drive it quickly. Terribly sorry, officer.
00:02:15:03 - 00:02:35:04
I couldn't stop your car worrying about weight. The weight and power to weight ratio of your calories determined by things like when you last went for a poo and if you had breakfast or not. Exactly. That's it. It's is a very big percentage. Every every kilo is a rather large percentage. So it's these things matter Kilo I'm worried.
00:02:35:04 - 00:02:56:15
Fuel Gov you talking kilos. Depends how much coffee I've had. You know why F1 drivers tend to be quite small because they are very weight sensitive what cars are anyway. So what you're going to say because they pull along and there you go I'm quite small and weight sensitive, but only because I'm sensitive about my weight rather than anything else.
00:02:56:21 - 00:03:14:01
I saw actually something on Facebook Marketplace. It was one of these big banners that says to horse riders, Go pass wide and slow. This woman had just got her daughter to lay next to it to show the scale. I mean, don't know, many people measure things and how many bananas it is or if it's an American or anything but the metric system.
00:03:14:01 - 00:03:31:12
And I think I'd be slightly hurt if I've been asked to lie next to a sign that just said wide and slow, because that's what you could see in the picture as it might be. Maybe we should just have that for what I'm on track. I had an auntie that used to measure everything with tea towels, you know, everything in her house was a multiple of a standard tea towel.
00:03:31:12 - 00:03:49:17
If there is such a thing. Is there such a thing? Well, no. I did try and explain to her that every detail she had was probably a different lengths, but it was a conversation that was beyond that. It was more metaphysics than physics. When I was young, one of was sort of house party drinking age when we used to have house parties, which were always good fun.
00:03:49:19 - 00:04:13:02
And it was, yes, we got old. We measured our progress in how didn't number of Foster's cans or whatever cheats. Well, we were drinking at the time, so yeah, You knew how many Foster's cans you were told Bacardi Breezes is a question for you because obviously this is something that is banned these days. Was your choice of drink or possibly choice of smokes influenced by racing and racing liveries?
00:04:13:02 - 00:04:36:03
Yes. Yes. What about you go, No, no. We are in a recent survey of everyone, 60% of the population are influence. So they we are. And that's why when. When did the drink ban come in inspired by come in in Formula One You know all sort of what it was which is now 2000s. Yeah I'm going to say it must have been 2000s.
00:04:36:03 - 00:05:02:05
I've a feeling it was probably before I started drinking, which is I think just a bonus say about 2001. It came in in sort of a European and you know, Britain and places like that before other countries. I still I vaguely remember in about 0607 there was a the Ferrari F1 the shock looking one ran with a marlboro livery in pre-season testing.
00:05:02:05 - 00:05:21:14
So I think they were doing that in Bahrain in some ways so that that looks spectacular with a marlboro livery on it. But yeah, I think it definitely did. I mean it didn't encourage me to drink or smoke because that is for certain, but it certainly tempted me to try the brands that they advertise. But to be fair, that's that's still true today.
00:05:21:15 - 00:05:40:05
I look at the brands, advertise in F1 and touring cows and bits and pieces like that and think, well, if, if it's good enough for F1, it's good enough for me. So yeah, it does, it does influence the brands that I buy part from Labatt alcohol free from the, the touring cars of the nineties that stuff tasted like a yeast infection.
00:05:40:05 - 00:06:12:02
That was actually the stuff that's the blue and white was that you see on a series of things. It made for a lovely livery, but Jesus was a great liver. I mean, yeah, but yeah, we have for a while I drink nescafé coffee or I'd smoke. Be an angel mulberries, I think one mulberry did an F1 special edition packet, so I bought lots and lots and lots of those, which was a bit of a waste of cash, but I always did my bit for supporting the tea encourages you to buy them and the exceptional brands buy exceptional livery.
00:06:12:03 - 00:06:36:13
It's time for me to smoothly segway into what they've been up to now. Dave and I am jealous about this. I genuinely am the whole. It's not beige, it's all this gold style of life. I would say it's is a fast way of living, but clearly it isn't in your maestro or whatever it might be. But Dave's been up at the Festival of the Unexceptional, which is a collection of cars, probably a lot like the Onion.
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And in fact, there were two that I do know that that are just your everyday average cars that have just since disappeared into obscurity. The rare. But nobody cares. Mark what Astra's or her chauffeur. Six sixes. Lot of them have disappeared into the ground again, a lot of them rusted so badly. But I've got a delightful idea. I love the idea of the the cars that everybody had being commemorated in some way.
00:07:00:19 - 00:07:20:05
I mean, again, this is when you see cars that everyone had. I mean, just flicking through a few of the pictures, you know, I mean, a there's a hell of a lot of motor cars there. But there's I don't know, we always talk about some of the cars that we remember fondly. I mean, there's amount to go there, which is which is one of my personal favorites, my first ever cowboys and to golf.
00:07:20:05 - 00:07:37:09
And I've still got a hankering for one. And I have decided that would be the next car to add to the garage if I could add a garage to the side, to my current garage. So I'd need to move house first. That kind of probably financially rules out any possibility of buying another car. But it's expensive to golf.
00:07:37:09 - 00:08:03:11
There it is. Yeah, very. But there's there's also, you know, we often talk about always a 2023 fiesta Zetec titanium, whatever you know one of the last of the line ones. Is there ever going to be as fondly remembered? We think probably not. But I mean, looking here, there's there's a Mach one car in Colorado. Red sat there and that's you know they were ten a penny at the time And then you think was is anyone going to love that or fondly remember that?
00:08:03:13 - 00:08:22:11
But then I really do just old enough or is it just a relative time? You know give it 20, 30 years and we will we remember the moment. Kate Fiesta like we're remembering the Mach one focus or Mach one, you know, maybe, I reckon interesting question is, is there a sort of cutoff date that makes it an appreciating classic?
00:08:22:11 - 00:08:36:03
It's in the eyes of beholder, isn't it? We do need let Dave go on with this now. And I tell you what, we don't see a lot of on the road anymore. Oh, rovers, you've come up in the rover 600 we're standing in front of in the fetching shade of I think it's probably teal. Is it metallic teal?
00:08:36:03 - 00:08:57:15
Tell us a little bit about this. I think I think it's called Charleston Green. So this car got the nickname match, as in. And Charleston from the TV show Neighbors. And yeah, this is a quite a light four over 600. There's a 6 to 3 I think it's a GSI which means it's quite posh and we've driven up from Sussex in it and very comfortable.
00:08:57:15 - 00:09:15:05
It was too, it's looking in well used condition and it's even got the period correct. Replacement rubber aerial that used to be able to buy every single petrol station on the time. It's a lovely looking thing, it's a V reg and it's not looking bad for its age. I think it's been well looked after mechanically. It's got a bit of a history of this one.
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It's been through to the hands of some of the classic car community before it's reached STEM. Richard who owns a car and yeah, I mean inside it's absolutely lovely, really comfortable. We've had a very nice, soothing journey on the way up. It's been well cared for, well-loved, done some recent long runs, I think down to down to Cornwall and back and taking the dog as well.
