Hello, i really enjoyed this piece of film. I have owned a 1937 Daimler for about 16 years. Bought unseen from Ebay but described as running. It was quite literally defective in every single way possible. Every single part of the car was either seized, rotted, worn out, rusted or broken. The temptation was to walk away, but i thought, i might be the last chance this vehicle has. It was a true Black Beauty story. Started life as the transport of the Mayor of Grimsby's wife, then went to a colleague, then down and down the social scale, bodged up to be a wedding carriage, then dumped on a farm. It has taken 1000s of hours and it is still not finished, but i have gone from a novice, (that looks nice) to a custodian who knows every nut, bolt and function of the car. From being able to put up some shelves, to a skilled wood worker, from being able to change their cars oil, to a complete nut and bolt, ground up restoration. The skill set and joy my car has given me, the knowledge i have gained from it about the period it is from and the people i have met and shared what i have learned made my decision not to walk away, the absolute best of my whole life.
I was given a 1936 Daimler drop head coupe, lovely car, pre-selector gearbox of course. I was given a council parking spot, as the previous occupier hadn't paid rent for six months: unfortunately he persuaded the local kids to wreck my car (all aluminium panels) and that was the end of that.
I was watching a video by the lovely June Slater where she quotes the immortal Fred Dibnah "Great Britain was built by men in overalls and ruined by men in suits.". Says it all really. Great interview Steph.
What a lovely interview. I like your interviewing style, asking searching questions then allowing the person to speak without interruption. Roger is obviously very talented and talks a lot of sense. Well done.
18 year old here - I think it's really down to the environments that your in which gets you interested in old cars. I got into old cars a few years back after helping one of my friends change the spark plugs on his Daimler 250. His brother and their group of friends have all got classic cars. I also more recently started a degree apprenticeship in a manufacturing company and it's amazing how many people there have that shared passion. I know I would like to own a pre-war car at some point in my life but I'd definitely agree that if a pre-war car is out there and being used, it makes you think about those sort of cars. I myself am currently saving up for a Scimitar at this point 😁
Until recently I owned a 1930s Austin 7, it was over 3 times my age and an absolute delight. The apprehension I had about owning a pre-war car was dispensed with immediately when I realised it was so much easier to work on than the Austin Healey Sprite I had before. It was very fun to drive once I got the hang of it, albeit rather slow, and felt like it could go pretty much anywhere as long as I chose a sensible route. I would encourage anyone to give it a go if they are thinking about it.
I have just purchased a 1933 Austin 7 RP and I love it, a very different way of driving to cars of today you have to drive them, you are not a passenger which is all the more fun. Let the young keep this tradition going and just slow the pace of living down a little it will pay dividends 👍
The problem with pre war cars is there are few people still alive who remember their parents owning these cars when they were new or even had one as their first car. These are the reasons why people buy a classic car. For someone to remember a 1935 car as a child when they were relatively modern puts them in the over 80 age bracket. I own a 1949 car that I restored many years ago but I couldn't recall ever seeing one before I bought it. My other one is a 1965 vauxhall that is the same model as my father owned in the early seventies. I always loved that model which was the reason I bought it. I'm in my sixties now and a lot of younger enthusiasts are not particularly interested in my cars because they can't relate to them but they have nostalgia for eighties and nineties cars that to me are just old cars that wouldn't be out of place in an Asda car park but there again they are now thirty to forty years old.
I guess that's a very important point- one tends to buy classics either because one relates to them in some way, like something Dad or Grandpa had, or because they touch one's imagination in some way. when we started with classics (in the 80s) , we bought a Mercedes 170S cause my dad had one around 1960 and I remembered seeing two 170s driven by students of my dad. long time ago, this. currently, I've got a small motorbike collection consisting of bikes I admired when a schoolboy and later student but couldn't afford then, like BMW R100RS, and some cars which have special meaning to me. e.g. a 300CE Mercedes, perhaps because my dad used to drive Mercedes coupes and a Jag XK8, perhaps because like most boys growing up in the 70s I admired the E-Type, but now like the "modern" incarnation better. so, I guess, a pre-war car sure needs to offer a special appeal to be of interest to younger people today. best thing- when riding my BMWs, these are not "classics" but appear quite normal!
Good comment Rob, that was the reason I purchased an Austin A55 back in 1993. My Grandad had one in the 60s, and he used to take us to Southend on Sea in it, every week. I completely stripped and rebuilt my A55. It's still on the road. VLN 411.
Great point. The millennials and gen z kids have nostalgia around 80s or 90s cars because the creators know them and talk about them. The cars from 30s or 40s are not really in the conversation
@ 24 minutes, I couldn't agree more with what you are saying. Im a driving instructor and over the years I have notice a decline in the practicality of young people coming in my car. The most simple task of starting a car by turning the key and the process of changing gear and operating the pedals is beyond their understanding of some anyway. We really are losing practical skills, they enter adult life so ill-equipped with basic skills and understanding. It would appear that the whole emphasis is on being academic and it's all so wrong. We are breeding a population that just want to push a button and for everything to happen for them, small wonder there is a move toward autonomous vehicles.
What’s even worse is school completely write off anyone who isn’t academic and makes them believe they’re worthless. We as a society need to recognise that not everyone is academic and offer them other opportunities to learn different skills but unfortunately successive governments don’t seem willing to accept this.
Earlier this year, my wife and I, bought a green/white 1987 602cc Citroen 2CV Dolly, having owned one some 35 years ago, and owning it is such a pleasure. The best part is the obvious joy, and smiles, it brings to so many people are we come across. Simple, comfortable, economical and easy to work on, it is just as capable on today's roads, as back then. Nearly 78, i find it sad that today's generation generally don't find pre-60s cars desirable. Their selling price reflecting that. Most don't have the practical mechanical engineering skills or experience needed to run them. Repair garages, exhaust fitters, car spare shops, etc, usually shun them. With marque specialists often many miles away, owner repairs are often obligatory. Modern cars are so big, bland and expensive, I really hope there is a resurgence of interest in the old 'uns.
I'm 53 and own a 1932 Morris Minor Two-Seater. I took it on a 1000 mile tour of Scotland last month. That was the second time I drove it to the Highlands and back home to Worcestershire. Over the last 4 years I've covered thousands of miles, and been to most counties in England and Scotland. I need to do more trips to Wales. The car happily pootles along at 45mph, which feels like 80mph!! 🤣 The open body is an ash frame with aluminium skin. The engine is an 847cc, side-valve, driving through a 3-speed 'crash' gearbox, it has solid axles front and rear, and cable-operated drum brakes.
I liked the interview arrangement for this video. With Steph seated on one side, Roger on the other, and the Standard in between looking a bit like an indignant Arthur Lowe, I half expected those great big headlamps to swivel from side to side like eyes 👀, following the conversation. 😁
Hi Stef, I really like the interview format, please consider developing this form of content. They can be wonderfully informative. I ride a 1932 BSA motorcycle, I’m still developing my technical skill set.
Go for it Roger, i was hesitent and rubbish at videoing but it's all part of the fun and new hobby. Everyone has different skills and ideas to pass on and everyone is on a diffent part of that never ending learning curve. when you put a video up let me know and i will watch. Nice one Steph regards Kev
Having a go at things has always been my philosophy. Having a positive attitude gets you more than half way there when it comes to acquiring new skills. The idea of working your way back in time with car purchases is also a good one. Start off with something like a Minor or an A35 then work your way to taking on something older.
It was lovely to see you with Roger talking 30s motoring. Like Roger, I also love sharing my time and knowledge with other people to keep the interest and love of these old dears alive. Taking engines into schools, wow, I'd have loved that lesson as a kid. I have a small A series engine knocking about the garage. I will see if there is a taker for educational use. I've taken classes at a local school and let the kids learn from some of my cars along with some others from our local car club. Some kids aren't interested, others are fascinated. We just need to hone that. Great video, Steph (and Roger), watched in sunny Corfu where there are unlimited classics still driving as dailies here. 😊
I remember my dad telling me that when they used to take their Morris 8 for holidays immediately post-war his dad would have to grease all the nipples and grease points half way through the holiday! That seems strange to modern people but only because we are now used to near-zero maintenance cars. If you put yourself back in the days when that was the norm you'd take it in your stride, just a chore to be done like brushing your teeth or doing the ironing. Also factor in that cars in those days were expensive so people looked after them. It was only when they found their 3rd or 4th owners that maintenance would be skimped on and the car quickly bcame an old banger. A very interesting interview, Steph, of a very interesting man. Thank you for giving us something different. Many people own an old car as they remember it from their childhood; clearly few people are around who can remember a pre-war car in that way. Nevertheless, let's hope there is indeed a revival in the interest of pre-war cars. They certainly have appeal, albeit as yet largely undiscovered. Those who have discovered it, however, can grab a real bargain.
Great interview. Our first family car in the 1960s was a Wolseley from the 1930s. My dad was an old-time mechanic who'd served his apprenticeship in a post-war reconditioning shop. Like many of his era he didn't bother with a torque wrench - did everything from experience! People called us the Beverly Hillbillies because the car looked a bit like the old jalopy they went to California in.. My mother was dying of shame and eventually convinced him to update the transport so we moved on to an Austin Cambridge A55 from 1960. The Wolseley became a garden ornament and toy for me.
I own a classic motorcycle - a 1971 Triumph TR6C - and to re-iterate the need to record the techniques and tips of keeping historic vehicles is so important. One very important source of knowhow for me is a youtuber known as “lunmad” and he recorded masses of footage of him fixing problems. He did all of this before his untimely death a couple of years ago. I, and many others still use his videos to fix our machines - so please please record your efforts - it doesn’t matter if it’s not BBC level quality - it matters more that the information is recorded for posterity and future maintainers.
