81 replies to this topic

[oldclassiccar]

I remember driving to work, must have been 1994 or 1995ish, and, while waiting to cross a junction in leafy Cheshire, coming the other way turning right across my bows, was D-Type 774 RW. Surrounded by repmobiles and tedious road cars it was quite a sight (and sound) at 8am in traffic. Curiously at the self same junction some months later, another D Type (xx OKV? not sure) did the exact same manoeuvre, and shot off into the distance surrounded by commuter traffic, although this was a lilac-y colour I think (I don't *think* it was a replica).

(t'other day I saw a roadgoing 911 RS Carrera with a private plate, driver didn't half remind me of John Watson - am I right in thinking he owns an early 70s RS?)

Rick.

[fausto]

Can I tell you about the Giro d'Italia cars, seen around the Monza Autodromo, going in or coming out?

;)

[TooTall]

Living in LA you see some pretty amazing/bizarre stuff. One I remember best is a beige Lola T70 coupe on the Ventura Freeway northeast of Los Angeles in 1973. The female passenger looked rather cramped, hot and unhappy. I have pics someplace.

During the Monterey weekend you see all sorts of stuff on the roads between LA and Monterey. One of my favorites was one year driving home from Monterey, somewhere around Santa Maria I think, when we were passed at a high rate of speed by Jan Voboril driving his 1918 (?) Lancia Kappa. Unfortunately, he was closely followed by a California Highway Patrol Mustang who pulled him over! I would have loved to have heard that conversation! I have pics of that one as well someplace.

Cheers,
Kurt

[Pils1989]

Spotted this on the new Economoy-Le Mans motorway but I'm pretty sure it was a Lynx or another replica :

[Gary C]

about 15 years ago when I still worked at the BBC, I was on my way to work one Sunday morning, round about 7.30. I came across Chiswick Bridge and on the other side was a car transporter which had obviously just pulled up at the traffic lights with some force, because................there in front of it, upside down on the road, was a (formerly) beautiful blower Bentley. Everything was smashed, even (I swear) the rear axle was bent with the force of the impact. I was upset for hours !

[WDH74]

There is a guy around here who runs an XK 120 in vintage racing, and the car occasionally pops up in traffic, racing numbers, rollbars, and all. That always gets the attention.

Last week, as I was sitting at an outdoor table at Caribou, I saw someone driving an SS100 through the parking lot towards the Target. Came back fifteen minutes later, too, and drove off into the subdivision behind the shopping center. Never stopped, so I couldn't inspect the car or ask questions, but it certainly looked and sounded genuine!

-William

[oldclassiccar]

a few years ago, when Rolls Royce was still in Crewe (and British), I was returning home from a mate's house and the Silver Ghost owned by RR (AX201 iirc) was out on a test drive, it was a warm summers evening, and when I saw it, it was pulled up in the entrance to a housing estate having some minor malady rectified under the gleaming bonnet.

RJ

[Gary C]

luverly stuff !

[Bernd]

Just the other day a saw a Miura Not a common sight in Australia I can tell you!

One of the strangest I've ever seen was a completely unrecognisable car clearly a low volume sportscar of some description badged McLaren and sporting a V10 engine (according to the badge) I've never seen anything like it and till this day have absolutely no idea what it was. As far as I knew the F1 was the first roadcar made by McLaren (not counting possible race/road conversions) But this thing was definately a pukka roadcar. Anyone have any idea what I saw? At a guess I'd say the car was 80's vintage.

[Frank S]

What it is, is our CRV Honda eastbound on Friars Road, just west of
the San Diego Stadium. In the parking lot of which there were actual
National Championship points-earning SCCA races, JULY 20-21, 1968.
About three miles from home, an easy summer evening jaunt.




I don't know what this is, nor how exotic, but I have my suspicions. Any
guesses? It's just around the corner from my place. In the head-on
view, the house in the background was recently renovated and sold
for just over five hundred thousand dollars. When they were built in
1957 or so, they sold for fourteen thousand dollars. I came late,
about 30 years ago, and paid thirty-four thousand dollars. This is
due east of the school where a young man attended incognito
and wrote a screenplay about his experiences: Fast Times At
Ridgemont High




OK, now there is something interesting and unidentified in road traffic. The
car is within yards of the location I spotted an ersatz Lotus XXIII making
the opposite turn from the one anticipated by the orange-ish car seen
here. We are on Convoy Street, Kearny Mesa, north edge of metro San
Diego. Convoy changes to Linda Vista Road at this traffic light, and bridges
I-805 on its path through Navy housing and past the first "mall" west of
the Mississippi, alongside the University Of San Diego, and to its end on
a connector to surface streets around San Diego's Old Town, first
Capitol of California.