00:09:36:11 - 00:09:53:00
I seem to remember these these were very, very popular. I mean, they're part of Rover's final collaboration with Honda, weren't they, Because it was an accord underneath and they gave Rover a bit of a bonus, I think probably when it came to reliability, a bit on top perhaps. They haven't fared quite so well. But again, it's not in bad condition.
00:09:53:01 - 00:10:19:13
I think it's fairly well reflective of the fact that these cars saw a lot of life when they were new. So probably, you know, fleet cars and frankly, any rover at any age now is starting to show signs of decay. So in my own 20 year old AMG is just just on the cusp of starting to rot. But I've managed to get to it and that's only done 17,000 miles.
00:10:19:13 - 00:10:34:22
So I think it just comes with the territory really. I think you're probably right. Looking inside, it's full leather, It's a very portico automatic as well. It's got the wood a like on the dash again inside. It's looking well loved, but it's holding up well to the years. And as you say, you've had a comfortable journey up from the coast.
00:10:34:22 - 00:10:50:07
We were, Yep. We've basically spent an hour queuing to get in, didn't we? I think you were slightly ahead of us in the queue. It looks like a comfortable place to sit and negotiate the Q Oh, yes, very, very, very comfortable. The only issue is the common rover problem of inoperative air conditioning. Aside from that, quite, quite comfortable.
00:10:50:09 - 00:11:01:23
Well, it's got a sunroof isn't it, which is cracked open at the minute and letting let in the whole area is quite a nice warm day. What else have you seen so far? I mean, I know we haven't been at home. We've pretty only been on site for about an hour, most of which again was spent in the queue.
00:11:02:04 - 00:11:32:18
But just wandering around. I've just stood in front of cars I haven't seen in years and years and can't believe I'm seeing again now. What's particularly caught your eye thus far. Have I think? Well, it's difficult to tell because there's just so much here. It's like being confronted with a particularly good menu, a restaurant selection, anxiety. I've heard it termed other other ways, but for me, I think probably the Renault 11 Spotted, which has got the most magnificent Hi-Fi system graphic equalizer.
00:11:32:20 - 00:11:59:11
And it's just for me, it's a reminder of childhood because my grandad had one from new. I can still smell it up and nostrils and I think that's what this is about, really just identifying with some point in your childhood because that you got taken to school in cars that you crashed or somewhere some point in between. What's fun is that there are a few cars amongst this collection here which probably don't really fit the bill.
00:11:59:13 - 00:12:18:11
Seen a Ferrari have 355 is a delta integrale which is you know common is Mark Yeah they're just people aren't really stopping to look at those I mean the people are it's it's fun to see someone walk past a Ferrari a three, five five to go and promote Juniper. I think that probably probably sums up this event. Really.
00:12:18:13 - 00:12:40:20
I don't know if you don't don't get the spirit of it. It's probably the wrong place. I'm finding it hard to imagine any show that it's going to appeal to me more than than this one. This is my first time here. So I'm going to be interesting to see if anything else cuts the mustard in the future. And with the Rover 600, Hey, with Richard, who's the proud owner, sat in the back, tell us about this wonderful rover, 600 that you're sat in the boot of.
00:12:40:20 - 00:13:03:07
How long have you had this? I've had this a year now. This was owned by classic quote. It was their YouTube project car. It came up for sale. And at the time I didn't want the never over. I've always had rovers and it was for sale. For sale. For sale. And in the end, I sent a message saying, if you've not been offered anything more than £2.50 and some opal fruits, let's talk.
00:13:03:09 - 00:13:16:17
Next thing I'm off with Alex to go and pick the bloomin thing up. He's a very bad influence. Actually, the car I've got at the minute is down to him. But I mean I can't really fault because it's one I love. You were saying to me that this is number six in a number of Rover 600 you've had over the years.
00:13:16:21 - 00:13:38:02
Yeah, I had a 620, so a manual before this one in gunmetal gray. And then then I'll back cars. But it was just a bit basic and a bit manually and they suit the automatics better. And this is a 63, which is far nicer than 620 anyway because top of the range. So not very unexceptional actually, if I'm honest, but they just drive.
00:13:38:02 - 00:13:59:14
No, I said they are great for doing long journeys and even now it will keep up with everything modern so there's not really a problem. And have you had to do much to it? Alex was saying that he's got the standard rover non air conditioning working at the minute, but I mean apart from that obviously they went for the Met with no drama he runs quite happily it gets used only at weekends as a rule getting it start it off you go.
00:13:59:14 - 00:14:13:03
There's no drama at all which is good. He must get attention. Do you get people coming up to you when you go to petrol pumps going, Oh, I used to have one of these always with Dad's company car. It's quite a distinctive color. I don't mean I could do a bank job in it. I'm joking. You get people coming.
00:14:13:03 - 00:14:27:18
So I remember having these company cars or I used to sell these when they were new and I quite like hearing stories like that. I think over the passage of time, you're not going to get someone quite as exciting telling you about When they sold a brand new Ford Focus in 2022. You're just not going to get that passionate.
00:14:27:18 - 00:14:51:21
I think I might be wrong, but I just don't think he will in years to come. So it's nice to hear that people still remember them, that what they are they really comfortable with what they always say. So that sort of tells you something, I think. Is there quite a community of people who run over rovers, all the owners, clubs, online forums, groups that you were a member of where you sort of keep an eye out for Unobtainium parts and the like.
00:14:51:23 - 00:15:14:18
Yeah, it is. That is still a part community, which is nice. You can still get bits and bobs or if you've got a particular problem they'll say, Yeah, I know what that is. You can, this is how you clear this window. Regular is, are the favorite favorite ones because they made a cheese and they go, but if you're clever and you go on eBay and so far rather than that you can't you can get a left what is a left hand drive passenger window one, which is actually the driver's side here.
00:15:14:18 - 00:15:32:12
So you can overcome that quite easily as long as you willing to search on a French Internet site. So that's not such a problem. But no, I mean, there is that there is a known as club and they do bits and bobs. And sometimes I embrace it, but this is the only one in this color that I think gets posted on the owner's club site.
00:15:32:17 - 00:15:50:04
There are about three or four of us in this color. What is the official color? I mean, I would say it's a metallic tail, but I know there's a far more technical and wonderfully artistic name for it, really. Charleston Green. Charleston Green. That was it. Which gives the nickname Match. Yes. Match from neighbors enough to get another one and call it Harold.
00:15:50:05 - 00:16:07:07
Yeah. I've got a white one. White four and six is called Harry. Where you go. Almost. Almost. So you've got more than one rover. There's obviously a bug that you've been bitten by. My dad always had them when I was growing up. I had three. All right. At one point, I've still got my white one, which I've had for years and years and years.
00:16:07:09 - 00:16:20:20
And they get under your skin, not in a bad way, but they get under your skin. Maybe it's a parent thing. And I think if you go fast for ten years, not my daughter. Her first car is going to be she's telling me it's going to be a pink or purple rover. The reality is it probably won't be.
00:16:20:22 - 00:16:45:24
But who knows? Who knows? Indeed. Lovely to see it here. It's lovely to see everything. I mean, it literally is jaw dropping. We've never been before. And it is I think speaking earlier to Alex, he was saying it's a bit like being in a cathedral. There's a slightly old harsh as people are wandering around and you can absolutely understand that we've not even been to the holy of holies yet, but the castle where the concourse is Concorde to all the near one up there in a bit.