Wonderful stuff with lots of salient points 👍 last year took 64 MG midget to Elgin doing 1500 miles, Year before did in 1973 MG midget RT66 both ways plus a bit more 5000 miles (deserts hills rough tracks). Both cars bog standard, except the 1964 has electronic ignition and alternator plus upgraded lights. Has original weak bearing 1098cc engine though, had since I 1981 and may not have been too gentle with it, but always changed oil regularly, twice a year when it was my everyday.
As to electrification of a classic, it makes sense if the project car is in terrible condition, needs restoring and there are parts shortages, or other issues. If the classic is in good working condition, it feels almost sacrilege to pull out a good engine/gearbox/transmission. I see these companies getting beautiful early Porsche 911's and ripping them apart, to me that is pure evil.
I take my original 1941 Chevrolet to as many vintage car shows as I can because accompanying my dad to these shows since I was young is what started and fostered my lifelong appreciation of them. I loved hearing the stories of all the old guys, sadly now deceased, who “used to have one just like it”. I feel an obligation to carry on for these old guys who taught me so much, so I happily engage with the younger people who visit the shows. Hopefully I will ignite a spark in some of them that will help carry the hobby into the future.
Wonderful video, thank you both. I wouldn't say I'm a classic car person, but when my father died it occurred to me I could own a restored example of the family car I remember from 1967 and that started me watching classic car videos. By accident I stumbled on some of Steph's reviews of fifties British cars. I'm from the US, I hadn't even heard of some of the marques. She's just perfect as the "tour guide" and by taking us out on the country lanes without even pausing in her narrative as opposite direction traffic whizzes by while she smoothly works the transmission, steering, and throttle, she showed me a classic car might not be so impractical, even one much older than the 60's. I was still wondering if a classic car would run on today's petrol and lube oil. At age 15, I spent a week on a classic yacht (built in 1929) and found it called for hardly any compromises from the crew to operate. (Maintaining it was a different story, as it was made of wood, naturally). Roger does a perfect job explaining to us the audience why that's not true of a prewar car, giving us a much better idea of what's required of an owner and driver. I think it's unlikely for the classic car to be killed by government action. The emissions and fuel consumed by the few classic cars in use today is a pittance compared to any ecological argument you could make. What's going to kill them is the demise of the filling station (assuming that contemporary cars are mostly or entirely electrified.) Once you can no longer fill up on a trip and have to buy Jerry cans of fuel somewhere (delivered by Amazon to your house perhaps) the classic car becomes a toy to drive around the block on special occasions that can no longer be used for transportation. I'll be very sorry if that happens but I suspect it will be after I'm gone.
I had a 1933 Rover 10 Special that was absolutely gorgeous to look at but it was 10hp and totally gutless. I spent a fortune rebuilding the engine - including having the head gas fusion welded to repair a crack and also having the crank white metaled and line bored - I do not regret the experience in any way but finding the skilled people to carry out the work is becoming more and more challenging. Good luck - great video
I really enjoyed this video Steph. As a teenager I also decided that I would never own a modern car, and in 40 years of driving I never have. When I was 17 my first car was an 18 year old Triumph Herald and for the last nearly 17 years I have driven my Triumph Stag as my daily driver. Thanks for the videos, I always enjoy watching them.
Well done! I finally bought a modern car when the Rover P4 went and all i had were pre war cars. You would have to be very dedicated and only doing relatively local journeys to have a pre war car as your daily driver. It can be done. I know two people who do it! Naturally if you are using a car a lot, spares availability becomes an issue, so you are probably forced into something common like an Austin 7 or Morris 8.
What really is a modern car though wasn't every car a modern cars at some point ? The triumph herald was only one year older than you were. Wouldn't that be the same as a 17 year old now having a 2006 car. That still seems modern to me. I'm 44 and a 40 year old car seems modern to me. And a 20 year old car is brand new ( 04 Plate)
Hi, I just turned 20 and have a 1933 Austin 7 and the main problem I had with classic and vintage cars was insurance. It took 2 years of asking until I was eventually insured on myaustin 7 which really was disheartening but once I got insurance you couldn’t keep me out of it!
Great interview with Roger, I look forward to seeing his videos uploaded to TH-cam in the near future. I am only 36 years old and I have a 1937 Austin 10 that I’m in the process of restoring, it’s at the reassembly stage now. When I purchased the car over 2 years ago, I had no idea how much work was required. I had little idea what I was doing when pulling it apart but I learnt as I went along, the trick is not to be scared to give something a go. I’ve always had an interest in “olden day cars” as what I referred to them as a kid. One day I woke up & just decided to sell my nice modern daily driver to fund the purchase of this car project and buy a second cheap car to get to & from work. I have done nearly all the work myself with the exception of the engine being machined & some parts repaired or re-fabricated by a retired engineer with a workshop full of lathes & machinery. I love getting my hands dirty, so constant maintenance once up & running is not an issue, a great part of classic car ownership as a hobby. The younger generation such as myself have the advantage of having the internet to watch tutorials on TH-cam for inspiration in regards to repairs & searching the internet for parts in my spare time after work.
That's great to hear, im glad there are others like me out there! I will get that editing software fired up and put a few videos together. I cant guarantee they will be as interesting as being interviewed by Steph.
Well done, Dan. I've been driving pre-war cars for sixty years, and that's how I started - no formal mechanical training, just a bit of practical common sense will soon have the old girl running again!
Made me smile when Roger mentioned a Vitesse engine, I had a Mk1 1600cc Vitesse many years ago and got to know it's engine intimately, I still have an oil stained Haynes manual for the Vitesse & GT6 !
I drove a 1909 Packard, and it drove about like an old farm tractor. It wasn't all that bad to figure out shifting it, though the shift lever was just outside of the door, and the spark advance lever took a little getting used to, but it had plenty of power and rode very comfortably. Wipers were not an option then, but it did have a windshield and a convertible top with sides, plus acetylene headlights. My uncle bought it from an old farmer in Indiana who had converted it into a truck and had set it on top of his scrap metal pile. Parts were near impossible to come by, but the old car clubs helped, and he and his son were machinists working around Detroit, so missing parts were cast and machined by them, often based on the original patent drawings when no other original parts could be found to copy. So if you are missing a few things, often they can be made if you can't obtain them elsewhere. Yes, no synchro mesh gears, but you just take it out of one gear, tap the fuel pedal then let off of it, and ease it into the next gear gently when it accepts the inter-meshing engagement comfortably. It really is pretty easy, but yes, you have to do the things a modern car does automatically. 📯
My first big motorbike was a 1940 ex-WD BSA M20, which I got from Claude Rye's for a tenner, complete with girder forks and blackout mask still on the headlight. It was easy to maintain and plodded on for years
Interesting video, Roger is clearly a wealth of knowledge on these which is rare. I’ve just done my first drive/review on a 1935 Austin 12, and i can honestly say there is “something” about them… thats started to fascinate me
I've driven some pre war cars in recent years thanks to the GBCJ and also been driven in some more thanks to the British Motor Museum and I really love them. They can be tricky when you first drive them but you quickly get used to the quirks and they're a lot of fun. If I had somewhere to keep one, I'd buy one now. I would definitely buy some if I ever win a lottery jackpot.
Very comprehensive interview. It's great to see people who are dedicated to the pre war cars and are willing to teach others how to drive and maintain them. Personally i love cars from the '70s to the '90s because that's the era i grew up in, but its fascinating to see cars that are nearly 100 years old or even older still up and running.
This was brilliant Steph you interview with Roger was excellent, and what a great advocate for vintage cars. I hope you do more interviews a your so good at it , you really a a gift or easy conversation.
When I park up my 1931 Model A Ford Town Sedan it always attracts attention, and I invite people to sit in it and talk about it. I also have a brief description and history of the car in both rear side windows, for passers by to read. I often find people posing for photos when I return to the car which I encourage.
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I remember my Dad's 1938 Austin 18 which he had in the early '50s, he then bought a Wolseley 680 and had numerous subsequent cars until his passing in.2008 at the age of 91, he packed in driving in his early 80s due to failing eyesight. My first car in 1964 was a 1949 Morris Oxford which I bought for £55, I wish I had it now. Thank you for a very interesting and entertaining video.
Pre-war cars tend to be simple to own, run, and maintain. Technology tends to be low level, and most will cheerfully put up with unleaded fuel as fuel was unleaded when they were originally made. Adjustments to carburettors ( for higher octane ) modern tyres and lights, and you are about done. Glass tends to be flat sheet, and thus avoids the impossible-to-find front and rear screens of the fifties and sixties.
Rodger is a great person to have as a friend and indeed just to sit and have a chat with. He made a good point about fuel not being good in the thirties. I think synthetic fuel will be the way forward in the future but I think that is some way off being 'main stream' yet. I am not a fan of converting a classic of whatever age to EV and again Rodger made a good point about the driving experience with regard to conversion. Just to give some hope I read a story on the BBC News website near the start of the year I think it was about a young man in Scotland who bought a thirties car and runs it as a daily driver. I cannot recall the car now but I thought when reading the story 'good on him' for taking on the challenge. Thank you Steph for an interesting interview, do keep up your good work in promoting classics. 👍👍
I think 'My first car is from the 1930s' is the piece you're talking about. "Kirkcaldy teenager Callum Grubb has been saving for a classic car since he was 11 or 12. The 19-year-old has recently bought an Austin 10 Cambridge from 1938 as his first car." Seems like a really enthusiastic guy.
@@ribowright I would agree with you. I had it in mind that it was an Austin but the little grey cells can sometimes be a bit dim with age shall we say! Thanks 👍
What a great interview Steph! The UK is fortunate to have so many classic cars, I believe keeping the love for the pre-war ones will succeed if the owners use them, and make them seen. I don't think I will ever have a pre-war car as they are scarce and unaffordable in my country, but if I will, then I will just do the same and drive it pretty much everywhere with a big smile!