Half a mile due east from the orange exotic is Montgomery Field, a private
aircraft hub, and site of one SCCA/Cal Club racing weekend, 1957 if
I'm not mistaken. A few miles north is Miramar Marine Air Station (think
Top Gun), cheek-by-jowl with Hourglass Field, another SCCA one-time
racing venue. Due west from there, not that many miles away, is Torrey
Pines, a real sports car racing shrine, now interred under a magnificent
golf course. North from Torrey Pines, just five or six miles, is Del Mar,
location of the San Diego County Fair ground, once again a racing mecca
in its day, SCCA and later IMSA.

From the beach at Del Mar, and from the Cliffs at Torrey Pines, you can
look south and see the Bullring-By-The-Sea, at Playas de Tijuana, México
Some may remember that place as the site of several sports car races,
including one in which Your OBedient Servant participated.

Plenty of summers' evening potential around here.


My favorite interesting car in traffic was a relatively run-of-the-mill
Cadillac convertible, 1954, I think, baby blue with white leather. It
made a screeching left turn from my right to left, off Hollywood
Boulevard west onto Vine Street south, running the newly-red light.
As it turned I recognized the driver and the left-side back-seat
passenger, who was leaning far out over the side and upchucking
what looked like red wine or sloe gin, complete with sound effects
that blended nicely with those from tortured rubber.

He, the driver, was James Dean. She, the puke-er, was Natalie Wood.
Me, the grinning tourist, was fresh out of film and flash bulbs, having
spent them on the B.A.T. (7?) and an exotic-for-sure Talbot Lago on the
lot at Ernie McAfee's Sunset Boulevard store, and on my pal, who posed
very un-dramatically in front of the NBC studio sign across from the
all-night record store where Connie Francis was being interviewed
on the air and in full view of interested public (none to speak of).


Second favorite interesting car in traffic was in May, 1957. My friend and
I were headed to Los Angeles from Las Vegas to end a trip begun in
exotic Bossier City, Louisiana. The MG TD I was driving had begun to
spew blowby smoke at any speed over forty-five miles per hour, so we
were dawdling along on the flat stretch out of Baker, when I saw in
the rear view mirror a tiiny dot that was growing quickly in size. I nudged
Jim and told him to get ready. Couple ticks later a silver 300SL coupe
went by, probably more than a hundred miles per hour faster than we
were making. Both the driver and passenger answered our waves.
We could see them through their back window, and I suppose they
could see our big grins, if they looked at the right instant.


Wait, another one: Driving from San Diego to Ensenada for the start
of a Baja 1000 race, my VW camper's throttle cable broke. I was
feeling very smug and competent at being able to repair it at the side
of the old highway, when the ground began to shake and the sky
darkened, and the Parnelli Jones Bronco thundered by at a monster
rate of speed. More big grins.

I got a million of 'em.

--
Frank S

[CJE]

How about this:

[Rob G]

I vacationed in Philadelphia for a few days last year, and one day I was driving down one of their main streets south of downtown and saw an mid-'90s (I think) Volvo BTCC car parked along the curb as though it were a regular car. At least, if it wasn't a BTCC car is was a dead ringer for one, including the paint scheme. A BTCC car isn't anything I'd ever expect to see in the US, especially parallel parked in a major city!

[ray b]

Bernd no idea what you v10 was
I did see a real M6b coupe , well the body was, anyway, VW guts under it saddly
the owner claimed mcL sold him the body when they desided not to build anymore M6b's
he was trying to sell it for 20k I told him I would rather have a V8 then a VW
AFAIK that was the only other roadcar they made
there were some mcL badged road cars in the usa a mercury and a pontaic but nothing good

a P4 Ferrari was seen a few times street driven in coconut grove in miami in the mid 80s

but my wildest spot was a REAL ROYAL in the super subs shop parking lot in 1974 on 8st in miami
at first glance I thought it had to be a re-pro but the details like 36'' wheels and over all quality
said this BUG was REAL even if way out of place at a subs shop
later foundout it was owned by a henry "N" of miami springs a well known collector of such cars

[MoMurray]

Recently I was driving up PCH from Newport Beach one evening about 7:00pm when I spotted this. I thought "How interesting" and pulled alongside. Well there were about seven e class mercs in front of and tailing this car, all with large antennea and the word "Werkswagon" on the tail. They were not happy that I wanted to get close to their baby, so I naturally positioned myself between them and this future whateveritmaybe. I stayed in the convoy all the way up to Seal Beach (this is southern California for all youz furners) and as I took pics with my phone they were not pleased.

