2005 is the twentieth anniversary of the Cambridge and District Classic Car Club, a club for classic car owners and enthusiasts that is typical of hundreds across the UK and elsewhere, and to celebrate the club organised a classic car gathering in the city of Ely.
The cathedral in Ely, north of Cambridge, was founded in 672, and the current building is one of the most spectacular medieval buildings in England. The famous landmark west front, with its distinctive octagonal tower and Galilee porch, date back to the 12th century. Opposite the cathedral is the 15th century Bishop’s Palace, and it was on the Old Palace Green, facing the west front of cathedral, that the rally was held.
Of course, Department of Transport regulations still apply, so the obligatory Morris Minor, in this case a great 1966 Traveller, was placed right by the cathedral. This way, the clipboard-toting bureaucrat could complete the formalities and then walk in to the rest of the show and take it all in. As we will now.
The 1972 MGB roadster at the top of the page, seen here next an MG ZT260 saloon with a Ford Mustang V8, is an example of perhaps Britain’s most popular classic sports car, which sold around half a million from 1962 to 1981. This is a very nicely maintained example, the owner of which I know well. It’s used, frequently but not daily, and not abused.
There were several other MGBs in the display, including this MGB GT V8, which seemed to cluster together in groups, though through chance rather than design.
Seeing these in multiple quantities always makes you think “Whatever happened, and why?”
Perhaps this MGF helps tell that part of the story?
The MGB succeeded the MGA, and this 1961 example shows a rather stylish way of presenting your number plate and securing your bonnet.
This 1960 Humber Super Snipe estate shows the Rootes Group’s customary aping of contemporary American styling very well – is it a Humber or a 1955 Chevrolet? Certainly, it must get an award for the amount of chrome around the front, and there is something about the external sun visor. These are actually relatively unusual in the UK, but were often part of an export specification for markets with warmer climates. A six cylinder, 2.9 litre engine provided the power.
The rear tailgate was a split twp piece item, dropping down like many an American station wagon…
…Or even like this l965 Singer Vogue estate, also a Rootes product of course, and based on the Hillman Super Minx. This car has the famous Rootes 1725cc OHV engine, and has a bit of CC history as well.
One of the largest cars at the rally was this 1961 Jaguar Mk 9, with a 3.8 litre version of the famous XK engine. This car was superbly presented, and the two tone grey colour scheme seemed evocative of the period.
For Europe, this was a big car, with a wheelbase of around 120 inches and a weight of 4000lbs. Performance was still pretty brisk, though with a 0-60 time of around 11 seconds, and even a circuit racing pedigree.
The Jaguar family was expanded by the 2.4 Litre and 3.4 Litre saloons, retrospectively better known as the Mk 1 and replaced by the evolutionary Mk 2 saloon in 1959. This 1962 car is a 3.8 litre version, and looked splendid in bright red.
Close by was the Daimler version of the Mk2. In 1961, Jaguar bought the UK Daimler company, a purchase which included Daimler’s 2.5 litre V8 engine. Added to the Mk 2, this made an interesting alternative to the Jaguar, with the smooth V8 more than matching the 2.4 litre six cylinder Jaguar for performance. It was actually close to the 3.8 Litre Jaguar saloon, not least because of the reduced overall weight.
This car was originally sold in New Zealand and brought back to the UK as part of personal relocation, and has been subject to a gentle restoration, including an engine rebuild. Visually, there are few clues that it is a Daimler, not a Jaguar, but it sounds quite different.
Of course, if a Daimler or Jaguar is not enough, then how about a Rolls-Royce? This Silver Cloud Series II had Rolls-Royce’s first V8 engine, in 6250cc form, and has Rolls-Royce’s standard factory body, actually built by Pressed Steel at Cowley, Oxford, and later part of BMC.
These cars were Rolls-Royce’s last body on frame design, apart from the low volume and related Phantom V and VI, and have a timeless appeal that suit the cathedral setting well. Do you remember the advertisement claiming that the loudest noise was the clock? Well, this was the car.
Going further back, there were great examples of two of Britain’s favourite cars of the 1930s – the Austin Seven and the Morris 10/4. The Austin (on the left) is a 1938 car with a 750cc four cylinder engine, and a direct lineal descendant of the Hebert Austin’s original 1921 car.
Size wise, this can only be considered a small car with a wheelbase of just 81 inches and a length of 123 inches, comparable with its post war equivalent the original Mini.
The Morris is a 1932 car with a 1292cc engine, and was a size above the Austin. 0-50 in 27 seconds, over 60mph maximum speed. I think it is fair to say that aerodynamics was not Cowley’s strong point in 1932.
If you were a bit more affluent in the mid 1930s, you might have picked a Triumph Gloria. The Gloria name was used on varying combinations of six engines and three chassis, and was effectively the complete Triumph range from 1932 until the war.