Loved the interview, Roger is such an interesting very intelligent but humble man with his experience & electronics degree background. Synthetic fuels I've read here in Australia because of being flooded With new Chinese smart cars and the push to go electric, but without the driving range of newer petrol & diesel cars and of course expense of new Electric cars/ Suvs & utility vehicles in Australia they are already tanking slowly in sales here and more and more people are sticking with petrol or choosing to buy hybrid/Petrol cars not make that fully electric car private purchase. Well done Steph, such a great interesting interview with Roger and his lovely standard 1930s car in the driveway.
I own 3 pre-war cars and find them very engaging to drive and most enjoyable. I have other post war cars that are also great fun but there's just something about the older ones that makes people smile 😊
A delightful interview,with many interesting points made.Let's hope these older cars remain alive on our roads.Steph a very capable interviewer too.Roger's knowledge invaluble!
What a wonderful interviewer your are Steph! So many British people moved to Canada after the second world war. To think this was one of the cars they had known before they crossed the Atlantic. Roger is a great representative for the classic car hobby in Great Britain, he would have lots of friends on this side of the Atlantic. I have seen a beautiful 1929 Chevy you would love at a car show in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, this past August. Chevy's from the 1920's & 1930's had the stove bolt 6 cylinder engine. I hope you look this up online. The Chevy I had seen was a robin's egg blue with swoopy black fenders. A real beauty! Hugs and great thoughts from Nova Scotia Canada. Mary Rafuse 🙂
The problem is the number of younger people who are interested in all things mechanical and these numbers have massively declined. Look at the average age of those who attend authojumbles - 90% plus are 50 years plus. I'm 60 and when I was a youth, there was a broad spread of ages at autojumbles. I have also had a professional interest in horology. The British Horological Institute has had a declining membership from about the 2000s. I have also had a professional interest in the machine tool industry. Hobby interest in machine tools has been declining since I got involved in the 1990s - prices for run-of-the-mill machine tools are lower now than ever in my memory. My generation and those before me tinkered with cars and repaired mechanical stuff out of necessity - that has not been the case for well over twenty years. Values of thirties cars and motorcycles is lower now in real terms than they ever have been in the last forty years and due to demographic social change the trend will inevitably continue. You can't buck the market I'm afraid.
Excellent interview Steph! I also agree that Roger should definitely put his knowledge into videos and share them - I definitely would watch for a start! Roger is such a lovely man too, so that is even more of a bonus!
Love those cars…….there were many around in the 1950s when I was a boy. Nobody produces models of these cars….wish they did , there’s probably no demand……thank you for the episode .
Hiya Steph, this has been your best Idriveaclassic episode yet. Have always been a historian and never thought I was a preservationist. Being a parts specialist since 1977 our bosses do not how valuable we are to keeping cars, cavavans , and motorhomes on the road. Can’t wait to find out what you have bought. Cheers, tada.
Brilliant vid , yet again! My Grandmother ran the tracers office of Standard in Coventry, and always drove Standards until she was seduced by a two tone Anglia in yellow and white,then it was Fords for her!
What an excellent interview! Is there a way in Britain to search through registry records, perhaps, to identify makes and models of old car which are diminishing in number? Owners of those vehicles could be located and encouraged either to maintain or to sell their vehicles to ‘preservationists’, avoiding deterioration and likely loss altogether.
I am 63.I can't member these cars in use,but would still really love to own one. Designed and built by skilled men,resulting in character,not like today's computer aided design.
My youngest son (26),well into his cars,wants to buy either a Mk 2 or 3 Cortina as these were the first cars i owned in the early 80s.Hes seen all the old photos we have of them and the good times we had.He cannot really relate to anything much older and thats the difference now with the new generation of up n coming classic enthusiasts.
What a great video Steph, I really enjoyed hearing Roger’s story. I absolutely love pre war cars and my dream is to buy an Austin 7 and do a tour of Britain in it.
Thirties cars have so much character so I can see their attraction especially now because they are relatively cheap having passed the living memory of most people, but since I was born in 1954 I remember seeing them around and my parents had a 1947 Austin 10 which was essentially a prewar car rushed back into production after the war and it definitely wasn't reliable.
A great video: you touch on some interesting points. Regarding practical skills v. academic ones, we may blame Thatcher and her desire to make everyone middle-class with the result that nobody wants to manual work any more.
Nice Bournemouth reg car on show. In the fifties I was lucky enough to go around in quite a number of pre war cars. My first being a rolling chassis Austin7 which was a birthday present for off-roading in the field. Cut off roof and one seat, when running exhaustless it was the bees knees for an eight year old! From then on it became essential to drive old cars. Great interview.
I owned a Morris 8 series 1 1936 but as a naive student had few tools or the wherewithal to restore it. The missing valve insert on the sidevalve Qualcast cylinder block was fixed by a friend's dad and welding was needed on the main chassis member just under the driver's seat but I had no tools to extract the rear half axle shaft in order to replace the brake drums.
I absolutely love pre-war cars, but they are sadly just not available here in Canada. The other issue is that they can be more expensive to buy in the first place, which may put them out of reach of many. I would love to own a pre-war car; simpler to fix (although far more frequent fixing and servicing is obviously involved, of course) and far more involving in having to actually drive them (and stop them - with less effective brakes, etc.), lovely noises, beautiful to look at, and the interiors that smell like a proper car! Thanks so much for doing a video like this, Steph.
I don't think they are doomed, just look at how many people are steam locomotive enthusiasts. To a ten year old, they see an Austin 7 and Austin Metro the same way. My main concern is a lot of people taking their test today are doing it in automatics to save money and because they are told the future is electric. It means the number qualified to drive manual classics is deminishing.
I am mostly into post-war cars, but after buying my childhood dream, a Citroen DS, I by coincidence saw that a pre-war Citroen Traction Avant, the DS predecessor, was for sale not so far from where I live. It was even a six-cylinder version and I soon found out that a prewar six-cylinder is extremely rare, as it has another engine than the post 1947-version. It was in bad condition, but with its original extremely rare engine. Due to the rarity I decided to buy and restore it. Restauration is still going on, but I really look forward to the day I can drive it. Mechanically it is certainly much simpler than my fuel-injected DS from 1973. But I find it interesting to own cars from different periods, I would like to own a 1960ies or 1950ies car also.. .
I have two pre war vintage cars, a 1934 Jowett Curlew and a 1933 Austin 7 special. I had a young lad driving a VW, genuinely wanted to buy the Austin. Some young folk are interested in vintage cars.
Very interesting about preserving skills. One way could be introducing youngsters to volunteer in 'Repair Cafes'. These typically repair household items but use very similar skillsets (electrical/electronic/mechanical/fabric) that are used in vehicle repairs. The volunteers would be very happy to show others their skills / train them. There are growing numbers of Repair Cafes driven by government projects to recycle more etc.
Really enjoyed this talk. Interesting parallels with the world of old radios here. We get a lot of discussion nowadays on how the big old wood cabinet sets of the 1930s and 40s are dropping in value and can't be given away, whereas 1970s hi-fi is fetching silly prices. I think the same forces are at work, my radios are mostly from the 1960s and 70s because I remember either family members having them, or looking through catalogues of things I couldn't afford when I was a kid. I have similar interests in classic cars, preferring 60s and 70s models. But you can see that for younger drivers, classics are now things like the Mk 1 Focus (see the excellent "Usually Fixing and Tinkering" channel for example). There will always be people (and you're a great example Steph) who will have enthusiasm for an era long before they were born, so the interest in them won't die out completely, but it will decrease, because as Derek Matthewson says on the intro to Bangers and Cash, most people are looking to buy something they remember. In the case of our radios, one problem is that all AM stations in the UK will be gone in 5 years' time so the sets that don't have FM will be mostly display items. 1930s cars can still be driven (probably not on the M25 though as Roger alluded to!). It may become difficult to get petrol if electric cars become the overwhelming majority of personal transport, but I think that is a long way off.
Well said, great points. I've just removed a lengthy similar comment because it was getting a bit of a "soap-box" speech, as I get annoyed by the way things are panning out. Hopefully, the mentality whereby someone goes out and buys an antique rather than takes a trip to IKEA will always be there somewhere.
Forgot to mention, I also restore old electronics. Maybe when the commercial stations stop transmitting on the AM bands, local radio enthusiasts may take up the challenge. I have many friends who used to work on hospital radio for instance, where there is no money to be made at all.
Great interview, focusing on aspects of having an oldtimer car, which are very rarely discussed. You need a family as well, which accepts the car ad a family member. :)
I think the problem with all old cars is a the level of performance relative to modern road conditions. This means that you have to make a substantial contribution time wise to journeys. Many people are not prepared to make such a level of adjustment. Secondly on pre and post war cars you have to a a specific knowledge of threads, adjustments and the history behind them to know where and how to look. In the fifties the motor trade ventured into UNC and UNF which were war time threads. These had an interesting history so you will have to look it up. The electrical threads in many of the electrical machines were BA. Why? Another historical reason. They were a Swiss thread format which had a male / female thread form. This means that if you are adjusting the machine you can adjust forward and backwards and leave the the machine as adjusted. If you use another thread you had to adjust it in a forward direction only and then lock it. Now this sounds more technical than it is but you need to read your social history to understand how, why and where these vehicles were provided. Why were Rootes vehicles as they were? What did Henry Ford learn from Herbert Austin? Why were Morris so different to Austin. What was the relationship of Leonard Lord between the two companies. How did he marry the two makes into BMC? Why were expensive 1940’s cars limited to about 1000 to 1200 per model? Easy much of the body was aluminium and those panels were pressed on aircraft presses because we were no longer building many aircraft post war. These had rubber facings and would only last for a thousand pressings. Again learn your social and industrial history. It is the same with armoured vehicles. Why did the wiring change from one style to another? Because it was important to reduce combustability so the crew could save themselves. A tank can be replaced but the crew is much more difficult. More history and more reasons for us ending up where we are now. What was in the past was and is a challenge to maintain, recover and drive but you do drive a long way back from the vehicle in front but what exists is still recoverable. However, the ECU of a vehicle of 15 years ago will date and dies much sooner than the cars, pre war, which were my first driving experience. Go to your library and borrow some of the books that are advertised on the internet and you cannot afford. You can read almost anything you like in this country still and then make an informed decision when you wish to try the market.
