Little Mix

 I don't like Little Mix - I'm just using this picture as clickbait.

This post is actually about a lot on the US online car auction site Bring A Trailer - this lot.

The cars involved are smaller than their usual ones.

In fact, it's a mix of little cars - and other vehicular entities - 41 Matchbox models to be precise.

I remember the ones I used to have - I played with them a lot so I don't regret not keeping them in original condition in original boxes.

This is despite the auction lot, at time of typing up this post, sitting at $1400.

I had a couple of the ones that are for sale - like the Greyhound bus and the Fire Engine - I also had several models of American cars but was surprised to see Americans would have models of British cars - there is a Ford Corsair there and one of the BMC ADO16s - the MG option if I'm not mistaken.  I imagine most American buyers would be a bit bemused by it.

Nice to know they were made in England though - the real cars and the toys.

The few of mine I still have are pretty wrecked.

But I'd still like to give a shout out to my wrecks.

Breakfast Time Bad Driving

They were all out this morning.  Several were driving white vans.  I caught a lot on my dash-cam.

To start with, I had someone decide that he was coming off at Junction 3.

Nothing wrong with coming off at Junction 3 - I've done it myself on many occasions - it's handy for The Asda, And Tranmere Rovers.

But this guy was in the outside lane when he decided it and had to cut in front of two other lanes of traffic - one of which included me.  I didn't bother including the footage because, rather annoyingly, it looks less dramatic when you  play it back.

Or maybe I'm just a drama queen.

But then look at this other twerp joining at the same junction:

This morning saw the usual collection of tailgaters and middle-lane hogs.

But this lane hogger in particular annoyed me because, not only was he driving a white van, he didn't have his lights on.

Then you get the white van man who does have his lights on but doesn't use the handy orange flashing ones that give other drivers a clue as to your intentions.  It's a good job BMW don't make white vans.

But that wasn't his worst crime.  Note that the other two white van drivers knew which lane they needed to be in and how to position yourself going around a roundabout.

Maybe he was late for his breakfast.

Crazy Horses

Watched the current series finale of Fifth Gear last night.

Something Jason Plato said made me look up his age.  I was very surprised to learn that he is a year younger than me.

Not, I hasten to add, because I think he looks older than me - I do actually think he looks younger than me.

But because of the length of his motor racing career and because he wears a flat cap.

But, enough about commenting on the looks of motoring journalists who are younger than me as they get older.

My main take from that programme involved Vicki (aged 52) hooning around in the Ford Mustang Dark Horse - and thoroughly enjoying it.

This was a car that I had just watched Dennis Collins (who is actually about 18 month OLDER than me) hooning around in his latest edition of Coffee Walk.

Dennis commented on how the manual versions (like his) seemed very rare - in fact his local dealer wasn't aware of another one.

Vicki was driving one though so I suspect that is a US/EU thing.  She also announced that it is available in right-hand drive.

Which is nice.

The other thing Dennis said that slightly amused me was that not many people over there had heard of The Dark Horse Mustang.

Maybe time to look up what "Dark Horse" actually means.?

Where has Tom Ford's hair gone?

Here's a picture from back in the day of Tom Ford and Johnny Smith on Fifth Gear.

Back in the day, Tom Ford was known as The Wookie.  A nickname now given by Steve Berry to his sidekick/producer/editor Paul Roverman (not his real name)

He was called that because he was very hairy.

I have followed them both in various guises since they left that show - most recently on YouTube.

I was well aware of Jonny's diminished hairline but, for some reason, maybe it's been a very gradual process, I've only just noticed that Tom has now gone the same way:

I was shocked.

But mostly because he looks a hell of a lot younger now.

You've Bean Nicked!

According to the guy I listen to on Dee Radio driving in to work this week, there has been some filming going on in the Handbridge area of Chester and some 1980s era cars been seen parked there.

A bit more digging by the breakfast DJ came up with Anemone, a film that will star Daniel Day-Lewis and Sean Bean.

There have been no sightings of the much-married Sean Bean or the much-retired Daniel Day-Lewis. According to Wikipedia, Daniel's first retirement in 1997 was cobblers.

Anyway, the BBC are reporting today that those cars have been ticketed by traffic wardens.

The cars, were allegedly parked on double-yellow lines - none are visible in the photos so has another crime been committed in covering them over?  Google Streetview does clearly show them:

It appears that the Council did not give any special permissions for the filming so the arrogance of the film team may have come in to play - or maybe this was a calculated risk and they are happy to pay the fines.

I am a bit more surprised that they think that in the 1980s, everybody drove Fords.

Or is it because the production company are called Focus Features?

Recalling when Leyland Daf were British

I've done loads of stories about recalls.

Like this one.

And this one.

Then there was this one.

And of course this one.

And this one.

Closely followed by this one.

All of them suitably stupid.

Like today's one from drive.com.au

Remember when LDVs were British?

Well now they are Chinese.

And 932 of them are being recalled due to a faulty Website.

I'm not too sure we should be using the word "recall" every time.  The Tesla one involved a software drop and this one involves owners throwing away any specification sheets obtained from the LDV Automotive website.

We should have Recalls, Patches and Booboos.

This particular Booboo, could result in "increased braking distances and/or reduced braking performance" or "reduced steering response which may lead to the vehicle to rollover."

And apparently, "A reduction or a loss in braking performance, a reduced steering response and/or vehicle rollover could result in a serious accident to the vehicle occupants or other road users that can lead to severe injury or death."

Death by website.