25 replies to this topic

[Doug Nye]

Yesterday morning, brilliant sunshine, chill air, I headed down into town to buy some fence fixings we needed. Onto the Farnham Bypass, down towards the traffic lights. Red light, and as I drew up behind the stationary queue I saw it. About five or six cars ahead - amongst all we civilians, a Cobra Daytona Coupe. I assume it was the Glasel car, being driven down from Paul Lanzante's workshop out near Kingsley. But with the sun flooding into my Landy, the gleaming, dark blue Cobra Daytona with its half-white tail transom just easing away ahead, Magic Radio began playing the Black song...'It's a Wonderful, Wonderful Life'...

It just seemed...well...perfect.

DCN

[David M. Kane]

Yesterday morning, brilliant sunshine, chill air, I headed down into town to buy some fence fixings we needed. Onto the Farnham Bypass, down towards the traffic lights. Red light, and as I drew up behind the stationary queue I saw it. About five or six cars ahead - amongst all we civilians, a Cobra Daytona Coupe. I assume it was the Glasel car, being driven down from Paul Lanzante's workshop out near Kingsley. But with the sun flooding into my Landy, the gleaming, dark blue Cobra Daytona with its half-white tail transom just easing away ahead, Magic Radio began playing the Black song...'It's a Wonderful, Wonderful Life'...

It just seemed...well...perfect.

DCN

Was Dan Gurney or Bob Bondurant driving?

[arttidesco]

So many reasons to love Farnham

[fbarrett]

Had a similar experience while driving my 850 Mini through deepest State College, Pennsylvania, in about 1968. Came upon that trademark Daytona Coupe blue concave tail with white number roundel--and, remember, this was well before replicas--at a traffic light, but he got clean away before I could see who it was. I later traced the car, but I can't recall which it was or who owned it then.

Frank

Edited by fbarrett, 27 February 2012 - 18:19.

[JacnGille]

[Hse289]

Mr Nye, that sounds like the perfect morning.
That tops my walk in the New Forest with family yesterday followed by sighting of a burgundy and blue McLaren MP4-12C with i think trade plates (red edging) on M27 on way home.

[cheapracer]

I woke up yesterday morning to my beautiful wife coming back to bed - guess we have different opinions on great mornings.

[Red Socks]

Strawberries and urine Doug.Just made the call Christians car ain't been out of the shop for three months.

[cheapracer]

Strawberries and urine Doug.Just made the call Christians car ain't been out of the shop for three months.

Well in that case take your pick ...

http://www.britisham...ona/default.asp

http://www.factoryfi.../coupehome.html

http://www.superform....com/coupe.aspx

[D-Type]

Whether it was the real 'un or a replica shouldn't spoil your magic moment. This incident reminds me of being overtaken by a Ferrari GTO on my way to Goodwood. It looked right and sounded right and I assumed it was right.

What's more important is "Did they have your fence fittings in stock?", "Did they fit?", and "Did you manage to avoid hitting your thumb with the hammer?"

[red stick]

Whether it was the real 'un or a replica shouldn't spoil your magic moment.

Here here! Before Christmas while out for lunch one day in sleepy Baton Rouge, my friends and I spotted a McLaren F1 in the restaurant parking lot, in front of, of all things, a comic book store. Texas plates. Silver. After a walkaround (first one I've ever seen in captivity), we headed for the restaurant. Never saw the driver, or his departure. But it made our day.

[Doug Nye]

Strawberries and urine Doug.Just made the call Christians car ain't been out of the shop for three months.

Well a) what? and b) ah, I'd be very disappointed if that apparition five or six cars ahead of me was just a road-going replica; it was liveried in the really dark Shelby blue with white stripes and half-transom, yellow US-style registration plate. Maybe not such a wonderful life, after all...? How disappointing. Re fence fixings - oh yes, God Bless Homebase. Fence has been up for three days now, I just checked. Despite my craftsmanship it's still standing.

DCN

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by cheapracer
I woke up yesterday morning to my beautiful wife coming back to bed - guess we have different opinions on great mornings.

Not all of us...

But was she bringing breakfast as she returned?

Actually, this is all somewhat reminiscent of an incident I enjoyed:

http://forums.autosp...showtopic=76770

[cheapracer]

I'd be very disappointed if that apparition five or six cars ahead of me was just a road-going replica; How disappointing.

DCN

I am also intensely proud of having been involved with the reincarnation of a number of wonderful but long-lost racing cars which have been replicated around surviving contemporary engines and gearboxes

DCN

But was she bringing breakfast as she returned?

What's "breakfast"?

Edited by cheapracer, 21 February 2012 - 06:32.

[E1pix]

Wonderful OP, Doug.

I had a similar-esque moment in the '90s... kinda.

I spent a glorious and frosty night's bivouac under the stars, before a dawn of autumn photography at the sublime Maroon Lake, Colorado. Crystalline skies followed crimson light afire on the freshly-snowed, high peaks and golden trees. Bliss.

On the road down I followed a convertible BMW a moment, and when the passing lines came he stuck his left hand straight towards the sky and waved me by in the sporting gesture we all recognize. This is Colorado after all, sans any valued circuits within a day's drive.

I passed him... and realized it was Danny Sullivan out on an Autumn morning cruise.

[RCH]

Maybe twenty years ago I was driving along a dual carriageway somewhere near Guildford, details are hazy but I think it was a fairly dull and miserable day. then what should that flash of red coming the other way be but a GTO Ferrari? The lady I was with seemed more impressed by the fact that it could have Nick Mason driving.