Ownership brings peoples skill levels up as there is usually no choice, those that can't up their knowledge tend to leave the scene quickly. But yes get out there and use em, leave them outside your house as much as possible when bot being driven get them seen. Also Fayhet Brown or sister Boniface, heartbeat, peaky blinders etc will always bring people in. More Peaky blinders tho as it is more for lower age demographics.
This is a fantastic video steph, loved every bit of it. I could do with contacting that fella, i have a war time valve radio that needs fixing. He could make a video of it. 😂😂
My dad had pre-war cars when we were kids they were very unreliable trying to get the thing started when you wanted to go to the beach in the summer he would try to hand crank them with a starter handle if that didn’t help, we would push the thing down the road. It would eventually start after half an hour.
Akin to electrifying, here in the U.S. far too many people have taken pre-war cars and “rodded” them with modern power plants, drive trains, seats, power steering, and brakes. They even change the wheels and tires so it barely resembles its former self. To me, this is just lazy. It is so much more difficult, yet rewarding, to seek out the correct parts and keep it original. If I want to drive a modern car, I’ve got my daily driver. What I want is to experience what it was like to drive a piece of history, something created before WWII when the world was a much different and more genteel place.
@@sparkplug0000 it’s the same thing when you electrify a classic. It makes sense in some cases. I saw a Ferrari that the owner could barely use as the engine was always causing problems. They electrified it and can now use it all the time. On the other hand, the closer the car is to the original is, the more interesting it is, both for the owner and those who see it. As long as the electric conversion is reversible (they usually are) I don’t see why it is a problem. I think there is room for both, but I would prefer them to be kept as original as possible, especially for rare models such as prewar stuff.
@@sparkplug0000 Surely updating an old car has merit. Better brakes and a modern gearbox don't destroy the character of a car and make them much safer and usable.
@@22pcirishYes and there is a good reason they didn't become the number one. Except of course in the UK and I guess elsewhere in milkfloats which continued till folk stopped having milk delivered about 15 or 20 years ago.
I was born in the late Forties when there were many Thirties cars on the road, including my father's one. As a boy, I thought all Thrities cars had a wooden clothes peg on their chokes and had raspberry gearboxes
Yes they are.. but not because they aren’t appreciated for me over the years it has been the owners clubs! They have no time for the younger generation. Didn’t engage with them. Didn’t get them involved and thus no one is interested in them now. I have been to 100’s of vintage car club stands over the years. I would say less than 10% had the time to talk to me. A few years ago at the Jowett stand at the NEC we helped get a car running with them filmed it etc. They asked me to send them the footage and never heard anything back. Subsequently I walked right on past the stand the following year… for me this is the reason why 20’s - 40’s cars have tanked in price and interest 😢 meanwhile i would love to own a prewar car!
My 1947 Rover 14 Sports saloon has syncro 3,4 but not 1,2. And Rod brakes. Most unusual feature is the freewheel on the transmission. I used the demister driving it in the rain doing errands yesterday. Its Probably the only P2 on the west coast of the USA.
My dad had a Rover 90 and 110 , at least one of those had the freewheel , was before i was born but my parents spoke about it and how it made my mother feel carsick - so he changed it for a Jaguar MkII 3.8 ... I think that made her more carsick !
Wonderful video Steph, and a delightfully humble and interesting fellow Roger is. I'm with Roger on the look of '30's cars (they are exactly what a Vintage car looks like IMHO), I also like classic cars from other era's too, and whilst I am not young (56), am tempted to get at least a pre war "looking" classic at some stage (many emediately post war cars were just slightly upgraded versions of pre war designs), but would likely go for a late '40's or early '50's model (something like a Riley RM, or Citroen Traction Avant are favorites), as these were often closest to modern cars in performance/technology whilst still having that 30's-esk look. Here, where I am in Australia, it is very difficult to own very old cars, as the nearest city to me is 200km (120miles) and it gets booldy hot, so travelling pretty much anywhere (to non-local car shows) in a "classic", is hard work, unless it has the performance and comfort somewhere near modern car levels. For these reasons my current "classic" is a '93 Ford Farliane Sportsman Ghia (land yacht to Brit's), which has a 4.0L inline 6, a/c and cruise control, which I loved when they were new, but could never afford then in my early/mid 20's. I would echo Roger and Steph though, "in just having a go" - it is amazing what you can do with TouTube, owners forums and "Professor Google" at your disposal - I have even been able to find out how to, and rebuild, what were ostensibly sealed electrical components, on more modern cars with research and info from the web...so '30's cars should be a relative doddle. Cheers!
I been seen many restoration fails. They last years. Most important is paperwork, pictures and packaging the parts For get it together again or by some one else.
Just driving the cars and getting them seen on the roads would help, I think the Dropworks Austin 16 and the urchfab Austin 7 have done a lot to get prewar cars current and win hearts and minds 👍
I think it's important that these cars are seen in the normal environment. They are always popular with visitors to classic car shows, but they are static exhibitions being seen by people who, in general, are already interested in cars. Take a pre-war car down to the local supermarket, and I can guarantee you will be stuck there for an hour longer than you expect, especially if you encourage shoppers to sit in the car and really get a feel for it. Young children are always interested, but I find it's generally their mothers who are most taken with the car.
I think you are correct about pre war cars disappearing, however I think the bread and butter saloons may disappear but the sporty prewar cars that you can race Hillclimb Trial, And Rally etc such as MG’s Riley specials, Frazer Nashes Austin 7 specials, Morgan 3 wheelers and exotica like Bentleys and Bugattis shall always be in demand as they can almost keep up with modern traffic and you can do interesting events with these cars
Bentleys , Bugattis and similar can absolutely keep up with modern traffic ; only in congested urban areas will they suffer , but on the open road they are more than a match for modern junk . I've been out a few times in a 1927 Mercedes S , and get it on the blower , it will pass most modern cars .
I’ve just found your channel, I’ll be watching some more of it. I really want a 30’s car…. I want a morris 8 tourer… my grandad had one in the 60’s ABL 716 called Jenny, the best car I’ve ever ridden in …. Well you know the most fun per pound …. At 35mph, Jenny was the daily driver for years, and she’d do fine for my life now in rural Suffolk….. maybe you’ve made me do it. 😮
Great video Steph. I agree with you re synthetic fuels. The government have been rushing along headstrong into electrification as if there was no alternative viable option.
There was one in Falkirk , where I spent my adolescence ; it had the Rover V-8 and a Jaguar back end ; that guy , and I with my 1975 , 5 speed manual Mercedes 280E had the two fastest cars and used to race around the 'circuit' in the town . Halcyon days . The town is now mostly pedestrianised / ruined .
I'm happy to see them being maintained and driven but having driven an Austin 7 at The Great British Car Journey I can say I've absolutely no interest in ever owning one myself. It was an absolute chore to drive 😂.
Steph, I wonder if, as the' classics' of the 90's era age and more and more of their electronic components become unavailable (and usually unrepairable), whether that will push car enthusiasts backward into older cars with more simple drivelines.. I watch Johhny Smith on YT and these days, just about every fuel injected 'barn find' car he does has a buggered fuel pump, fuel injectors or computer and he often struggles to bring them back to life. In Australia we dont have the ethanol fuel issues you do and that's probably saving many older cars.. this chat has made me feel guilty for not having driven my 1939 Standard Flying Eight for quite some time.. I've been distracted by my Morris Minor needing a full engine rebuild (unexpected) and a new passion for 2cv's...
Interesting about the smartphone. Completely off topic..at work we are getting into cloud computing, I was experimenting with a new database that uses the power of the cloud to brute force search for data instead of using indexes. I hate to thing of the energy used to do this. In other word a query will do in a few seconds what will take a day for a traditional server to do.
Hello, i really enjoyed this piece of film. I have owned a 1937 Daimler for about 16 years. Bought unseen from Ebay but described as running. It was quite literally defective in every single way possible. Every single part of the car was either seized, rotted, worn out, rusted or broken. The temptation was to walk away, but i thought, i might be the last chance this vehicle has. It was a true Black Beauty story. Started life as the transport of the Mayor of Grimsby's wife, then went to a colleague, then down and down the social scale, bodged up to be a wedding carriage, then dumped on a farm. It has taken 1000s of hours and it is still not finished, but i have gone from a novice, (that looks nice) to a custodian who knows every nut, bolt and function of the car. From being able to put up some shelves, to a skilled wood worker, from being able to change their cars oil, to a complete nut and bolt, ground up restoration. The skill set and joy my car has given me, the knowledge i have gained from it about the period it is from and the people i have met and shared what i have learned made my decision not to walk away, the absolute best of my whole life.
Nice.
I was given a 1936 Daimler drop head coupe, lovely car, pre-selector gearbox of course. I was given a council parking spot, as the previous occupier hadn't paid rent for six months: unfortunately he persuaded the local kids to wreck my car (all aluminium panels) and that was the end of that.
Would like videos of it.
I was watching a video by the lovely June Slater where she quotes the immortal Fred Dibnah "Great Britain was built by men in overalls and ruined by men in suits.". Says it all really. Great interview Steph.
US is the same.
@@hotpuppy1 Yep. (1943 Willys MB in my profile pic)
Well I don't see many on the road like I used , most are too slow for modern traffic
Don't buy one for speed....buy for heritage !
What a lovely interview. I like your interviewing style, asking searching questions then allowing the person to speak without interruption. Roger is obviously very talented and talks a lot of sense. Well done.