However, if you don't want your top secret new model photographed, don't drive it up PCH on a Wednesday evening...unless they were hoping to generate the illicit release of spy photos and there annoyance was simply that I got in the way of the Road & Track guys...

Velly Intellesting....

[Barry Boor]

Not actually seen on the road but road legal is/was this McLaren that I photographed in the Brands Hatch paddock some time during 1970 or 1971.

[mdecarle]

In 2000: On the highway from Antwerp to Brussels (Belgium) (at 4:00 am ! )

A Black Ferrari F50, roof down
A Red Ferrari F50, roof closed

Escorted by 2 dark-blue Lancias with Ferrari shields.

All carrying UK license plates. And going more than 150 km/h.

[eldougo]

On my short journey to work yesterday i was passed by a Lotus clubman.then saw a FORD GT 40
and a Mustang fastback passby at the next set of lights. : .I only tavel 3.5 K/M .

[subh]

I once saw one of those BTCC Volvos - the 1998 Rydell/Morbidelli version - parked outside a house that I passed going to work.

[petefenelon]

Back in '94 I was walking to the pub (the Ackhorne on St Martin's Lane in York) and the local dealer's Alfa 155 Silverstone demonstrator was sat outside someone's house -- full BTCC-lookalike race livery, although road-car interior and obviously not race-tuned in any way.

Now those of you who remember the '94 BTCC will remember that the first half of the year was dominated by squabbles over the eligibility of the Alfa's front splitter (which was extensible) and rear wing (which could be raised several inches by "packing pieces" that were supplied in the boot).

As if to cock a snook at the regs problems its racing cousins were facing, this demonstrator had its claws fully extended - splitter unscrewed and pulled fully forward and rear wing standing proud on its "packing pieces". It looked fantastic;)


I've seen BTCC-liveried road cars several times - SEAT, Volvo and Ford... none of them had the impact of the Alfa!

[petefenelon]

On my first trip to Italy - would've been 1992 or so - I was fairly impressed to have been met at Linate by a big S-class Merc that was taking me to the EU research lab I was visiting up in the Lakes. So far so good, the chauffeur is pootling along the Autostrada del Laghi at a nice safe 160km/h or so. A few miles clear of the outer suburbs of Milan there's a growl behind us that turns into a low red shape that's clearly doing a lot more than 160km/h - my guess would be something on the far side of 220 judging by the relative speeds. The driver mutters something like ""è un F40 - bastardo!" - and puts his foot down. No chance of chasing it, of course, but the Merc gathers its skirts and picks up speet, up to something near 200km/h (not bad considering we were four up with luggage for three of us!), the Ferrari's probably near 250, and it's only as it starts disappearing off into the distance that the driver calms down....... on the same journey I saw a Metro that had been reduced to burnt tinfoil and started wondering just how (un)safe high speeds were on the Autostrada....;)

[Andrew Kitson]

I was driving back from Norwich towards Cambridge one Monday morning a couple of years ago, stuck in traffic on the A14 Newmarket bypass, looked across at the other carriageway which was running smoothly and the ex-Moss SWB Ferrari '1 SWB' sped past! Did not have time to check out the pilot, perhaps on its way to a Snetterton test?

[ian senior]

Not a very interesting car, but an interesting driver.

Coming home from the Croft International in 1971, traffic was fairly heavy on the country roads leading back to the A1. Speeds were no more than 40mph, and there was for some reason plenty of oncoming traffic. My Dad was at the wheel when he said "look at this silly bugger behind us, he must be joking if he thinks he can get past on this road". My mate, in the back seat, turned round to have a look at the "silly bugger", who was driving an Escort RS 1600. "It's Dave Walker!" he said - the man who had just won the F3 race that afternoon. Walker was doing his best to climb inside our car and can only have been a matter of inches away from the back bumper. Eventually, he found a gap, and advanced precisely one car length (ours - and he only made it thanks to my old man slamming on the anchors) before making no further progress until we hit the main road.

