The 5 went straight through MOT on Friday so very happy with that; gave it a wash and buff on Saturday then dropped in to Haynes Breakfast Club on Sunday morning. Saw some great cars there, parked next a a lovely E-Type and had a couple NB’s for company.
Then on the way back kept to the rules in Tesco car park Yeovil; mine is on the right
Great pictures. My 2 favorites are the white Escort RS Turbo (the old one) and the red 205 Gti. I had an XR3 (not an “i” - it had carbs…) and always wanted the RS, but never managed to get one. They are probably really rubbish now in reality, but nostalgia is a powerful thing! Both look in good condition, but I suppose as they are worth a few quid now, the ones that survived will be kept on top of. Shame that when they were not worth much that a lot were left to rot away.
I thought that was nice the great grandad of the Focus RS
When you think back in the day they were pretty special and seemed like a rocket, but that was only 125hp the same as my 1.8 NC, nowadays that is average family car type power!
I agree - but my XR3 only had 105BHP and the turbo was a big increase (at 132Bhp, so that extra 7bhp over what you quote made a BIG difference!!!
). Also they only weighed 965Kg, so compared to other cars were nippy. But the look takes me back to my youth! You would not really buy one now to drive fast…especially as you couldn’t really and the brakes were probably rubbish too.
“When you think back in the day they were pretty special and seemed like a rocket, but that was only 125hp”
I saw a car magazine review recently saying that a family car has only 265bhp from its three litre engine and thought at the time that the journo doesn’t know he’s born.
Don’t have to go that far back for 200bhp to be thought completely unattainable and things like the gtr32 being released with about 265bhp - the car they called Godzilla as a result of its phenomenal power!
Its entirely possible that the reason it doesn’t seem as fast is the way cars have grown heavier and fatter over time, with safety improvements, but I’ll take light, nimble, and nippy every time, thanks very much.
And I’ll whisper zoom zoom to myself as I do so as well.
My wife’s Fiat 500 has 105hp !!! But you are right they weighed not a lot back then so I presume power per ton was different than now.
If only we knew when we were lads and thrashing round in XR3i’s, 205GTI’s etc etc that they would be worth so much and so special now
The Mini’s were my thing back in the early 70’s. I had a 1969 Mini Cooper S. Look what they are worth now. It was quick for its day and handled like a dream, I had so much fun in that car, wish I had it now.
Strangely enough me and the wife are away at the weekend and have hired a 1969 Cooper S from a place in Melksham so that will be lots of fun.
Sounds like fun. If you have not been in an old Mini for a long time, be prepared for a shock!!!