It was an absolute delight to have that conversation with Steph on camera and to share our thoughts with you.
@@SuperRetroville Nice !
18 year old here - I think it's really down to the environments that your in which gets you interested in old cars. I got into old cars a few years back after helping one of my friends change the spark plugs on his Daimler 250. His brother and their group of friends have all got classic cars. I also more recently started a degree apprenticeship in a manufacturing company and it's amazing how many people there have that shared passion. I know I would like to own a pre-war car at some point in my life but I'd definitely agree that if a pre-war car is out there and being used, it makes you think about those sort of cars. I myself am currently saving up for a Scimitar at this point 😁
That fantastic, lovely to share your enthusiasm. Good luck with the scimitar.
Until recently I owned a 1930s Austin 7, it was over 3 times my age and an absolute delight. The apprehension I had about owning a pre-war car was dispensed with immediately when I realised it was so much easier to work on than the Austin Healey Sprite I had before. It was very fun to drive once I got the hang of it, albeit rather slow, and felt like it could go pretty much anywhere as long as I chose a sensible route. I would encourage anyone to give it a go if they are thinking about it.
I have just purchased a 1933 Austin 7 RP and I love it, a very different way of driving to cars of today you have to drive them, you are not a passenger which is all the more fun.
Let the young keep this tradition going and just slow the pace of living down a little it will pay dividends 👍
As kids even in the 60's in Morris cars, it took so long to get to the seaside, people at picnics at the verge.
The problem with pre war cars is there are few people still alive who remember their parents owning these cars when they were new or even had one as their first car. These are the reasons why people buy a classic car. For someone to remember a 1935 car as a child when they were relatively modern puts them in the over 80 age bracket. I own a 1949 car that I restored many years ago but I couldn't recall ever seeing one before I bought it. My other one is a 1965 vauxhall that is the same model as my father owned in the early seventies. I always loved that model which was the reason I bought it. I'm in my sixties now and a lot of younger enthusiasts are not particularly interested in my cars because they can't relate to them but they have nostalgia for eighties and nineties cars that to me are just old cars that wouldn't be out of place in an Asda car park but there again they are now thirty to forty years old.
My dad had a 1938 Morris 12. That puts me amongst the few 😂 I've never been called that before. Thank you 😅
@@rodhili3946 no offence intended and I hope non taken.
I guess that's a very important point- one tends to buy classics either because one relates to them in some way, like something Dad or Grandpa had, or because they touch one's imagination in some way. when we started with classics (in the 80s) , we bought a Mercedes 170S cause my dad had one around 1960 and I remembered seeing two 170s driven by students of my dad. long time ago, this. currently, I've got a small motorbike collection consisting of bikes I admired when a schoolboy and later student but couldn't afford then, like BMW R100RS, and some cars which have special meaning to me. e.g. a 300CE Mercedes, perhaps because my dad used to drive Mercedes coupes and a Jag XK8, perhaps because like most boys growing up in the 70s I admired the E-Type, but now like the "modern" incarnation better. so, I guess, a pre-war car sure needs to offer a special appeal to be of interest to younger people today.
best thing- when riding my BMWs, these are not "classics" but appear quite normal!
Good comment Rob, that was the reason I purchased an Austin A55 back in 1993. My Grandad had one in the 60s, and he used to take us to Southend on Sea in it, every week. I completely stripped and rebuilt my A55. It's still on the road. VLN 411.
Great point. The millennials and gen z kids have nostalgia around 80s or 90s cars because the creators know them and talk about them. The cars from 30s or 40s are not really in the conversation
@ 24 minutes, I couldn't agree more with what you are saying. Im a driving instructor and over the years I have notice a decline in the practicality of young people coming in my car. The most simple task of starting a car by turning the key and the process of changing gear and operating the pedals is beyond their understanding of some anyway. We really are losing practical skills, they enter adult life so ill-equipped with basic skills and understanding. It would appear that the whole emphasis is on being academic and it's all so wrong. We are breeding a population that just want to push a button and for everything to happen for them, small wonder there is a move toward autonomous vehicles.
What’s even worse is school completely write off anyone who isn’t academic and makes them believe they’re worthless. We as a society need to recognise that not everyone is academic and offer them other opportunities to learn different skills but unfortunately successive governments don’t seem willing to accept this.
Earlier this year, my wife and I, bought a green/white 1987 602cc Citroen 2CV Dolly, having owned one some 35 years ago, and owning it is such a pleasure. The best part is the obvious joy, and smiles, it brings to so many people are we come across.
Simple, comfortable, economical and easy to work on, it is just as capable on today's roads, as back then. Nearly 78, i find it sad that today's generation generally don't find pre-60s cars desirable. Their selling price reflecting that.
Most don't have the practical mechanical engineering skills or experience needed to run them. Repair garages, exhaust fitters, car spare shops, etc, usually shun them. With marque specialists often many miles away, owner repairs are often obligatory.
Modern cars are so big, bland and expensive, I really hope there is a resurgence of interest in the old 'uns.
Good for you!... at 76, and having bought a new 2CV in 1975, I'm thinking of doing the same, to accompany my H-Van.
A few years back, my son, who is a mechanic bought a 1916 Model T Ford at 28 years old.
I love how you brought a pre war car into the circle for a talk. A lot of interviewers leave them in the garage and out of the conversation.
If only it could talk, we'd have quite a story to tell!
I'm 53 and own a 1932 Morris Minor Two-Seater. I took it on a 1000 mile tour of Scotland last month. That was the second time I drove it to the Highlands and back home to Worcestershire. Over the last 4 years I've covered thousands of miles, and been to most counties in England and Scotland. I need to do more trips to Wales. The car happily pootles along at 45mph, which feels like 80mph!! 🤣
The open body is an ash frame with aluminium skin. The engine is an 847cc, side-valve, driving through a 3-speed 'crash' gearbox, it has solid axles front and rear, and cable-operated drum brakes.
I liked the interview arrangement for this video. With Steph seated on one side, Roger on the other, and the Standard in between looking a bit like an indignant Arthur Lowe, I half expected those great big headlamps to swivel from side to side like eyes 👀, following the conversation. 😁
😂
Hi Stef, I really like the interview format, please consider developing this form of content. They can be wonderfully informative. I ride a 1932 BSA motorcycle, I’m still developing my technical skill set.
Go for it Roger, i was hesitent and rubbish at videoing but it's all part of the fun and new hobby. Everyone has different skills and ideas to pass on and everyone is on a diffent part of that never ending learning curve.
when you put a video up let me know and i will watch.
Nice one Steph
regards
Kev
Having a go at things has always been my philosophy. Having a positive attitude gets you more than half way there when it comes to acquiring new skills. The idea of working your way back in time with car purchases is also a good one. Start off with something like a Minor or an A35 then work your way to taking on something older.
It was lovely to see you with Roger talking 30s motoring.
Like Roger, I also love sharing my time and knowledge with other people to keep the interest and love of these old dears alive. Taking engines into schools, wow, I'd have loved that lesson as a kid. I have a small A series engine knocking about the garage. I will see if there is a taker for educational use.
I've taken classes at a local school and let the kids learn from some of my cars along with some others from our local car club. Some kids aren't interested, others are fascinated. We just need to hone that.
Great video, Steph (and Roger), watched in sunny Corfu where there are unlimited classics still driving as dailies here. 😊
I remember my dad telling me that when they used to take their Morris 8 for holidays immediately post-war his dad would have to grease all the nipples and grease points half way through the holiday! That seems strange to modern people but only because we are now used to near-zero maintenance cars. If you put yourself back in the days when that was the norm you'd take it in your stride, just a chore to be done like brushing your teeth or doing the ironing. Also factor in that cars in those days were expensive so people looked after them. It was only when they found their 3rd or 4th owners that maintenance would be skimped on and the car quickly bcame an old banger. A very interesting interview, Steph, of a very interesting man. Thank you for giving us something different. Many people own an old car as they remember it from their childhood; clearly few people are around who can remember a pre-war car in that way. Nevertheless, let's hope there is indeed a revival in the interest of pre-war cars. They certainly have appeal, albeit as yet largely undiscovered. Those who have discovered it, however, can grab a real bargain.
Very true. The comprhensive owner's book emphasised all those regular greasing points.
Great interview Steph. You are getting good at all this old car stuff. Roger was quite knowledgable. Well done! Australia.
Great interview. Our first family car in the 1960s was a Wolseley from the 1930s. My dad was an old-time mechanic who'd served his apprenticeship in a post-war reconditioning shop. Like many of his era he didn't bother with a torque wrench - did everything from experience! People called us the Beverly Hillbillies because the car looked a bit like the old jalopy they went to California in.. My mother was dying of shame and eventually convinced him to update the transport so we moved on to an Austin Cambridge A55 from 1960. The Wolseley became a garden ornament and toy for me.
I own a classic motorcycle - a 1971 Triumph TR6C - and to re-iterate the need to record the techniques and tips of keeping historic vehicles is so important. One very important source of knowhow for me is a youtuber known as “lunmad” and he recorded masses of footage of him fixing problems. He did all of this before his untimely death a couple of years ago. I, and many others still use his videos to fix our machines - so please please record your efforts - it doesn’t matter if it’s not BBC level quality - it matters more that the information is recorded for posterity and future maintainers.
Im on it, watch this space....!
Wonderful stuff with lots of salient points 👍 last year took 64 MG midget to Elgin doing 1500 miles,
Year before did in 1973 MG midget RT66 both ways plus a bit more 5000 miles (deserts hills rough tracks). Both cars bog standard, except the 1964 has electronic ignition and alternator plus upgraded lights. Has original weak bearing 1098cc engine though, had since I 1981 and may not have been too gentle with it, but always changed oil regularly, twice a year when it was my everyday.
