When I was taking pictures at the starting point of the 2019 tour, I ran into an old acquaintance. And when we were done, most cars were gone. Well, you can always spot some more classics in the background of this year’s quick scan. Let’s go, it won’t take long…
1976 Fiat 128 Special 1100.
1970 Fiat 124 Sport.
1973 DAF 33 Variomatic.
1971 Volvo 164.
1966 Volkswagen 1600 TL.
1965 Hillman Super Minx MkIII Automatic.
1983 Mercedes-Benz 380 SEC.
1969 Ford Mustang Fastback. There once was a Boss 351, but not in 1969/1970. Never mind, it’s one sweet classic ride.
1984 Citroën 2CV6.
Last year’s edition for more similar classics from all over the globe.
Maybe it’s because I was born at more or less the start of the reliable import car invasion (b.1966) from the Japanese, I have always failed to see the attraction to British cars, with a few exceptions of course. I like Land Rovers, I like Jag XK-E’s (mainly to look at, wouldn’t trust one to go to the corner 7-11). Anything with the Buick/Rover aluminum V8 to me is just a shipping crate for a gem of an engine. Love that VW, and the Mustang, but the stripes would have to go.
Nice variety from 2CV to Hillman to Mustang. Two cars that often come up as the archetypes for “boxy” styling are the Fiat 128 and Volvo 140 (I know, the 164 pictured here is a little more stylish, perhaps in a bad way, than a true 140). But they are paragons of good proportion and surface detailing compared to the 1980’s Lincoln Town Car featured recently). In fact I think the 128 is one of the best looking small sedans of all time. The 124 coupe isn’t bad either. As for the Super Minx, it’s hard to find something nice to say about it … maybe Bryce will chime in 😀
….we’re all counting on him.
It does have quite a long wheelbase (101″) for it’s size (165″) and conventional layout – good if that actual translates to useable space inside. I might dig through the library to try and find that out.
My Dad had one, just like this one, https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-european/curbside-classic-1966-hillman-super-minx-rooting-for-rootes/, so nothing bad may be said. 😉
Space (at least length inside) wasn’t bad and the boot was big too. Definitely a step up from the Minx.
Or is that faint praise?
1968 wheels, 1969 body, 1970 stripes, 1971 nomenclature, 2003 color. That Mustang is trying way too hard but I still like it!
Someone is simply enjoying it, without trying to have a concours winner!
Right, as you know nobody gives a damn here about matching numbers and period correctness when it comes to classic Americana.
I remember when the Super Minx appeared being shocked at how bad it looked. I didn’t realise at the time that the previous generation of Rootes cars were not styled ” in-house”.
Looking again at it, the headlamp treatment was so wrong ! It was a real pigs-ear of a car. Why would anybody want to preserve it ?
The proportions aren’t quite perfect on the Fiat 128 – but it was a remarkable piece of design. Such a pity they all rusted away so soon.
Those old Fiats had dodgy steel and brittle plastics – and yet they had soul, as if they knew they were from the land of Ferrari….
I’m an admittedly biased Volvo nut, but I will always think the 164 is a classically beautiful design.
+1 on the Volvo. Love the B30, especially in marine use. Three carbs and an exhaust note at full throttle to die for.
That top shot is pure multiculturalism – Italian, Japanese, German and American. It sort of sums up the US market these days.
It looks like with the Super Minx, Hillman began looking to Ramblers instead of Studebakers for inspiration.
Oooooh – that SEC!
With bumpers as Bruno Sacco intended and in a beautiful color that no American Mercedes dealer ever had the guts to order. Very European.
That design has held up so well – now after 36+ years. Just wow!
I can remember that green being fairly commonplace on the previous generation (W116) S- class in the states.
Agreed entirely on the SEC, especially that colour. It never quite looked as good in the coloured-in smooth-wheeled 560 update, not from the get go. For mine, this is perhaps Mercedes last really expensive-looking car. Which it sure as hell was when new, and probably why resale-resistant green wasn’t much chosen.
My only quibble has always been that doorhandle, a carbuncle resembling a piece of some heavy-duty Tupperware device glued to the side. Lord knows why it looked so.
Your photography skills are outstanding Johannes. And your contributions bring much depth to Paul’s site. Very much appreciate all of your hard work.
Thank you! Regarding the photography skills…
I pay attention to the position of the sun and see if the whole object fits in the screen. For the rest everything on my rather simple digital camera is on automatic, I never adjust anything. Then it’s just click. That about wraps it up.
I love the way Johannes always shows us both front and rear of the cars he features.
Ditto ditto to both above. Bravo, Mr D.
But you really must translate the headline, which, in English, looks as if you have done a photoreport on a landmass of walruses: if so, I don’t see them.
“The Land of Maas and Waal Tour”. The Maas and the Waal are rivers. The land/region between those rivers is called het Land van Maas en Waal. I have yet to spot the walruses.
Beautiful, thanks for posting.
Ive never seen that eggcrate grille on that model Fiat unusual, Tidy Superminx seems to have a 1725 badge on the front fender rare as that engine came out in the MK4 66 here, 5 main bearings they are good engines I have one in my Minx.
Lovely pictures of normal cars we used to drive in Holland.
Mustangs and 500 SEC’s were more ‘for that kind a’boys you did not mess with cars’ but the Hillman, who designed that?
And the 128 FIAT, technically these are Autobianchi Primula’s, FIAT’s boss and owner Gianni Agnelli was not for FWD cars since he had crashed a prototype in the fifties.
So to protect FIAT’s reputation, he used Autobianchi as a brand to test new futuristic constructions.
And this was the case with the Primula, it was the first FWD production car where they managed to install the gearbox next to the engine instead of under it or in front of the engine. The rest of the world were to follow soon !
the first the first FWD production car where they managed to install the gearbox next to the engine instead of under it or in front of the engine.
Actually it wasn’t, as the Goliath was doing that in 1950. And the Trabant in 1957. And And some others also.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cohort-sighting-1951-goliath-gp-700-rometsch-looks-like-a-porsche-but-this-fwd-coupe-pioneered-fuel-injection/
Merci Paul, I always read everywhere ‘t was the Primula.
At this moment I am in soft negociation to acquire a Primula Coupé , solid but in parts and pieces. This will be a love over gold project but I really love that odd brand .
Very nice collection of cars. What you said about American cars is interesting, as clearly the European cars that you have shared from a number of car shows are invariably very original. So there’s apparently a dichotomy.
I love seeing some of these more obscure European cars. If only we had car shows like that here, I might actually go once in a while.
When looking at the pony- and muscle cars from the second half of the sixties and the early seventies, a good (and preferably excellent) overall condition is what matters most here.
Nobody remembers these cars anyway, because we never had them in the first place. Well, maybe there was a fair number of Mustangs, a handful of them was even built in Amsterdam back in its days.
So it’s not a big deal if the car doesn’t have its original engine or year-correct color anymore, or if it’s a tribute/restomod, etc.
Now the Fiats, (Euro) Fords, Opels, Volkswagens, Renaults etc. from the sixtiies/seventies…that’s another story. Those are the cars we grew up in, those were the cars our parents, uncles or neighbors drove.
In other words, those are the classics we do remember and know very well, inside and out. Keep them in the condition we knew them!