Going back much further; Whitsun half term 1957, aged 7, I was travelling from Birmingham to Surbiton with my grandmother and some friends of hers to stay with a fondly remembered great uncle. It was only when it was too late to do anything about it that I was told he had been a pioneer motorist but I digress. We had stopped for a cup of tea, as you did then, in a layby somewhere between Banbury and Bicester and I was idly watching cars approaching through the back window when it hove into sight, a D Type Jaguar no less. That vision of a D Type head on has stayed with me ever since, doodles adorned my school exercise books and it probably the reason why 55 years on I'm watching forums like this.

I'm guessing Coventry to Goodwood for a Whit Monday race meeting? Will have to look it up.

[john ruston]

The Daytona-Could it be a race car or real one?

Does happen you know!

Probably not if its Christians but we have a man along the road here that has the real thing and a copy to race.

[Giraffe]

.....that has the real thing and a copy to race.

A not uncommon phenomena these days. (And of course the papers cover both cars........... don't they?)

[john ruston]

Of course and FIA pick up the dosh!The paper thing is a farce.

DCN's article in Motor Sport last month should be required reading for all people involved with Motor Sport.

Most surprising thing I have seen on UK roads.Garry Pearon passing me at high speed on back road in Warwickshire in Ferrari 512 about 12 years ago.Presumably Brandon Wangs before Tour de France,Tour Auto.

[Robin Fairservice]

I was working on site at Holyport near to Maidenhead, and the M4 Maidenhead by pass had just been opened. I was working in our site office close to the motorway, when I heard a loud roar and a dark coloured D type flashed passed, a few minutes later he went passed going in the other direction, this lapping was repeated two or three times moer, and then it was gone.

Another instance, whilst driving home from Epsom to Crawley through the back lanes when a GTO Ferrari went the other way! No replicas in tose days.

Edited by Robin Fairservice, 21 February 2012 - 18:11.

[oldclassiccar]

En route to work in the late 1990s, we were waiting at a rural crossroads when what should appear from the opposite direction, waiting to turn across our bows, but a genuine D-Type (the reg. escapes me). Pretty cool thinks I, until two or three months later at the same junction, when we spot 774 RW waiting to perform the same manoeuvre

RJ

[Frank S]

Went to a General Motors Motorama at the Pan-Pacific Auditorium during a time when the Western TV series Bonanza was at its height of popularity. As we were hoofing it back to our distant street-parked car, a discourteous Corvette-driver nearly ran us over as he spun his wheels leaving a pay-for parking lot. It was Pernell Roberts, "Adam Cartwright" on the tube.

Five or six years (or more) later, when I lived in Tijuana, Mexico, and worked afternoon/evening shifts at the Kearny Mesa Home For Wayward Yoof, I was heading to the border at about 1 PM when a thoughtless Corvette driver turned across my path, causing me to brake my Austin-Healey very hard in avoidance of a collision. It was Pernell Roberts, by then far, far off the Bonanza, but fully discourteous as ever.

All was not quite right with the world, those days.

Around ten years ago I was in Hollywood to see the first screening of a movie I had insinuated myself into as a "background artist". I'd persuaded my daughter to come with, and we were very early so there would be time to cruise to a few interesting places. We went to the Farmers' Market for lunch, and sat near a member of a currently popular rock group. The world was pretty right then. After lunch we were driving east on Wilshire when I noticed a brown car in the right lane. Somehow, even at a relatively great distance, I recognized it and called out, "Humber Super Snipe!" Daughter didn't believe it until we caught up and she could read it for herself. Most of everything was all well in that part of the world. (Later, at the American Film Institute, Meredith Baxter praised the short film, which was perhaps the last good thing that happened to it, as it seems to have fallen off the festival menu within weeks.) (The world was OK a couple years later when the director wasted a few feet of film on me in another, yet to be produced, small film.)

[Ray Bell]

Back in 1964 Ron Hodgson ran a Cortina GT at Bathurst in the Armstrong 500...

A year later, without a car of my own to drive to the Mountain, I bummed a lift. I was on my way home with Barry Fogwell in his 1952 Plymouth Cranbrook coming across the Blue Mountains via the Bell's Line of Road. On a long steep downhill run, the Cortina GT Hodgson had run the previous year went by us at high speed.

Not only did it go past us, Hoddo pulled a taller gear alongside us and planted his foot, the 260ci V8 he'd fitted sprung back into action and he rocketed away down the hill.

[Garsted]

About 10 years ago I was returning home from the Silverstone Classic meeting along the A43 when I spotted two 250 GTOs in a layby. I decided to dawdle to see if they got back on the road, and sure enough they soon came past me. One headed straight on towards Northampton but the other headed in my direction up the M1, so I latched on behind in my humble 944 and followed it into the dusk (the rear lights are hopeless by the way - about as bright as candles). We cruised along at 80 to 90 for quite a way until it headed off towards Birmingham, It was a "swimming with dolphins" moment for a petrolhead like me.

Steve

[john aston]

M1 Northbound 8 pm after British GP 1971; 18 year old me driving Dad's Triumph Vitesse at 80 ish. See yellow dot in mirror and before I had time to alert my passengers a bright yellow GT40 went by at enormous speed. Never have I seen a car go as quickly on the public road.It was one of those ' I got out to see why I'd stopped ' moments. Certainly 150mph and I suspect rather more. Fabulous howl from exhaust. I seem to remember Motor featured a yellow GT 40 owned by one Robert Danny ?

[TooTall]

February 1973, Highway 101 (Ventura Freeway) northwest of Los Angeles.



This is one of the ex-James Garner Lola T-70s that was later used in the film THX1138.

Cheers,
Kurt O.

Edited by TooTall, 28 February 2012 - 05:58.