00:16:46:04 - 00:17:07:14
Have you seen anything in particular that really sort of opened your eyes in the time that you've been here this morning? Most of it, yeah. Yeah. There's a nice, very nice mass. The one, two, one in yellow, which is a lovely little bubble thing with a sunroof. There's a very basic 46 which caught my eye and there was other bits that you just don't see.
00:17:07:15 - 00:17:22:23
Like when I stress and stuff like that, it's just nice to see. I think that sums it up, doesn't it, when you're not looking at a three, five, five, but a spec perjury for a six on a plate or similar, he's grabbing the attention. That's basically what this event is all about. Thanks ever so much, Rich. It's been lovely to talk to you.
00:17:22:23 - 00:17:45:09
Thanks. Here in the Holy of holies, this is the the Concorde Ordinaire we're in here is that stood with Gavin Busbee, who's got a 1996 Fiat Punto, 90 X in Bianco something. We tried to look at the pay code in the boat, couldn't quite read it, but it's it's Italian for white and it's very white and it's in fantastic condition.
00:17:45:11 - 00:18:03:04
And I think I'm right in saying it's only got about 70,000 miles covered. Yes, it's just coming up to 77,000. It's quite the survivor. I've got a particular interest in this car because my parents had one of these from you in about 1995. And it's a time warp. It really takes me back. It's got everything. He's got all the bells and whistles.
00:18:03:04 - 00:18:19:13
This is pretty much the top of the range for Fiat Puntos of the era, wasn't it? Yes, it was. It's got the biggest engine, the 1600. This was actually the biggest engine and the top spec level of the non turbos And you've had this car for I think he was telling me for years. What made you pick on this one particular?
00:18:19:13 - 00:18:35:00
I know you do have a bit of a liking for Fiat, but what made you go for this one? Well, it's such a rare survivor. In fact, a so-called friend sent me a link to the app and said, You need to save this. And so few mark one Puntos left. These days, it sort of had to be saved.
00:18:35:01 - 00:18:56:08
And then when I realized it was a 90 X in, you know, standard white, but with the big engine, the nice spec and somebody fitted abs to it, paid a fortune for it back in 1996, it just needed to be saved because somebody was going to buy it, modify it or wrap it around a tree, quite honestly, so somebody's got to save them.
00:18:56:13 - 00:19:16:16
And apparently all my friends thought it should be me. So it's here it is. You inherited the mantle. Now this joins a collection of quite a few other fiat. I believe it does, Yes, there's quite a few. I think we worked out there's about 14 at the moment. Wow. Any particular favorites? How does the one we're looking at now, how does that rank in terms when he's here?
00:19:16:16 - 00:19:35:03
It's a Concordia Ordinaire, so it must must rank fairly high in the list of cars You like to own. It does, but I'm attached to most of them. But the the big five fits would have to be the one two sevens because I had one, two, seven. It's my first car and yeah, a rescued one. That's exactly the same color.
00:19:35:03 - 00:19:57:07
The model is it's my first car I've got a cooper as well. Again I wouldn't sell that. I just love them all. At one point I bought one new back in 1998. Yeah, I still drive very well. Keep up with the modern traffic. Perfectly practical and reliable and yeah, you know, somebody has got to save them. As I said, it really, really has brought back a lot of memories seeing this car.
00:19:57:09 - 00:20:20:03
How do you rank chances here today? Do you think you're going to be going home with the the coveted award? Very unlikely, I think. I mean, there's so many cars that they could choose. They do sort of look at the stories and it's about the people and the stories as much as anything else. I might get an award for persistence because I've entered so many times and I know who the judges.
00:20:20:03 - 00:20:34:10
But, you know, I don't think that increases your chances of winning, unfortunately. Well, well, let's hope we will keep our fingers crossed for you and wish you all the best. You're up against some very stiff competition, it has to be said. But these cars are survivors. And the fact that they're here means there are winners in my book.
00:20:34:10 - 00:20:59:13
But I really do wish you well and wish you a lovely rest of the event. So that's it. Festival of the unexceptional number nine 2023 has finished and we're just walking back to the carpark. So has another festival of the unexceptional Virgin. Tony. What was your first impression of the event? It was incredible to see so many car manufacturers and so many marks and they all had it wrong.
00:20:59:15 - 00:21:29:05
It was it was truly exceptional. Yes, I think you're right. I think there's the exceptional unexceptional, isn't there? Absolutely right. We saw citroens. We saw the best of British Leyland of the time, which in itself sounds a little bit of an oxymoron, but I'm sure listeners will understand from the princess to the Allegro, it was just a cacophony of the most unexceptional cars I've ever had a chance to witness.
00:21:29:07 - 00:21:53:11
It was truly wonderful. Was there anything particular that stood out for you as being the most exceptional, unexceptional and something that you would have had you had the opportunity taken home with you today? Well, two things. They're probably the most unexceptional and base level or entry level Vauxhall Nova. Very unexceptional indeed. But I was really taken with the Austin Maxi and the Princess.
00:21:53:16 - 00:22:11:18
They were particularly good examples. I mean, these are the cars that people probably now look back and think, I'm so glad I never had one of those. But now it brings back such a wave of nostalgia, doesn't it? Because as Danny Hopkins, the editor of Practical Classics, giving out the prizes earlier said, these are the cars that we walk past day in, day out.
00:22:11:18 - 00:22:30:10
Didn't give a second thought to. But now when we see them, it really sort of evokes memories of our past. Well, a lot of people will remember the sights, the sounds and the bad language of their father being out on the drive with a gearbox out of his Austin maxi trying to fit a new clutch. And those are all things that we remember from our childhood.
00:22:30:12 - 00:22:50:24
The skin burns and the rushes we used to get from the from the plastic seats. During the heat of the summer, the sculpted velour of the more luxury editions. It was all just absolutely unexceptional for its time. But wonderful. Yeah, I think we're definitely going to be coming back next year. I'm like, Oh, absolutely. I mean, who wouldn't want to be here?
00:22:51:01 - 00:23:19:05
It's an absolute celebration of the UK cars throughout the decades and they are all truly unexceptional. But, you know, I'm I'm still jealous. I haven't gone there might be a lot of British Leyland in there, but there's definitely a lot of stuff that that would look like a fancy car park or some other remember fads where they just disappeared and they used to be a fad around the corner.
00:23:19:05 - 00:23:40:19
For me. But you remember what they sold was like a home base or something. It was like decorating. It was like a budget being Q fans. Although to me fads is something my missus was in, which was favoring a mature, dramatic society. But to be fair, if you look around the car park of the Amateur Dramatic Society, then yeah, it's a lot of beige rovers is is probably about right.
00:23:40:20 - 00:24:02:18
That's a fair judgment. I do remember that Pinto coming out there when I was a kid. I remember thinking how weird the tail lamps were and the other side of the windows, which then appeared on pretty much everything, didn't it? But the focus and all the rest of it, like a stripy sock coming down the back in the back by the side of the windows, maybe a bit ahead of its time that so many cars that we used to see every day they've just disappeared from our roads.
