Picketing

I was minded to do a Post on Thursday because two different things piqued my interest:

One was this Car+Driver article about the latest of many many many special edition Minis - this one being the 1499GT

The other was the return of Bangers & Cash to TV for a new series

But which to do?

The new Mini is an homage to the old Mini 1275GT although it is really just the stripe along the bottom that they have in common:

I prefer the old one:

But it was while looking for a picture of a black example to match the new car, that I found this picture:

It's a Wood & Pickett version of the 1275GT - Wood & Pickett being coachbuilders/car converters.  The latest evidence of their existence that I can find is this article from 2011.  I suspect that they are no more but would be happy to be corrected.

That picture reminded me of a BBC Archives Facebook Post that a friend of mine once stuck onto my timeline with Lesley Judd driving around the Blue Peter studio in one marveling at its luxury vinyl roof. Click here if you are a Facebook user who wants to see her.

Now Wood & Pickett converted several different cars, specialising in Minis and other BLMC/British Leyland/Austin-Rover vehicles including my first car - the Triumph Dolomite- this is their version:

Not sure about their paint choice though - and neither was Derek Mathewson, boss of Mathewson's Auctions when he sold it in this week's series 3 episode 1 of Bangers & Cash.  He also sold a barely used Triumph Toledo.  I always watch Bangers & Cash - I'm waiting to see if Wayne Carini turns up stood at the back of the room one week and I think I'm in love with Sarah Crabtree but it was these these two Triumphs that made me want to publish this week.

So, both stories neatly linked.  My work here is done.

Humming

That's the noise an electric motor makes.

So is an electric Beetle a Humbug?

Remember when Arnie Schwarzenegger got his Humvie H1 electrified?

Not the most attractive of vehicles but the thought of an environmentally friendly Hummer was novel.

Well GMC have finally revealed lots of information about, and pictures of, their new electric Hummer:

Car+Driver have got loads of stories on it - here is just one.

And I have to say I really like it.  I don't normally like that class of vehicle - I guess I was put off by the old Nissan Navara ads which basically said that people who nobody respected should buy them.

Apparently the first 2022 models will all be white with a removable black roof, bronze-coloured wheels and a two-tone black and grey interior with bronze accents and Edition 1 badges.

Other variations including cheaper models will come later but let's be honest, it's these Edition 1 ones that Wayne Carini's Great-Grandkids will be getting excited about in Season 180 of Chasing Classic Cars.

So if an electric Beetle is a Humbug, then an electric Hummer must be...

...a Hummer.

Messerschmitts v Spitfires

Just been watching an Episode of Chasing Classic Cars where Wayne Carini was at an auction where they were selling one of these:

...a Messerschmitt KR200.

 

Which is a slight coincidence because today's Autocar Throwback Thursday was looking at their old report on...

 

...the Messerschmitt KR200!

 

How big is your wife?

 

I only ask because, according to the review from 1957:

 

"at the back there is a bench which will hold a small wife and child, or a larger wife and a shopping basket."

 

Meanwhile, the interesting bit for me was that I would be allowed to use the reverse gears but if I only had a motorbike licence (they were more popular in the '50s) I would only be allowed to go forward.

 

However, I'd rather have a Spitfire myself:

'96 Hybrid Phaeton For Sale

Hang on a Mo'.

All Volkwagen experts, together with those of us who have access to Wikipedia, know that VW didn't start making Phaetons until 2002:

And, they've never produced a hybrid version.

But, of course, I never said it was a Volkswagen - nor did I say 1996.

No, this car coming up for auction is a 1896 Armstrong Phaeton:

 

Fox have the story here.

I had assumed that Phaeton was just another model name (like Escort and Cedric) and Wiki helpfully informs us that "The name Phaeton derives from Phaëton, the son of Phoebus in Greek mythology."  But it also helpfully informs us that "A phaeton is a style of open automobile or carriage without weather protection. It is an automotive development of the fast, lightweight phaeton carriage."

Which sort of explains why Wayne Carini keeps encountering them in "Chasing Classic Cars".

In fact it looks like in the 1920s and 1930s you could get Ford, Packard and Buick Phaetons to name just three of many.  Go back to 1910 and you get this:

 The VW Group have come full circle - that's an Audi Phaeton!