Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

The cars are :

The car is sub 80k really great body and I'm now the third owner. It has been modified by the last OAP owner with a the later gt 1600 engine drive train, suspension and brakes. The chap wanted to confert it to a tiger but this was as close as he got. It is quicker than the escort mexico of the time and had more power. Being in Essex, he loved over taking escort mexicos in his beige hillman. Needs a few spots welding and general fettle. Comes with a book with list of all the mods and on what days it was done. The shell has been well looked after with regualar dinitrol treatments as they are better than waxoil. It even has the rosstyle wheels!

The next is a dodge avenger:

Ok it is a daewoo, driven by an oap that stopped driving. The car is the 2l bottom of the range ex demonstrator 4 door so has the white racing stripes and silly ally wheels, some nice touches such as a leather interior with custom fitted seat covers! custom fitted mats even in the boot. I can imagine what an oap looked like driving this thing around. It has a few scuffs and dents, and an engine light that failed the MOT.

What's with car makers these days eh? With the Paris motor show looming I keep reading about these eco concepts from Renault, Citroen and Peugeot etc etc. and their desire to produce a '2L' car (240ish mpg). They are doing good things like reducing weight, looking at alternative hybrid powertrains and of course, aerodynamics. BUT they keep making these concepts based on SUVs. What the? Why not start with an already small and aero car?

I'll use this Citroen as an example:

Why start with a brick when looking for aero benefits?

I think VW is the only manufacturer to properly do this in the current era (even if this was a few years ago):

VW looks like a grandad's slipper. Still preferable to an SUV though.

I'm guessing crash protection.
That's the reason cars are huge now, and have massive door pillars, weigh a ton, and have huge engines.

A little OT, but vehicle related... If anyone knows of a milk float for sale or any valuable info regarding owning one, please let me know. Many thanks.

Wow, mega moment, driver did well!

Nah he always drives like that even to the shop for fags ;). Looks like grant williams in the jag reg BUY 1. He is very entertaining at goodwood.

Chap owns one off the south circ after kings Avenue. He might be worth a chat.

Some thing to do with ped protection when hitting them hence the angle at the front bigger a pillars and the increased blind spot that gives.

Cheers lynx, will try to track this guy down.

Elite is beautiful.

Screen grab of door pillar looks like early Maserati Grand Turismo (3200)

I thought that too, but never seen one wit a roof spoiler

That and fact it has 4 doors? :o$ Quite high shoulders, almost Volvoesque...

Dammit - this may be of interest

http://www.volkszone.com/VZi/showthread.php?t=1158626

It is, but sadly that's too much work for me to take on at the moment - thanks for posting it.

I only posted it after I spent all weekend convincing myself I have neither the time nor the money...

I'm flying to Colorado tomorrow, I'm hoping that I'll spot a '68 912 parked up on the side of the road with a sign saying "for sale, $9,000", and I'll strike a bargain on the spot for one of our bikes in exchange for the car.

In other news, 242:

Parked next to my car at work...

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Subtle. Tasteful.

I remember seeing not one, but two of those when they first came out, both missing one of their front wheels after the hubs had snapped off. One was on a flatbed, but the other was in the street after having destroyed about 12 cars.

seems like money can't buy love ..... nor taste

Is it missing the chrome wheel arch trim...

Thank the Lord it's a "Special Edition".

Those fucking things are useless off road.