00:24:02:20 - 00:24:21:16
I can only imagine that we could have become that generation. And I say this because I recognized the other day that I've become part of the group of thirtysomething dads. And I went to my oldest school and we all stood there with the same beard, the same hair, the same shorts and the same polo shirts on. I used to have one of those.
00:24:21:21 - 00:24:52:24
Oh, my dad used to have one of those. So I remember that Those are those kind of cars aren't the first of these. Actually, they are all the cars that your dad used to own or your granddad had or used to smoke around in when you were when you're in your formative years. Not for no good. Well tonight there was, there was a lot of cars that Yeah, there were sort of if your dad or your chemistry teacher or whatever didn't have one of them, you know, Nissan Bluebird, my chemistry teacher and but there was a lot of girls that you said, Oh yeah, Chris had one of them and then he did X, Y
00:24:52:24 - 00:25:11:00
and Z to it and put these wheels on it. You know, it was a Volvo for 40 there. And I remember a guy called Chris having one of those and I think he put a set of TSW venoms on it and, and made it rather exceptional. It has to be said. And there's so many cows. We said, Oh yeah, Chris had one of them.
00:25:11:00 - 00:25:26:16
They've had one of them, Craig had one of them. But I think we offered to finance alloys. Well, that's it. But we because I think we tended to start off in the, in the budget model, the base model because it was the cheapest one and then model and do X, Y and Z do it because that was the only way into it.
00:25:26:16 - 00:25:43:19
Even though you ended up spending more money on, you'd have been better off just buying the one that had alloys and this, that and the other on it anyway. But you, you spent what you could and then had to do it as you went along. But it was a Yeah there was so many. Oh yeah. You had one of those and then it was like that for about a day before we did X, Y and Z.
00:25:43:21 - 00:26:06:14
And that's, that's why these girls are probably rare because they're the girls that we bought because we could afford them and we haven't quite figured out that we weren't the best drivers in the world at the time. Had it. Dave We handbrake turned it onto its roof. I won't have you maligning the Nissan Bluebird. I had one in period as a company car from New and it was the local motor club that I was a member of at the time.
00:26:06:16 - 00:26:32:01
We used to do night rallies and so I used to take the Bluebird rallying, which was great fun. Never, never, never pretended to malign the Bluebird, as he said, when a chemistry teacher had one. Very good chemistry, one of my favorite teachers. I just imagine you getting lost somewhere down past Ken, you know, and on the coast, and you'd be worried that there might be bluebirds over the White Cliffs and go, Oh, oh, just don't sing it for God sake.
00:26:32:07 - 00:27:08:12
Having mentioned my aunty with the strange units of measure, she actually gave us a car. I do remember, and I've only just recalled this. It was a I think it's 1977 that I that Austin 1300 G.T., which was a car we ended up taking racing not because it was much of a car as it stood, but we wanted to go mini racing and discovered quite by accident that the 1300 GTI had the strongest bottom end and was the preferred lump for building a mini special which is what we did, and raced it for a bit.
00:27:08:16 - 00:27:32:01
Well, raced it, crashed it, raced it, crashed it and so on and so well, we had a lot of fun and some very cheap motorsport and overboard a series or something maybe. Yeah. 1293 polished, imported and all that. All the stuff. One thing we do need to say before we go, and that is we're going to be the British Motor Show, which is well, next week.
00:27:32:03 - 00:27:51:18
Looking forward to that. It's got bigger and bigger every year actually, isn't it? Yeah, it has since it moved to its new home in Farnborough and it's Yeah, grown and grown and grown. It was, you know, one and a half olds and they sort of tried with a little bit outside the first time we went to have a, the, the last time we went there was like all this, this is still the place entirely now, hasn't it?
00:27:51:18 - 00:28:10:14
But there's lots of new makes and models and and things. All the manufacturers tend to be there and you're going to have a go in most of the things that they have to offer, which is quite good. And there's just a a nice general mate. But it's, it's, it's sort of taking on the spirit of the Birmingham Motor Show, isn't it, But just a lot nearer to us.
00:28:10:14 - 00:28:32:19
So it's an hour and a beat up the road rather than a few hours up the road. So I like it. I did Birmingham for many, many years and there was some very strange things went on there. People that were given cars, some very, very good shipping because on prestige they used to cater wildly. All the top chefs would be on somebody's stand and you could go from one stand to another and eat very nicely.
00:28:32:19 - 00:29:03:00
I seem to remember Jean-Christophe Novelli with a breakfast of bacon scrambled eggs cooked in truffle oil, which is the first time I'd experience that novelty. It was delicious. But then one of the other chefs was to Fangio Flan. It's five different forms of curry and Fangio, Land Rover Standard, Full English Sunday lunch. I still bear to give away some of those things, but beyond that, the new stuff that's in the hall was of course this stuff that's owner's clubs.
00:29:03:00 - 00:29:20:05
There's stuff that's a bit older, there's stuff that's artisan and that's the stuff I think I really enjoy actually, although it's it's quite interesting looking at the new cars. We see the benefits of what we do. We do get to see those and it is quite fun to petrified the chap on the SAT stand. He clearly had no idea about the vehicle that you want to talk to about.
00:29:20:07 - 00:29:38:19
I think that was last year or the year before last, but to see some of the owner's clubs and see the people that are passionate about the cars, that to me is really interesting. And then to see where the future lies in terms of new products and like I say, these artisan skills where people are carrying out really in-depth quality restorations or resto mods, that really is interesting to me.
00:29:38:19 - 00:29:55:12
So there's a lot to see there and there's plenty to cater for all tastes if you're interested in cars, machinery, if you're listening to this, you haven't got lost and have just stumbled in and are still going at this point in the in the podcast and fair play to you. If you are, then it's worth going along. It is worth going on.
00:29:55:14 - 00:30:33:12
That's what I'm getting to. And I guess on that point, it really is time for us to go. This has been UKMotorTalk, so we hope you've enjoyed this unexceptional podcast and I've been Mike, Goodbye, I've been Jim, goodbye. Enjoy the sunshine such as it is and open chrome. Goodnight. UKMotorTalk. A First Take Media production. They are all truly unexceptional.
UKMotorTalk
00:00:19:20 - 00:00:37:17
Hi, everyone. We're back. I'm Mike. I'm Jim. Hello. I'm Graham. Good evening to you. And we are most of UKMotorTalk. Dave, who has been out and about in a wonderful place. It sounds terrible. I think we said this before, but in Grimsthorpe, it just doesn't sound great. Anyway, we'll come back to that in just a moment.
00:00:37:17 - 00:01:06:13
How are you all doing? Wet, cold, miserable. It's horrible. I mean, it's I think I've picked it must be me. I mean, they always say that when you when you wash the car, that's what makes it right. So I, I wash the car and it frequently rains. You of think it seems to be pretty much ever since I bought the Caterham it has just constantly rained Tuesday I'm going to get all kinds of you the other day so it was a lovely sunny day was all bright sunshine, needed sunglasses and a hat and whatever else.
00:01:06:14 - 00:01:19:13
Hopped in the car, came around to see you, to see if you could come out and play for for half an hour. And we stood outside chatting and it something got very dark. And then by the time I hopped in the car to go home again, and by the time I got to the end of the road, it started raining again.