As to electrification of a classic, it makes sense if the project car is in terrible condition, needs restoring and there are parts shortages, or other issues. If the classic is in good working condition, it feels almost sacrilege to pull out a good engine/gearbox/transmission. I see these companies getting beautiful early Porsche 911's and ripping them apart, to me that is pure evil.
I take my original 1941 Chevrolet to as many vintage car shows as I can because accompanying my dad to these shows since I was young is what started and fostered my lifelong appreciation of them. I loved hearing the stories of all the old guys, sadly now deceased, who “used to have one just like it”. I feel an obligation to carry on for these old guys who taught me so much, so I happily engage with the younger people who visit the shows. Hopefully I will ignite a spark in some of them that will help carry the hobby into the future.
Wonderful video, thank you both. I wouldn't say I'm a classic car person, but when my father died it occurred to me I could own a restored example of the family car I remember from 1967 and that started me watching classic car videos. By accident I stumbled on some of Steph's reviews of fifties British cars. I'm from the US, I hadn't even heard of some of the marques. She's just perfect as the "tour guide" and by taking us out on the country lanes without even pausing in her narrative as opposite direction traffic whizzes by while she smoothly works the transmission, steering, and throttle, she showed me a classic car might not be so impractical, even one much older than the 60's. I was still wondering if a classic car would run on today's petrol and lube oil.
At age 15, I spent a week on a classic yacht (built in 1929) and found it called for hardly any compromises from the crew to operate. (Maintaining it was a different story, as it was made of wood, naturally). Roger does a perfect job explaining to us the audience why that's not true of a prewar car, giving us a much better idea of what's required of an owner and driver.
I think it's unlikely for the classic car to be killed by government action. The emissions and fuel consumed by the few classic cars in use today is a pittance compared to any ecological argument you could make. What's going to kill them is the demise of the filling station (assuming that contemporary cars are mostly or entirely electrified.) Once you can no longer fill up on a trip and have to buy Jerry cans of fuel somewhere (delivered by Amazon to your house perhaps) the classic car becomes a toy to drive around the block on special occasions that can no longer be used for transportation. I'll be very sorry if that happens but I suspect it will be after I'm gone.
learned to drive on the 1943 Willys MB in my Profile Pic
I had a 1933 Rover 10 Special that was absolutely gorgeous to look at but it was 10hp and totally gutless. I spent a fortune rebuilding the engine - including having the head gas fusion welded to repair a crack and also having the crank white metaled and line bored - I do not regret the experience in any way but finding the skilled people to carry out the work is becoming more and more challenging. Good luck - great video
I really enjoyed this video Steph. As a teenager I also decided that I would never own a modern car, and in 40 years of driving I never have. When I was 17 my first car was an 18 year old Triumph Herald and for the last nearly 17 years I have driven my Triumph Stag as my daily driver. Thanks for the videos, I always enjoy watching them.
Well done! I finally bought a modern car when the Rover P4 went and all i had were pre war cars. You would have to be very dedicated and only doing relatively local journeys to have a pre war car as your daily driver. It can be done. I know two people who do it! Naturally if you are using a car a lot, spares availability becomes an issue, so you are probably forced into something common like an Austin 7 or Morris 8.
What really is a modern car though wasn't every car a modern cars at some point ? The triumph herald was only one year older than you were. Wouldn't that be the same as a 17 year old now having a 2006 car. That still seems modern to me. I'm 44 and a 40 year old car seems modern to me. And a 20 year old car is brand new ( 04 Plate)
Hi, I just turned 20 and have a 1933 Austin 7 and the main problem I had with classic and vintage cars was insurance. It took 2 years of asking until I was eventually insured on myaustin 7 which really was disheartening but once I got insurance you couldn’t keep me out of it!
Im so glad the wait didnt put you off. Its such fun.
Great interview with Roger, I look forward to seeing his videos uploaded to TH-cam in the near future.
I am only 36 years old and I have a 1937 Austin 10 that I’m in the process of restoring, it’s at the reassembly stage now. When I purchased the car over 2 years ago, I had no idea how much work was required. I had little idea what I was doing when pulling it apart but I learnt as I went along, the trick is not to be scared to give something a go. I’ve always had an interest in “olden day cars” as what I referred to them as a kid. One day I woke up & just decided to sell my nice modern daily driver to fund the purchase of this car project and buy a second cheap car to get to & from work. I have done nearly all the work myself with the exception of the engine being machined & some parts repaired or re-fabricated by a retired engineer with a workshop full of lathes & machinery. I love getting my hands dirty, so constant maintenance once up & running is not an issue, a great part of classic car ownership as a hobby. The younger generation such as myself have the advantage of having the internet to watch tutorials on TH-cam for inspiration in regards to repairs & searching the internet for parts in my spare time after work.
That's great to hear, im glad there are others like me out there! I will get that editing software fired up and put a few videos together. I cant guarantee they will be as interesting as being interviewed by Steph.
Well done, Dan. I've been driving pre-war cars for sixty years, and that's how I started - no formal mechanical training, just a bit of practical common sense will soon have the old girl running again!
Made me smile when Roger mentioned a Vitesse engine, I had a Mk1 1600cc Vitesse many years ago and got to know it's engine intimately, I still have an oil stained Haynes manual for the Vitesse & GT6 !
I drove a 1909 Packard, and it drove about like an old farm tractor. It wasn't all that bad to figure out shifting it, though the shift lever was just outside of the door, and the spark advance lever took a little getting used to, but it had plenty of power and rode very comfortably. Wipers were not an option then, but it did have a windshield and a convertible top with sides, plus acetylene headlights. My uncle bought it from an old farmer in Indiana who had converted it into a truck and had set it on top of his scrap metal pile. Parts were near impossible to come by, but the old car clubs helped, and he and his son were machinists working around Detroit, so missing parts were cast and machined by them, often based on the original patent drawings when no other original parts could be found to copy. So if you are missing a few things, often they can be made if you can't obtain them elsewhere. Yes, no synchro mesh gears, but you just take it out of one gear, tap the fuel pedal then let off of it, and ease it into the next gear gently when it accepts the inter-meshing engagement comfortably. It really is pretty easy, but yes, you have to do the things a modern car does automatically. 📯
My first big motorbike was a 1940 ex-WD BSA M20, which I got from Claude Rye's for a tenner, complete with girder forks and blackout mask still on the headlight. It was easy to maintain and plodded on for years
Interesting video, Roger is clearly a wealth of knowledge on these which is rare.
I’ve just done my first drive/review on a 1935 Austin 12, and i can honestly say there is “something” about them… thats started to fascinate me
I've driven some pre war cars in recent years thanks to the GBCJ and also been driven in some more thanks to the British Motor Museum and I really love them. They can be tricky when you first drive them but you quickly get used to the quirks and they're a lot of fun. If I had somewhere to keep one, I'd buy one now. I would definitely buy some if I ever win a lottery jackpot.
Very comprehensive interview. It's great to see people who are dedicated to the pre war cars and are willing to teach others how to drive and maintain them. Personally i love cars from the '70s to the '90s because that's the era i grew up in, but its fascinating to see cars that are nearly 100 years old or even older still up and running.
This was brilliant Steph you interview with Roger was excellent, and what a great advocate for vintage cars.
I hope you do more interviews a your so good at it , you really a a gift or easy conversation.
When I park up my 1931 Model A Ford Town Sedan it always attracts attention, and I invite people to sit in it and talk about it. I also have a brief description and history of the car in both rear side windows, for passers by to read. I often find people posing for photos when I return to the car which I encourage.
I remember my Dad's 1938 Austin 18 which he had in the early '50s, he then bought a Wolseley 680 and had numerous subsequent cars until his passing in.2008 at the age of 91, he packed in driving in his early 80s due to failing eyesight. My first car in 1964 was a 1949 Morris Oxford which I bought for £55, I wish I had it now. Thank you for a very interesting and entertaining video.
Pre-war cars tend to be simple to own, run, and maintain. Technology tends to be low level, and most will cheerfully put up with unleaded fuel as fuel was unleaded when they were originally made. Adjustments to carburettors ( for higher octane ) modern tyres and lights, and you are about done. Glass tends to be flat sheet, and thus avoids the impossible-to-find front and rear screens of the fifties and sixties.
Rodger is a great person to have as a friend and indeed just to sit and have a chat with. He made a good point about fuel not being good in the thirties. I think synthetic fuel will be the way forward in the future but I think that is some way off being 'main stream' yet. I am not a fan of converting a classic of whatever age to EV and again Rodger made a good point about the driving experience with regard to conversion. Just to give some hope I read a story on the BBC News website near the start of the year I think it was about a young man in Scotland who bought a thirties car and runs it as a daily driver. I cannot recall the car now but I thought when reading the story 'good on him' for taking on the challenge. Thank you Steph for an interesting interview, do keep up your good work in promoting classics. 👍👍
I think 'My first car is from the 1930s' is the piece you're talking about. "Kirkcaldy teenager Callum Grubb has been saving for a classic car since he was 11 or 12. The 19-year-old has recently bought an Austin 10 Cambridge from 1938 as his first car."
Seems like a really enthusiastic guy.
@@ribowright I would agree with you. I had it in mind that it was an Austin but the little grey cells can sometimes be a bit dim with age shall we say! Thanks 👍
Enjoying the content on your channel well done 👍👍
What a great interview Steph! The UK is fortunate to have so many classic cars, I believe keeping the love for the pre-war ones will succeed if the owners use them, and make them seen. I don't think I will ever have a pre-war car as they are scarce and unaffordable in my country, but if I will, then I will just do the same and drive it pretty much everywhere with a big smile!
Loved the interview, Roger is such an interesting very intelligent but humble man with his experience & electronics degree background.
Synthetic fuels
I've read here in Australia because of being flooded With new Chinese smart cars and the push to go electric, but without the driving range of newer petrol & diesel cars and of course expense of new Electric cars/ Suvs & utility vehicles in Australia they are already tanking slowly in sales here and more and more people are sticking with petrol or choosing to buy hybrid/Petrol cars not make that fully electric car private purchase.