[bill moffat]

Gunnar Nilsson's Lotus 78 on the Fulham Palace Rd just a few months after his death put a few lumps in a few throats (mine included)...

[John B]

Californians had this opportunity last weekend.....


Yahoo! Sports
Robby Gordon drove a customized dune buggy – similar to the type he races off-road in Baja when he's not competing as a Nextel Cup driver – from his race store in Anaheim to Fontana for the Sony HD 500 at California Speedway. Everything was going along fine until Gordon made it to the race track's infield early Sunday afternoon. He was driving along en route to his nearby motor home when a pair of San Bernardino County sheriff's police SUVs, complete with lights and sirens, suddenly pulled Gordon over to see if his ride was street-legal. "They go, 'We know who you are, but we still want to see your driver's license, vehicle registration and proof of insurance,'" said Gordon, who says he didn't even attempt to talk himself out of a potential ticket by touting his race-driver status. "I just said, 'Yes, sir.'" Fortunately for Gordon, driver of the #7 Chevrolet, he had all the necessary paperwork for his tricked-out ride, which carries the license plate "ONEBAJA."
"I was starting to worry [whether] I had [the paperwork]," Gordon said. "But I did and they let me go. It was like 30 seconds tops." Gordon took the unusual traffic stop in stride. "I've been guilty of a lot of things," he quipped. "For the first time in my life, I was innocent."

[2F-001]

I have a recollection being overtaken on the road between, Aubagne and Toulon, by the TT-winning Innes Ireland Ferrari. We were trailering a car to a trackday at the Paul Ricard circuit near Le Castellet. This was during the fortnight following the first Goodwood Revival; the Ferrari's owner (having only quite recently acquired it, I believe) was along on the same trackday tour with a 'team' of cars from his collection. I'm fairly sure Peter Hardman drove it at some point during that trip.

[Arjan de Roos]

Maybe OT, maybe not. But the place where to sit is quite important. Take Le Mans end of June for instance!!

Last weekend a large historic car event was organised in Apeldoorn (Concours d'Elegance Paleis het Loo) in The Netherlands. As we went for diner some miles from th eroyal palace (Het Loo) where the event took place, many participants passed the restaurant with their cars, and not all on trailers! Top of my diner was the Ford Heritage GT40 Mk V that growled passed (next to some modern Spykers and classic Lagonda's, Bentleys, Ferrari's, etc.

[Bernd]

Nup Barry's pic is not it. It was much more conventional looking... The mystery remains.

[petefenelon]

It would be remiss of me not to mention http://www.barryboys.co.uk where the more 'interesting' vehicles on Britain's roads are held up for public mockery.

The language is occasionally a tad crude but as a dissection of a certain socioeconomic class and its love affair with all things blingin' it's occasionally fascinating.

(Stay away if you're an admirer of 1.2 Novas with four exhaust pipes, metalflake paint and full bodykit.);)

[David Beard]

I once saw this being driven on the Oxford by-pass....

[lumepojo]

When I was 7 years old (1967) we went to see my father's cousin near Strasbourg. There was a a small mountain that we went to to look at the park and the view and along the way we were passed by a Chapparal 2F02 and then by a gaggle of Ford GTs, Abarths and Porsches (906). All the cars had registration plates and the sound was something else. I could see from the backseat of the 2CV a white flash coming towards us. Even now, when I think back, it may have well been a jet fighter flying through the forest when I think of the Speed that the Chapparal was racing along. I have never been able to find out what the hell was going on. There is no record of this, but somewhere we have photos/slides.

[JohnH]

Nascar's Robby Gordon drove his full blown Baja race truck to the race last Sunday in Fontana from his shop in Orange. He also got pulled over when he got to the track as the cops wanted to make sure it was carrying registration and insurance. The truck is street legal and had all its' papers.

John

[john aston]

En route North , M1 after my first GP - Silverstone 71.Driving dads Vitesse at 75 or so- yellow dot in mirror- before I could mention it to passengers it was past. 'It' being a Ford GT 40.Nevre have I sen a car go quicker on public roads.Not less than 150 -I suspect rather more.

[RTH]

Originally posted by David Beard
I once saw this being driven on the Oxford by-pass....