00:01:19:13 - 00:01:45:09
I mean, it's just this this summer is just miserable, isn't it? It's just not. Not good. A cloud literally exploded. It just went everywhere and it was fine. And then it was like it turned a bowl upside down. There was crazy amount of rain for all of about from 10 minutes, which is just the right amount of time to get absolutely soaked and then just be cold and miserable, soggy and damp in places that you wouldn't want to be wetter than a not as pocket, if you will.
00:01:45:11 - 00:01:59:12
But yes, it's your fault for buying a car with no roof. It's got a roof. It just kind of lives rolled up in the corner of the garage because it's unnecessary weight, isn't it. And it takes so long to put on and you just generally never drive it in the right in any way. So why would you bother if it rains?
00:01:59:12 - 00:02:15:03
Just keep going. Actually, when I was coming back, it was good little test because when you stopped, obviously you got wet as you were doing over about 20 miles an hour. You didn't feel anything. You didn't get wet. So there we are, top tape. You're going to drive the car from in the rain and drive it quickly. Terribly sorry, officer.
00:02:15:03 - 00:02:35:04
I couldn't stop your car worrying about weight. The weight and power to weight ratio of your calories determined by things like when you last went for a poo and if you had breakfast or not. Exactly. That's it. It's is a very big percentage. Every every kilo is a rather large percentage. So it's these things matter Kilo I'm worried.
00:02:35:04 - 00:02:56:15
Fuel Gov you talking kilos. Depends how much coffee I've had. You know why F1 drivers tend to be quite small because they are very weight sensitive what cars are anyway. So what you're going to say because they pull along and there you go I'm quite small and weight sensitive, but only because I'm sensitive about my weight rather than anything else.
00:02:56:21 - 00:03:14:01
I saw actually something on Facebook Marketplace. It was one of these big banners that says to horse riders, Go pass wide and slow. This woman had just got her daughter to lay next to it to show the scale. I mean, don't know, many people measure things and how many bananas it is or if it's an American or anything but the metric system.
00:03:14:01 - 00:03:31:12
And I think I'd be slightly hurt if I've been asked to lie next to a sign that just said wide and slow, because that's what you could see in the picture as it might be. Maybe we should just have that for what I'm on track. I had an auntie that used to measure everything with tea towels, you know, everything in her house was a multiple of a standard tea towel.
00:03:31:12 - 00:03:49:17
If there is such a thing. Is there such a thing? Well, no. I did try and explain to her that every detail she had was probably a different lengths, but it was a conversation that was beyond that. It was more metaphysics than physics. When I was young, one of was sort of house party drinking age when we used to have house parties, which were always good fun.
00:03:49:19 - 00:04:13:02
And it was, yes, we got old. We measured our progress in how didn't number of Foster's cans or whatever cheats. Well, we were drinking at the time, so yeah, You knew how many Foster's cans you were told Bacardi Breezes is a question for you because obviously this is something that is banned these days. Was your choice of drink or possibly choice of smokes influenced by racing and racing liveries?
00:04:13:02 - 00:04:36:03
Yes. Yes. What about you go, No, no. We are in a recent survey of everyone, 60% of the population are influence. So they we are. And that's why when. When did the drink ban come in inspired by come in in Formula One You know all sort of what it was which is now 2000s. Yeah I'm going to say it must have been 2000s.
00:04:36:03 - 00:05:02:05
I've a feeling it was probably before I started drinking, which is I think just a bonus say about 2001. It came in in sort of a European and you know, Britain and places like that before other countries. I still I vaguely remember in about 0607 there was a the Ferrari F1 the shock looking one ran with a marlboro livery in pre-season testing.
00:05:02:05 - 00:05:21:14
So I think they were doing that in Bahrain in some ways so that that looks spectacular with a marlboro livery on it. But yeah, I think it definitely did. I mean it didn't encourage me to drink or smoke because that is for certain, but it certainly tempted me to try the brands that they advertise. But to be fair, that's that's still true today.
00:05:21:15 - 00:05:40:05
I look at the brands, advertise in F1 and touring cows and bits and pieces like that and think, well, if, if it's good enough for F1, it's good enough for me. So yeah, it does, it does influence the brands that I buy part from Labatt alcohol free from the, the touring cars of the nineties that stuff tasted like a yeast infection.
00:05:40:05 - 00:06:12:02
That was actually the stuff that's the blue and white was that you see on a series of things. It made for a lovely livery, but Jesus was a great liver. I mean, yeah, but yeah, we have for a while I drink nescafé coffee or I'd smoke. Be an angel mulberries, I think one mulberry did an F1 special edition packet, so I bought lots and lots and lots of those, which was a bit of a waste of cash, but I always did my bit for supporting the tea encourages you to buy them and the exceptional brands buy exceptional livery.
00:06:12:03 - 00:06:36:13
It's time for me to smoothly segway into what they've been up to now. Dave and I am jealous about this. I genuinely am the whole. It's not beige, it's all this gold style of life. I would say it's is a fast way of living, but clearly it isn't in your maestro or whatever it might be. But Dave's been up at the Festival of the Unexceptional, which is a collection of cars, probably a lot like the Onion.
00:06:36:13 - 00:07:00:19
And in fact, there were two that I do know that that are just your everyday average cars that have just since disappeared into obscurity. The rare. But nobody cares. Mark what Astra's or her chauffeur. Six sixes. Lot of them have disappeared into the ground again, a lot of them rusted so badly. But I've got a delightful idea. I love the idea of the the cars that everybody had being commemorated in some way.
00:07:00:19 - 00:07:20:05
I mean, again, this is when you see cars that everyone had. I mean, just flicking through a few of the pictures, you know, I mean, a there's a hell of a lot of motor cars there. But there's I don't know, we always talk about some of the cars that we remember fondly. I mean, there's amount to go there, which is which is one of my personal favorites, my first ever cowboys and to golf.
00:07:20:05 - 00:07:37:09
And I've still got a hankering for one. And I have decided that would be the next car to add to the garage if I could add a garage to the side, to my current garage. So I'd need to move house first. That kind of probably financially rules out any possibility of buying another car. But it's expensive to golf.
00:07:37:09 - 00:08:03:11
There it is. Yeah, very. But there's there's also, you know, we often talk about always a 2023 fiesta Zetec titanium, whatever you know one of the last of the line ones. Is there ever going to be as fondly remembered? We think probably not. But I mean, looking here, there's there's a Mach one car in Colorado. Red sat there and that's you know they were ten a penny at the time And then you think was is anyone going to love that or fondly remember that?
00:08:03:13 - 00:08:22:11
But then I really do just old enough or is it just a relative time? You know give it 20, 30 years and we will we remember the moment. Kate Fiesta like we're remembering the Mach one focus or Mach one, you know, maybe, I reckon interesting question is, is there a sort of cutoff date that makes it an appreciating classic?
00:08:22:11 - 00:08:36:03
It's in the eyes of beholder, isn't it? We do need let Dave go on with this now. And I tell you what, we don't see a lot of on the road anymore. Oh, rovers, you've come up in the rover 600 we're standing in front of in the fetching shade of I think it's probably teal. Is it metallic teal?