Well done Steph, such a great interesting interview with Roger and his lovely standard 1930s car in the driveway.
I own 3 pre-war cars and find them very engaging to drive and most enjoyable. I have other post war cars that are also great fun but there's just something about the older ones that makes people smile 😊
So good job video. I am 55 and I get excited by my dads cars, like his opel manta and vauxhall royale. I though love just post war cars.
A delightful interview,with many interesting points made.Let's hope these older cars remain alive on our roads.Steph a very capable interviewer too.Roger's knowledge invaluble!
What a fabulous video with Roger. Please encourage him to put his videos on You Tube. 😀
What a wonderful interviewer your are Steph! So many British people moved to Canada after the second world war. To think this was one of the cars they had known before they crossed the Atlantic. Roger is a great representative for the classic car hobby in Great Britain, he would have lots of friends on this side of the Atlantic. I have seen a beautiful 1929 Chevy you would love at a car show in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, this past August. Chevy's from the 1920's & 1930's had the stove bolt 6 cylinder engine. I hope you look this up online. The Chevy I had seen was a robin's egg blue with swoopy black fenders. A real beauty! Hugs and great thoughts from Nova Scotia Canada. Mary Rafuse 🙂
The problem is the number of younger people who are interested in all things mechanical and these numbers have massively declined. Look at the average age of those who attend authojumbles - 90% plus are 50 years plus. I'm 60 and when I was a youth, there was a broad spread of ages at autojumbles. I have also had a professional interest in horology. The British Horological Institute has had a declining membership from about the 2000s. I have also had a professional interest in the machine tool industry. Hobby interest in machine tools has been declining since I got involved in the 1990s - prices for run-of-the-mill machine tools are lower now than ever in my memory. My generation and those before me tinkered with cars and repaired mechanical stuff out of necessity - that has not been the case for well over twenty years. Values of thirties cars and motorcycles is lower now in real terms than they ever have been in the last forty years and due to demographic social change the trend will inevitably continue. You can't buck the market I'm afraid.
Excellent interview Steph! I also agree that Roger should definitely put his knowledge into videos and share them - I definitely would watch for a start! Roger is such a lovely man too, so that is even more of a bonus!
Love those cars…….there were many around in the 1950s when I was a boy. Nobody produces models of these cars….wish they did , there’s probably no demand……thank you for the episode .
Great interview, thanks... and 1934 still my favourite year, having a '34 Rosengart LR49 Cabriolet.
Hiya Steph, this has been your best Idriveaclassic episode yet. Have always been a historian and never thought I was a preservationist. Being a parts specialist since 1977 our bosses do not how valuable we are to keeping cars, cavavans , and motorhomes on the road. Can’t wait to find out what you have bought. Cheers, tada.
Brilliant vid , yet again! My Grandmother ran the tracers office of Standard in Coventry, and always drove Standards until she was seduced by a two tone Anglia in yellow and white,then it was Fords for her!
Nice change of pace and format Steph.
Roger is a great chap & clearly very talented 👍🏼
What an excellent interview! Is there a way in Britain to search through registry records, perhaps, to identify makes and models of old car which are diminishing in number? Owners of those vehicles could be located and encouraged either to maintain or to sell their vehicles to ‘preservationists’, avoiding deterioration and likely loss altogether.
I am 63.I can't member these cars in use,but would still really love to own one. Designed and built by skilled men,resulting in character,not like today's computer aided design.
My youngest son (26),well into his cars,wants to buy either a Mk 2 or 3 Cortina as these were the first cars i owned in the early 80s.Hes seen all the old photos we have of them and the good times we had.He cannot really relate to anything much older and thats the difference now with the new generation of up n coming classic enthusiasts.
What a great video Steph, I really enjoyed hearing Roger’s story. I absolutely love pre war cars and my dream is to buy an Austin 7 and do a tour of Britain in it.
Make it happen! You've not set yourself an unrealistic target, so good luck!
@@saxon-mt5by Need to accumulate some funds but you’re quite right it’s not an impossible dream 😁
Thirties cars have so much character so I can see their attraction especially now because they are relatively cheap having passed the living memory of most people, but since I was born in 1954 I remember seeing them around and my parents had a 1947 Austin 10 which was essentially a prewar car rushed back into production after the war and it definitely wasn't reliable.
A great video: you touch on some interesting points. Regarding practical skills v. academic ones, we may blame Thatcher and her desire to make everyone middle-class with the result that nobody wants to manual work any more.
Nice Bournemouth reg car on show. In the fifties I was lucky enough to go around in quite a number of pre war cars. My first being a rolling chassis Austin7 which was a birthday present for off-roading in the field. Cut off roof and one seat, when running exhaustless it was the bees knees for an eight year old! From then on it became essential to drive old cars. Great interview.
I owned a Morris 8 series 1 1936 but as a naive student had few tools or the wherewithal to restore it. The missing valve insert on the sidevalve Qualcast cylinder block was fixed by a friend's dad and welding was needed on the main chassis member just under the driver's seat but I had no tools to extract the rear half axle shaft in order to replace the brake drums.
What a really nice and informative interview...nice people and car...keep up the good work..
I absolutely love pre-war cars, but they are sadly just not available here in Canada. The other issue is that they can be more expensive to buy in the first place, which may put them out of reach of many. I would love to own a pre-war car; simpler to fix (although far more frequent fixing and servicing is obviously involved, of course) and far more involving in having to actually drive them (and stop them - with less effective brakes, etc.), lovely noises, beautiful to look at, and the interiors that smell like a proper car! Thanks so much for doing a video like this, Steph.
I don't think they are doomed, just look at how many people are steam locomotive enthusiasts. To a ten year old, they see an Austin 7 and Austin Metro the same way. My main concern is a lot of people taking their test today are doing it in automatics to save money and because they are told the future is electric. It means the number qualified to drive manual classics is deminishing.
I am mostly into post-war cars, but after buying my childhood dream, a Citroen DS, I by coincidence saw that a pre-war Citroen Traction Avant, the DS predecessor, was for sale not so far from where I live. It was even a six-cylinder version and I soon found out that a prewar six-cylinder is extremely rare, as it has another engine than the post 1947-version. It was in bad condition, but with its original extremely rare engine. Due to the rarity I decided to buy and restore it. Restauration is still going on, but I really look forward to the day I can drive it. Mechanically it is certainly much simpler than my fuel-injected DS from 1973. But I find it interesting to own cars from different periods, I would like to own a 1960ies or 1950ies car also.. .
I have two pre war vintage cars, a 1934 Jowett Curlew and a 1933 Austin 7 special. I had a young lad driving a VW, genuinely wanted to buy the Austin. Some young folk are interested in vintage cars.
Very interesting about preserving skills. One way could be introducing youngsters to volunteer in 'Repair Cafes'. These typically repair household items but use very similar skillsets (electrical/electronic/mechanical/fabric) that are used in vehicle repairs. The volunteers would be very happy to show others their skills / train them. There are growing numbers of Repair Cafes driven by government projects to recycle more etc.
Really enjoyed this talk. Interesting parallels with the world of old radios here. We get a lot of discussion nowadays on how the big old wood cabinet sets of the 1930s and 40s are dropping in value and can't be given away, whereas 1970s hi-fi is fetching silly prices. I think the same forces are at work, my radios are mostly from the 1960s and 70s because I remember either family members having them, or looking through catalogues of things I couldn't afford when I was a kid. I have similar interests in classic cars, preferring 60s and 70s models. But you can see that for younger drivers, classics are now things like the Mk 1 Focus (see the excellent "Usually Fixing and Tinkering" channel for example).
There will always be people (and you're a great example Steph) who will have enthusiasm for an era long before they were born, so the interest in them won't die out completely, but it will decrease, because as Derek Matthewson says on the intro to Bangers and Cash, most people are looking to buy something they remember.
In the case of our radios, one problem is that all AM stations in the UK will be gone in 5 years' time so the sets that don't have FM will be mostly display items. 1930s cars can still be driven (probably not on the M25 though as Roger alluded to!). It may become difficult to get petrol if electric cars become the overwhelming majority of personal transport, but I think that is a long way off.
Well said, great points. I've just removed a lengthy similar comment because it was getting a bit of a "soap-box" speech, as I get annoyed by the way things are panning out. Hopefully, the mentality whereby someone goes out and buys an antique rather than takes a trip to IKEA will always be there somewhere.
Forgot to mention, I also restore old electronics. Maybe when the commercial stations stop transmitting on the AM bands, local radio enthusiasts may take up the challenge. I have many friends who used to work on hospital radio for instance, where there is no money to be made at all.
Great information. I love cars from all ages.
Great interview, focusing on aspects of having an oldtimer car, which are very rarely discussed. You need a family as well, which accepts the car ad a family member. :)
Really interesting interview.
I think the problem with all old cars is a the level of performance relative to modern road conditions. This means that you have to make a substantial contribution time wise to journeys. Many people are not prepared to make such a level of adjustment.
Secondly on pre and post war cars you have to a a specific knowledge of threads, adjustments and the history behind them to know where and how to look. In the fifties the motor trade ventured into UNC and UNF which were war time threads. These had an interesting history so you will have to look it up. The electrical threads in many of the electrical machines were BA. Why? Another historical reason. They were a Swiss thread format which had a male / female thread form. This means that if you are adjusting the machine you can adjust forward and backwards and leave the the machine as adjusted. If you use another thread you had to adjust it in a forward direction only and then lock it. Now this sounds more technical than it is but you need to read your social history to understand how, why and where these vehicles were provided. Why were Rootes vehicles as they were? What did Henry Ford learn from Herbert Austin? Why were Morris so different to Austin. What was the relationship of Leonard Lord between the two companies. How did he marry the two makes into BMC? Why were expensive 1940’s cars limited to about 1000 to 1200 per model? Easy much of the body was aluminium and those panels were pressed on aircraft presses because we were no longer building many aircraft post war. These had rubber facings and would only last for a thousand pressings. Again learn your social and industrial history. It is the same with armoured vehicles. Why did the wiring change from one style to another? Because it was important to reduce combustability so the crew could save themselves. A tank can be replaced but the crew is much more difficult.