"Game set and match, Beard "

[WDH74]

[IMG]http://img372.images...arked2fa.th.jpg[/IMG]

Saw this parked on the sidewalk on north Michigan Avenue one fine summer's day a couple years back. IIRC it was in front of or near the Nordstrom's, not quite as far north as the Virgin Megastore.

-William

[Todd]

Originally posted by Frank S



I don't know what this is, nor how exotic, but I have my suspicions. Any
guesses?

Fiat 124 Sport Spider? The cover mine lived under was even the same color.

[CJE]

The Count Rossi 917. I really like the last photo - looks like Bernie from "Weekend at Bernie's" propped up in the passenger seat.

[CJE]

[Frank S]

This one has been on TNF, and I don't remember the source,
but it is certainly at or near the pinnacle for this thread:



I know I missed this live by just a few minutes one way or the
other. It's on the highway between the City of Riverside and
the Raceway, November, 1960. The governor of California had
given special dispensation to the F! cars, so they could be driven
on the road. Facilities at the raceway were primitive, and the
teams found working space in the service areas of car
dealerships in town.

I did get to pass the winning Lotus headed the other direction
after practice on one of the days prior to the race. I should have
kept the MG TD forever, just on that basis.

--
Frank S

[Graham Gauld]

A golden oldie memory. Back in 1954 I was doing my National Service (RAF) in Belfast which allowed me to continue to report on races back home. One day I found Irish driver Torrie Large sitting in his Alta grand prix car at the traffic lights in the middle of Belfast blipping the throttle to keep the revs up and waiting for the lights to change before driving off. A year later I arranged with Ivor Bueb to get a lift up to Dundrod for the 1955 Tourist Trophy race in the Manx Tail Cooper he was racing. Unfortunately the bus from the camp to his hotel was late and Ivor had already left. I think that would have been an experience for the book.

GG

[CJE]

A few I took at the Press-On-Regardless SCCA rally around 1982:

[Todd]

Originally posted by CJE
A few I took at the Press-On-Regardless SCCA rally around 1982:

This one drives me nuts. I recognize the R5 Turbo, the Eagle SX/4, and the greenhouse of a MK1 Escort in the background, but what is that monster with the roof mounted lights? The wheels look like they are from an early Toronado.

[Gilles4Ever]

If I am not mistaken, that's a Dodge Colt

[johnwilliamdavies]

Leaving the Aston Martin Owners Club meeting at Pembrey last year I was lucky enough to follow Rowan Atkinson in his Mclaren F1 along the road through Llanelli to the M4. It was interesting to note the local teenage boys reactions. "Bloody hell it's a Mclaren!", "Yeah, and Mr Bean is driving!".
Needless to say, as soon as we hit the M4 he accelerated at a phenomenal rate and was out of sight within 10 seconds.

jwd

[CJE]

Todd - I'm not sure WHAT that is??? Never really looked at it before. But the front wheels look like they're off of an front-wheel drive Olds Toronado don't they? Front fenders look that way too. I do remember there were some very odd creations from the locals racing in amongst the high-end Quattros, Peugeots and R5's!!

[Gilles4Ever]

It's a Buzzard Mobile ;)

A 60s Olds Tornado as CJE said.

A brief history here pg 16 http://www.rallybc.c...e_Jan._2001.pdf

[CJE]

This place never ceases to amaze me! Even a one-off creation like the Buzzard Mobile can have its history tracked down. Thanks!

[petefenelon]

Originally posted by Gilles4Ever
It's a Buzzard Mobile ;)

A 60s Olds Tornado as CJE said.

A brief history here pg 16 http://www.rallybc.c...e_Jan._2001.pdf

Great story. And a splendid club mag too.

[RTH]

Originally posted by johnwilliamdavies
Leaving the Aston Martin Owners Club meeting at Pembrey last year I was lucky enough to follow Rowan Atkinson in his Mclaren F1 along the road through Llanelli to the M4. It was interesting to note the local teenage boys reactions. "Bloody hell it's a Mclaren!", "Yeah, and Mr Bean is driving!".
Needless to say, as soon as we hit the M4 he accelerated at a phenomenal rate and was out of sight within 10 seconds.

jwd

Was he using it to tow his caravan ?

[Todd]

Thanks Gilles4Ever and CJE. My curiousity is now satisfied.

[CJE]