00:08:36:03 - 00:08:57:15
Tell us a little bit about this. I think I think it's called Charleston Green. So this car got the nickname match, as in. And Charleston from the TV show Neighbors. And yeah, this is a quite a light four over 600. There's a 6 to 3 I think it's a GSI which means it's quite posh and we've driven up from Sussex in it and very comfortable.
00:08:57:15 - 00:09:15:05
It was too, it's looking in well used condition and it's even got the period correct. Replacement rubber aerial that used to be able to buy every single petrol station on the time. It's a lovely looking thing, it's a V reg and it's not looking bad for its age. I think it's been well looked after mechanically. It's got a bit of a history of this one.
00:09:15:07 - 00:09:36:09
It's been through to the hands of some of the classic car community before it's reached STEM. Richard who owns a car and yeah, I mean inside it's absolutely lovely, really comfortable. We've had a very nice, soothing journey on the way up. It's been well cared for, well-loved, done some recent long runs, I think down to down to Cornwall and back and taking the dog as well.
00:09:36:11 - 00:09:53:00
I seem to remember these these were very, very popular. I mean, they're part of Rover's final collaboration with Honda, weren't they, Because it was an accord underneath and they gave Rover a bit of a bonus, I think probably when it came to reliability, a bit on top perhaps. They haven't fared quite so well. But again, it's not in bad condition.
00:09:53:01 - 00:10:19:13
I think it's fairly well reflective of the fact that these cars saw a lot of life when they were new. So probably, you know, fleet cars and frankly, any rover at any age now is starting to show signs of decay. So in my own 20 year old AMG is just just on the cusp of starting to rot. But I've managed to get to it and that's only done 17,000 miles.
00:10:19:13 - 00:10:34:22
So I think it just comes with the territory really. I think you're probably right. Looking inside, it's full leather, It's a very portico automatic as well. It's got the wood a like on the dash again inside. It's looking well loved, but it's holding up well to the years. And as you say, you've had a comfortable journey up from the coast.
00:10:34:22 - 00:10:50:07
We were, Yep. We've basically spent an hour queuing to get in, didn't we? I think you were slightly ahead of us in the queue. It looks like a comfortable place to sit and negotiate the Q Oh, yes, very, very, very comfortable. The only issue is the common rover problem of inoperative air conditioning. Aside from that, quite, quite comfortable.
00:10:50:09 - 00:11:01:23
Well, it's got a sunroof isn't it, which is cracked open at the minute and letting let in the whole area is quite a nice warm day. What else have you seen so far? I mean, I know we haven't been at home. We've pretty only been on site for about an hour, most of which again was spent in the queue.
00:11:02:04 - 00:11:32:18
But just wandering around. I've just stood in front of cars I haven't seen in years and years and can't believe I'm seeing again now. What's particularly caught your eye thus far. Have I think? Well, it's difficult to tell because there's just so much here. It's like being confronted with a particularly good menu, a restaurant selection, anxiety. I've heard it termed other other ways, but for me, I think probably the Renault 11 Spotted, which has got the most magnificent Hi-Fi system graphic equalizer.
00:11:32:20 - 00:11:59:11
And it's just for me, it's a reminder of childhood because my grandad had one from new. I can still smell it up and nostrils and I think that's what this is about, really just identifying with some point in your childhood because that you got taken to school in cars that you crashed or somewhere some point in between. What's fun is that there are a few cars amongst this collection here which probably don't really fit the bill.
00:11:59:13 - 00:12:18:11
Seen a Ferrari have 355 is a delta integrale which is you know common is Mark Yeah they're just people aren't really stopping to look at those I mean the people are it's it's fun to see someone walk past a Ferrari a three, five five to go and promote Juniper. I think that probably probably sums up this event. Really.
00:12:18:13 - 00:12:40:20
I don't know if you don't don't get the spirit of it. It's probably the wrong place. I'm finding it hard to imagine any show that it's going to appeal to me more than than this one. This is my first time here. So I'm going to be interesting to see if anything else cuts the mustard in the future. And with the Rover 600, Hey, with Richard, who's the proud owner, sat in the back, tell us about this wonderful rover, 600 that you're sat in the boot of.
00:12:40:20 - 00:13:03:07
How long have you had this? I've had this a year now. This was owned by classic quote. It was their YouTube project car. It came up for sale. And at the time I didn't want the never over. I've always had rovers and it was for sale. For sale. For sale. And in the end, I sent a message saying, if you've not been offered anything more than £2.50 and some opal fruits, let's talk.
00:13:03:09 - 00:13:16:17
Next thing I'm off with Alex to go and pick the bloomin thing up. He's a very bad influence. Actually, the car I've got at the minute is down to him. But I mean I can't really fault because it's one I love. You were saying to me that this is number six in a number of Rover 600 you've had over the years.
00:13:16:21 - 00:13:38:02
Yeah, I had a 620, so a manual before this one in gunmetal gray. And then then I'll back cars. But it was just a bit basic and a bit manually and they suit the automatics better. And this is a 63, which is far nicer than 620 anyway because top of the range. So not very unexceptional actually, if I'm honest, but they just drive.
00:13:38:02 - 00:13:59:14
No, I said they are great for doing long journeys and even now it will keep up with everything modern so there's not really a problem. And have you had to do much to it? Alex was saying that he's got the standard rover non air conditioning working at the minute, but I mean apart from that obviously they went for the Met with no drama he runs quite happily it gets used only at weekends as a rule getting it start it off you go.
00:13:59:14 - 00:14:13:03
There's no drama at all which is good. He must get attention. Do you get people coming up to you when you go to petrol pumps going, Oh, I used to have one of these always with Dad's company car. It's quite a distinctive color. I don't mean I could do a bank job in it. I'm joking. You get people coming.
00:14:13:03 - 00:14:27:18
So I remember having these company cars or I used to sell these when they were new and I quite like hearing stories like that. I think over the passage of time, you're not going to get someone quite as exciting telling you about When they sold a brand new Ford Focus in 2022. You're just not going to get that passionate.
00:14:27:18 - 00:14:51:21
I think I might be wrong, but I just don't think he will in years to come. So it's nice to hear that people still remember them, that what they are they really comfortable with what they always say. So that sort of tells you something, I think. Is there quite a community of people who run over rovers, all the owners, clubs, online forums, groups that you were a member of where you sort of keep an eye out for Unobtainium parts and the like.
00:14:51:23 - 00:15:14:18
Yeah, it is. That is still a part community, which is nice. You can still get bits and bobs or if you've got a particular problem they'll say, Yeah, I know what that is. You can, this is how you clear this window. Regular is, are the favorite favorite ones because they made a cheese and they go, but if you're clever and you go on eBay and so far rather than that you can't you can get a left what is a left hand drive passenger window one, which is actually the driver's side here.
00:15:14:18 - 00:15:32:12
So you can overcome that quite easily as long as you willing to search on a French Internet site. So that's not such a problem. But no, I mean, there is that there is a known as club and they do bits and bobs. And sometimes I embrace it, but this is the only one in this color that I think gets posted on the owner's club site.