More history and more reasons for us ending up where we are now. What was in the past was and is a challenge to maintain, recover and drive but you do drive a long way back from the vehicle in front but what exists is still recoverable. However, the ECU of a vehicle of 15 years ago will date and dies much sooner than the cars, pre war, which were my first driving experience. Go to your library and borrow some of the books that are advertised on the internet and you cannot afford. You can read almost anything you like in this country still and then make an informed decision when you wish to try the market.
What a nice, lovely interview. Thank you.
Ownership brings peoples skill levels up as there is usually no choice, those that can't up their knowledge tend to leave the scene quickly. But yes get out there and use em, leave them outside your house as much as possible when bot being driven get them seen. Also Fayhet Brown or sister Boniface, heartbeat, peaky blinders etc will always bring people in. More Peaky blinders tho as it is more for lower age demographics.
Well done Steph, great video and come on Rodger get some videos on TH-cam 👍👍.
This is a fantastic video steph, loved every bit of it. I could do with contacting that fella, i have a war time valve radio that needs fixing. He could make a video of it. 😂😂
Low insurance costs can't be underestimated as premiums have become unaffordable for modern cars and young drivers.
It's most often not cheaper to insure an older car. The brakes barely work on older cars for a start
@@chrishart8548 ''the brakes barely work on older cars'' What, you don't maintain them?
My dad had pre-war cars when we were kids they were very unreliable trying to get the thing started when you wanted to go to the beach in the summer he would try to hand crank them with a starter handle if that didn’t help, we would push the thing down the road. It would eventually start after half an hour.
Personally I don't get the point of electrifying a classic car. If you want one then buy one and stop fiddling with the classics.
Akin to electrifying, here in the U.S. far too many people have taken pre-war cars and “rodded” them with modern power plants, drive trains, seats, power steering, and brakes. They even change the wheels and tires so it barely resembles its former self. To me, this is just lazy. It is so much more difficult, yet rewarding, to seek out the correct parts and keep it original. If I want to drive a modern car, I’ve got my daily driver. What I want is to experience what it was like to drive a piece of history, something created before WWII when the world was a much different and more genteel place.
@@sparkplug0000 it’s the same thing when you electrify a classic. It makes sense in some cases. I saw a Ferrari that the owner could barely use as the engine was always causing problems. They electrified it and can now use it all the time.
On the other hand, the closer the car is to the original is, the more interesting it is, both for the owner and those who see it.
As long as the electric conversion is reversible (they usually are) I don’t see why it is a problem.
I think there is room for both, but I would prefer them to be kept as original as possible, especially for rare models such as prewar stuff.
Electric cars actually predate combustion engined ones. Back to the future!
@@sparkplug0000 Surely updating an old car has merit. Better brakes and a modern gearbox don't destroy the character of a car and make them much safer and usable.
@@22pcirishYes and there is a good reason they didn't become the number one. Except of course in the UK and I guess elsewhere in milkfloats which continued till folk stopped having milk delivered about 15 or 20 years ago.
I was born in the late Forties when there were many Thirties cars on the road, including my father's one. As a boy, I thought all Thrities cars had a wooden clothes peg on their chokes and had raspberry gearboxes
Yes they are.. but not because they aren’t appreciated for me over the years it has been the owners clubs! They have no time for the younger generation. Didn’t engage with them. Didn’t get them involved and thus no one is interested in them now. I have been to 100’s of vintage car club stands over the years. I would say less than 10% had the time to talk to me. A few years ago at the Jowett stand at the NEC we helped get a car running with them filmed it etc. They asked me to send them the footage and never heard anything back. Subsequently I walked right on past the stand the following year… for me this is the reason why 20’s - 40’s cars have tanked in price and interest 😢 meanwhile i would love to own a prewar car!
My 1947 Rover 14 Sports saloon has syncro 3,4 but not 1,2. And Rod brakes. Most unusual feature is the freewheel on the transmission. I used the demister driving it in the rain doing errands yesterday. Its Probably the only P2 on the west coast of the USA.
My dad had a Rover 90 and 110 , at least one of those had the freewheel , was before i was born but my parents spoke about it and how it made my mother feel carsick - so he changed it for a Jaguar MkII 3.8 ... I think that made her more carsick !
Wonderful video Steph, and a delightfully humble and interesting fellow Roger is. I'm with Roger on the look of '30's cars (they are exactly what a Vintage car looks like IMHO), I also like classic cars from other era's too, and whilst I am not young (56), am tempted to get at least a pre war "looking" classic at some stage (many emediately post war cars were just slightly upgraded versions of pre war designs), but would likely go for a late '40's or early '50's model (something like a Riley RM, or Citroen Traction Avant are favorites), as these were often closest to modern cars in performance/technology whilst still having that 30's-esk look. Here, where I am in Australia, it is very difficult to own very old cars, as the nearest city to me is 200km (120miles) and it gets booldy hot, so travelling pretty much anywhere (to non-local car shows) in a "classic", is hard work, unless it has the performance and comfort somewhere near modern car levels. For these reasons my current "classic" is a '93 Ford Farliane Sportsman Ghia (land yacht to Brit's), which has a 4.0L inline 6, a/c and cruise control, which I loved when they were new, but could never afford then in my early/mid 20's. I would echo Roger and Steph though, "in just having a go" - it is amazing what you can do with TouTube, owners forums and "Professor Google" at your disposal - I have even been able to find out how to, and rebuild, what were ostensibly sealed electrical components, on more modern cars with research and info from the web...so '30's cars should be a relative doddle. Cheers!
I still like to see older cars like that, not worked on any for a long time
Really enjoyed that Steph, thanks again for sharing. You need a Pre war car in the idriveaclassic fleet. 😊👍
Don't encourage her!
I been seen many restoration fails. They last years. Most important is paperwork, pictures and packaging the parts For get it together again or by some one else.
Just driving the cars and getting them seen on the roads would help, I think the Dropworks Austin 16 and the urchfab Austin 7 have done a lot to get prewar cars current and win hearts and minds 👍
I think it's important that these cars are seen in the normal environment. They are always popular with visitors to classic car shows, but they are static exhibitions being seen by people who, in general, are already interested in cars. Take a pre-war car down to the local supermarket, and I can guarantee you will be stuck there for an hour longer than you expect, especially if you encourage shoppers to sit in the car and really get a feel for it. Young children are always interested, but I find it's generally their mothers who are most taken with the car.
I think you are correct about pre war cars disappearing, however I think the bread and butter saloons may disappear but the sporty prewar cars that you can race Hillclimb Trial,
And Rally etc such as MG’s Riley specials, Frazer Nashes Austin 7 specials, Morgan 3 wheelers and exotica like Bentleys and Bugattis shall always be in demand as they can almost keep up with modern traffic and you can do interesting events with these cars
Bentleys , Bugattis and similar can absolutely keep up with modern traffic ; only in congested urban areas will they suffer , but on the open road they are more than a match for modern junk . I've been out a few times in a 1927 Mercedes S , and get it on the blower , it will pass most modern cars .
And all of these things are well out of the reach of most youngsters.
Great video, Steph. Roger, please share your videos. Would be very interested to watch them.
I’ve just found your channel, I’ll be watching some more of it. I really want a 30’s car…. I want a morris 8 tourer… my grandad had one in the 60’s ABL 716 called Jenny, the best car I’ve ever ridden in …. Well you know the most fun per pound …. At 35mph, Jenny was the daily driver for years, and she’d do fine for my life now in rural Suffolk….. maybe you’ve made me do it. 😮
You should! If you contact the Morris register they are just fantastic. Speak to David, he’s always been my go to at the club there
Great video Steph. I agree with you re synthetic fuels. The government have been rushing along headstrong into electrification as if there was no alternative viable option.
Interesting vid as always and good pointers for potential owners of these or indeed any classic
Glad you enjoyed it
V8 powered Morris Minors (the post war type), were quite popular around Worcester, in the late 80s / early 90s. Only see original versions these days.
There was one in Falkirk , where I spent my adolescence ; it had the Rover V-8 and a Jaguar back end ; that guy , and I with my 1975 , 5 speed manual Mercedes 280E had the two fastest cars and used to race around the 'circuit' in the town . Halcyon days . The town is now mostly pedestrianised / ruined .
I'm happy to see them being maintained and driven but having driven an Austin 7 at The Great British Car Journey I can say I've absolutely no interest in ever owning one myself. It was an absolute chore to drive 😂.
No gps
No power steering
No abs
No traction control
No electric windows No mass computer to run everything
No heated seats 😂😂
I want one❤
Steph, I wonder if, as the' classics' of the 90's era age and more and more of their electronic components become unavailable (and usually unrepairable), whether that will push car enthusiasts backward into older cars with more simple drivelines.. I watch Johhny Smith on YT and these days, just about every fuel injected 'barn find' car he does has a buggered fuel pump, fuel injectors or computer and he often struggles to bring them back to life. In Australia we dont have the ethanol fuel issues you do and that's probably saving many older cars.. this chat has made me feel guilty for not having driven my 1939 Standard Flying Eight for quite some time.. I've been distracted by my Morris Minor needing a full engine rebuild (unexpected) and a new passion for 2cv's...
Interesting about the smartphone. Completely off topic..at work we are getting into cloud computing, I was experimenting with a new database that uses the power of the cloud to brute force search for data instead of using indexes. I hate to thing of the energy used to do this. In other word a query will do in a few seconds what will take a day for a traditional server to do.