00:15:32:17 - 00:15:50:04
There are about three or four of us in this color. What is the official color? I mean, I would say it's a metallic tail, but I know there's a far more technical and wonderfully artistic name for it, really. Charleston Green. Charleston Green. That was it. Which gives the nickname Match. Yes. Match from neighbors enough to get another one and call it Harold.
00:15:50:05 - 00:16:07:07
Yeah. I've got a white one. White four and six is called Harry. Where you go. Almost. Almost. So you've got more than one rover. There's obviously a bug that you've been bitten by. My dad always had them when I was growing up. I had three. All right. At one point, I've still got my white one, which I've had for years and years and years.
00:16:07:09 - 00:16:20:20
And they get under your skin, not in a bad way, but they get under your skin. Maybe it's a parent thing. And I think if you go fast for ten years, not my daughter. Her first car is going to be she's telling me it's going to be a pink or purple rover. The reality is it probably won't be.
00:16:20:22 - 00:16:45:24
But who knows? Who knows? Indeed. Lovely to see it here. It's lovely to see everything. I mean, it literally is jaw dropping. We've never been before. And it is I think speaking earlier to Alex, he was saying it's a bit like being in a cathedral. There's a slightly old harsh as people are wandering around and you can absolutely understand that we've not even been to the holy of holies yet, but the castle where the concourse is Concorde to all the near one up there in a bit.
00:16:46:04 - 00:17:07:14
Have you seen anything in particular that really sort of opened your eyes in the time that you've been here this morning? Most of it, yeah. Yeah. There's a nice, very nice mass. The one, two, one in yellow, which is a lovely little bubble thing with a sunroof. There's a very basic 46 which caught my eye and there was other bits that you just don't see.
00:17:07:15 - 00:17:22:23
Like when I stress and stuff like that, it's just nice to see. I think that sums it up, doesn't it, when you're not looking at a three, five, five, but a spec perjury for a six on a plate or similar, he's grabbing the attention. That's basically what this event is all about. Thanks ever so much, Rich. It's been lovely to talk to you.
00:17:22:23 - 00:17:45:09
Thanks. Here in the Holy of holies, this is the the Concorde Ordinaire we're in here is that stood with Gavin Busbee, who's got a 1996 Fiat Punto, 90 X in Bianco something. We tried to look at the pay code in the boat, couldn't quite read it, but it's it's Italian for white and it's very white and it's in fantastic condition.
00:17:45:11 - 00:18:03:04
And I think I'm right in saying it's only got about 70,000 miles covered. Yes, it's just coming up to 77,000. It's quite the survivor. I've got a particular interest in this car because my parents had one of these from you in about 1995. And it's a time warp. It really takes me back. It's got everything. He's got all the bells and whistles.
00:18:03:04 - 00:18:19:13
This is pretty much the top of the range for Fiat Puntos of the era, wasn't it? Yes, it was. It's got the biggest engine, the 1600. This was actually the biggest engine and the top spec level of the non turbos And you've had this car for I think he was telling me for years. What made you pick on this one particular?
00:18:19:13 - 00:18:35:00
I know you do have a bit of a liking for Fiat, but what made you go for this one? Well, it's such a rare survivor. In fact, a so-called friend sent me a link to the app and said, You need to save this. And so few mark one Puntos left. These days, it sort of had to be saved.
00:18:35:01 - 00:18:56:08
And then when I realized it was a 90 X in, you know, standard white, but with the big engine, the nice spec and somebody fitted abs to it, paid a fortune for it back in 1996, it just needed to be saved because somebody was going to buy it, modify it or wrap it around a tree, quite honestly, so somebody's got to save them.
00:18:56:13 - 00:19:16:16
And apparently all my friends thought it should be me. So it's here it is. You inherited the mantle. Now this joins a collection of quite a few other fiat. I believe it does, Yes, there's quite a few. I think we worked out there's about 14 at the moment. Wow. Any particular favorites? How does the one we're looking at now, how does that rank in terms when he's here?
00:19:16:16 - 00:19:35:03
It's a Concordia Ordinaire, so it must must rank fairly high in the list of cars You like to own. It does, but I'm attached to most of them. But the the big five fits would have to be the one two sevens because I had one, two, seven. It's my first car and yeah, a rescued one. That's exactly the same color.
00:19:35:03 - 00:19:57:07
The model is it's my first car I've got a cooper as well. Again I wouldn't sell that. I just love them all. At one point I bought one new back in 1998. Yeah, I still drive very well. Keep up with the modern traffic. Perfectly practical and reliable and yeah, you know, somebody has got to save them. As I said, it really, really has brought back a lot of memories seeing this car.
00:19:57:09 - 00:20:20:03
How do you rank chances here today? Do you think you're going to be going home with the the coveted award? Very unlikely, I think. I mean, there's so many cars that they could choose. They do sort of look at the stories and it's about the people and the stories as much as anything else. I might get an award for persistence because I've entered so many times and I know who the judges.
00:20:20:03 - 00:20:34:10
But, you know, I don't think that increases your chances of winning, unfortunately. Well, well, let's hope we will keep our fingers crossed for you and wish you all the best. You're up against some very stiff competition, it has to be said. But these cars are survivors. And the fact that they're here means there are winners in my book.
00:20:34:10 - 00:20:59:13
But I really do wish you well and wish you a lovely rest of the event. So that's it. Festival of the unexceptional number nine 2023 has finished and we're just walking back to the carpark. So has another festival of the unexceptional Virgin. Tony. What was your first impression of the event? It was incredible to see so many car manufacturers and so many marks and they all had it wrong.
00:20:59:15 - 00:21:29:05
It was it was truly exceptional. Yes, I think you're right. I think there's the exceptional unexceptional, isn't there? Absolutely right. We saw citroens. We saw the best of British Leyland of the time, which in itself sounds a little bit of an oxymoron, but I'm sure listeners will understand from the princess to the Allegro, it was just a cacophony of the most unexceptional cars I've ever had a chance to witness.
00:21:29:07 - 00:21:53:11
It was truly wonderful. Was there anything particular that stood out for you as being the most exceptional, unexceptional and something that you would have had you had the opportunity taken home with you today? Well, two things. They're probably the most unexceptional and base level or entry level Vauxhall Nova. Very unexceptional indeed. But I was really taken with the Austin Maxi and the Princess.
00:21:53:16 - 00:22:11:18
They were particularly good examples. I mean, these are the cars that people probably now look back and think, I'm so glad I never had one of those. But now it brings back such a wave of nostalgia, doesn't it? Because as Danny Hopkins, the editor of Practical Classics, giving out the prizes earlier said, these are the cars that we walk past day in, day out.
00:22:11:18 - 00:22:30:10
Didn't give a second thought to. But now when we see them, it really sort of evokes memories of our past. Well, a lot of people will remember the sights, the sounds and the bad language of their father being out on the drive with a gearbox out of his Austin maxi trying to fit a new clutch. And those are all things that we remember from our childhood.
00:22:30:12 - 00:22:50:24
The skin burns and the rushes we used to get from the from the plastic seats. During the heat of the summer, the sculpted velour of the more luxury editions. It was all just absolutely unexceptional for its time. But wonderful. Yeah, I think we're definitely going to be coming back next year. I'm like, Oh, absolutely. I mean, who wouldn't want to be here?
00:22:51:01 - 00:23:19:05
It's an absolute celebration of the UK cars throughout the decades and they are all truly unexceptional. But, you know, I'm I'm still jealous. I haven't gone there might be a lot of British Leyland in there, but there's definitely a lot of stuff that that would look like a fancy car park or some other remember fads where they just disappeared and they used to be a fad around the corner.
00:23:19:05 - 00:23:40:19
For me. But you remember what they sold was like a home base or something. It was like decorating. It was like a budget being Q fans. Although to me fads is something my missus was in, which was favoring a mature, dramatic society. But to be fair, if you look around the car park of the Amateur Dramatic Society, then yeah, it's a lot of beige rovers is is probably about right.
00:23:40:20 - 00:24:02:18
That's a fair judgment. I do remember that Pinto coming out there when I was a kid. I remember thinking how weird the tail lamps were and the other side of the windows, which then appeared on pretty much everything, didn't it? But the focus and all the rest of it, like a stripy sock coming down the back in the back by the side of the windows, maybe a bit ahead of its time that so many cars that we used to see every day they've just disappeared from our roads.
00:24:02:20 - 00:24:21:16
I can only imagine that we could have become that generation. And I say this because I recognized the other day that I've become part of the group of thirtysomething dads. And I went to my oldest school and we all stood there with the same beard, the same hair, the same shorts and the same polo shirts on. I used to have one of those.
00:24:21:21 - 00:24:52:24
Oh, my dad used to have one of those. So I remember that Those are those kind of cars aren't the first of these. Actually, they are all the cars that your dad used to own or your granddad had or used to smoke around in when you were when you're in your formative years. Not for no good. Well tonight there was, there was a lot of cars that Yeah, there were sort of if your dad or your chemistry teacher or whatever didn't have one of them, you know, Nissan Bluebird, my chemistry teacher and but there was a lot of girls that you said, Oh yeah, Chris had one of them and then he did X, Y
00:24:52:24 - 00:25:11:00
and Z to it and put these wheels on it. You know, it was a Volvo for 40 there. And I remember a guy called Chris having one of those and I think he put a set of TSW venoms on it and, and made it rather exceptional. It has to be said. And there's so many cows. We said, Oh yeah, Chris had one of them.
00:25:11:00 - 00:25:26:16
They've had one of them, Craig had one of them. But I think we offered to finance alloys. Well, that's it. But we because I think we tended to start off in the, in the budget model, the base model because it was the cheapest one and then model and do X, Y and Z do it because that was the only way into it.
00:25:26:16 - 00:25:43:19
Even though you ended up spending more money on, you'd have been better off just buying the one that had alloys and this, that and the other on it anyway. But you, you spent what you could and then had to do it as you went along. But it was a Yeah there was so many. Oh yeah. You had one of those and then it was like that for about a day before we did X, Y and Z.
00:25:43:21 - 00:26:06:14
And that's, that's why these girls are probably rare because they're the girls that we bought because we could afford them and we haven't quite figured out that we weren't the best drivers in the world at the time. Had it. Dave We handbrake turned it onto its roof. I won't have you maligning the Nissan Bluebird. I had one in period as a company car from New and it was the local motor club that I was a member of at the time.
00:26:06:16 - 00:26:32:01
We used to do night rallies and so I used to take the Bluebird rallying, which was great fun. Never, never, never pretended to malign the Bluebird, as he said, when a chemistry teacher had one. Very good chemistry, one of my favorite teachers. I just imagine you getting lost somewhere down past Ken, you know, and on the coast, and you'd be worried that there might be bluebirds over the White Cliffs and go, Oh, oh, just don't sing it for God sake.
00:26:32:07 - 00:27:08:12
Having mentioned my aunty with the strange units of measure, she actually gave us a car. I do remember, and I've only just recalled this. It was a I think it's 1977 that I that Austin 1300 G.T., which was a car we ended up taking racing not because it was much of a car as it stood, but we wanted to go mini racing and discovered quite by accident that the 1300 GTI had the strongest bottom end and was the preferred lump for building a mini special which is what we did, and raced it for a bit.
00:27:08:16 - 00:27:32:01
Well, raced it, crashed it, raced it, crashed it and so on and so well, we had a lot of fun and some very cheap motorsport and overboard a series or something maybe. Yeah. 1293 polished, imported and all that. All the stuff. One thing we do need to say before we go, and that is we're going to be the British Motor Show, which is well, next week.
00:27:32:03 - 00:27:51:18
Looking forward to that. It's got bigger and bigger every year actually, isn't it? Yeah, it has since it moved to its new home in Farnborough and it's Yeah, grown and grown and grown. It was, you know, one and a half olds and they sort of tried with a little bit outside the first time we went to have a, the, the last time we went there was like all this, this is still the place entirely now, hasn't it?
00:27:51:18 - 00:28:10:14
But there's lots of new makes and models and and things. All the manufacturers tend to be there and you're going to have a go in most of the things that they have to offer, which is quite good. And there's just a a nice general mate. But it's, it's, it's sort of taking on the spirit of the Birmingham Motor Show, isn't it, But just a lot nearer to us.
00:28:10:14 - 00:28:32:19
So it's an hour and a beat up the road rather than a few hours up the road. So I like it. I did Birmingham for many, many years and there was some very strange things went on there. People that were given cars, some very, very good shipping because on prestige they used to cater wildly. All the top chefs would be on somebody's stand and you could go from one stand to another and eat very nicely.
00:28:32:19 - 00:29:03:00
I seem to remember Jean-Christophe Novelli with a breakfast of bacon scrambled eggs cooked in truffle oil, which is the first time I'd experience that novelty. It was delicious. But then one of the other chefs was to Fangio Flan. It's five different forms of curry and Fangio, Land Rover Standard, Full English Sunday lunch. I still bear to give away some of those things, but beyond that, the new stuff that's in the hall was of course this stuff that's owner's clubs.
00:29:03:00 - 00:29:20:05
There's stuff that's a bit older, there's stuff that's artisan and that's the stuff I think I really enjoy actually, although it's it's quite interesting looking at the new cars. We see the benefits of what we do. We do get to see those and it is quite fun to petrified the chap on the SAT stand. He clearly had no idea about the vehicle that you want to talk to about.
00:29:20:07 - 00:29:38:19
I think that was last year or the year before last, but to see some of the owner's clubs and see the people that are passionate about the cars, that to me is really interesting. And then to see where the future lies in terms of new products and like I say, these artisan skills where people are carrying out really in-depth quality restorations or resto mods, that really is interesting to me.
00:29:38:19 - 00:29:55:12
So there's a lot to see there and there's plenty to cater for all tastes if you're interested in cars, machinery, if you're listening to this, you haven't got lost and have just stumbled in and are still going at this point in the in the podcast and fair play to you. If you are, then it's worth going along. It is worth going on.
00:29:55:14 - 00:30:33:12
That's what I'm getting to. And I guess on that point, it really is time for us to go. This has been UKMotorTalk, so we hope you've enjoyed this unexceptional podcast and I've been Mike, Goodbye, I've been Jim, goodbye. Enjoy the sunshine such as it is and open chrome. Goodnight. UKMotorTalk. A First Take Media production. They are all truly unexceptional.