This car is a 1936 Gloria 12, with a 1232cc, 42bhp four cylinder engine, which was designed by Coventry Climax but built by Triumph, who later designed engines for fire pumps, Grand Prix cars and the Hillman Imp.
Later cars had six cylinder engines of up to 2 litres with much improved performance and formed the basis for the best remembered pre-war Triumph, the original Dolomite. Those engines were also the basis for Jaguar’s engines at the time.
One car that has had some CC exposure is the Opel GT, and I show this 1971 example purely because it is one of perhaps fewer than 20 in the UK, and is owned by someone who grew up admiring them, in Germany. Is that front a mini-Sting Ray or what?
And there is something cohesive about the car, the date and the colour. 70s’ cars in 70s’ colours just look right.
Also with a CC pedigree is the SAAB 96, in this case a 1972 car with the 1498cc Ford of Germany V4 engine. Was this the last car to sold in Europe with column gearchange? Or was it the Renault 16?
And last, but not least as it was my pick of the show, this 1935 Armstrong-Siddeley 12 saloon.
Armstrong-Siddeley got its rather cumbersome name as a result of the 1919 merger of the automtoive interests of the armaments and shipbuilding company Armstrong-Whitworth and Siddeley-Deasy, which was primarily an aero-engine business. The resulting business with its aero-engine and luxury car interests was not dissimilar to Rolls-Royce, into which the company was ultimately absorbed.
This car is an example of the smallest Armstrong-Siddeley powered by a 1236cc four cylinder engine and was introduced in 1928, as Armstrong-Siddeley adapted to the straitened times of the late 1920s. It has a preselector gearbox developed by W G Wilson of Self Changing Gears Ltd, a company in which Siddeley had an interest. As its name suggests, gear changes were made by selecting a gear ratio in advance of its being needed and when the time was right, the chosen gear was engaged by pressing and releasing the ‘gear change pedal’, which was normally installed in place of the usual clutch pedal.
My other reason for picking this car as a favourite was that the owner hadn’t been aware of the event until he saw the preparations early in the morning as he walked his dog; he went home and brought his car back with him. It was that sort sort of event.
So, an interesting selection of cars in a great location.
If we go back next year, can we fire the cannon?
An insight into the origin of the saying “to an Englishman, a hundred miles is a long way, to an American a hundred years is a long time”.
CC effect. Saw a Morris Minor this morning. It wasn’t a Traveller, but it was Travelling to the lake with a rowboat strapped on its roof!
Looks nice a very afternoon out, and some great cars, Roger! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Rover with the spare on the trunk lid like that, but your pic show two of them.
I’m trying to figure out what some of the background cars are:
1. The swoopy black one to the right of the first Humber Super Snipe picture?
2. The red one with the black grille opening and headlight surround behind the first two pictures of the Triumph Gloria. License plate starts with D448?
3. And the teal one behind the cannon in the last picture is a TVR, right?
I think number 1. is a TVR Tuscan R.
Aggressively styled sports cars in the UK….probably TVRs….
The teal car is definitely a TVR, but I think it’s a Griffith, not a Tuscan. From the front, a Tuscan is hard to miss — it looks like it was inspired by some extraterrestrial insect.
Ate Up, is right… The car in back of the cannon is a TVR Griffith.
Yes, but what about the black car (number 1. in Jim’s comment). Not the TVR behind the cannon.
I’m with you on the shape. These TVRs came in so many name variations for this general shape, but the ‘fastback’ you posted above seems right to me. It looks like it has a rear spoiler too.
Some TVR designs make any Lamborghini cry like a baby. And this may also be the one Jim mentions, given the spoiler and the roof bulb…
Oh, okay, I kinda figured that, after my reply. 🙂
Yes, Johannes, that curvy rear does look like a TVR, a Tuscan or Cerbera… but you just posted a pic of what it really could be, that has the rear wing on the trunk.
A TVR Sagaris
TVR Sagaris
Problem solved, I think. Given the “see-through” rear spoiler and the somewhat raised roof on the right side I agree it’s a TVR Sagaris.
Rover P6s were glorious cars, but the boot space was poor, so the boot-mounted spare wasn’t a rarity.
When Dunlop introduced their Denovo run-flat car, it was first available on the P6 3500, as it (hopefully) eliminated the need for a spare and freed up some valuable boot space.
While I’m here, I’ll have the Super Snipe shooting brake, please.
The black car (actually a very dark but light reacting green) is a TVR Sagaris, the ultimate expression of TVR’s craziness. It won the people’s vote for car of the show, and a CC is in the skunk works.
Your second query car is an Onyx, a sports kit car built on the base of a Fiat Punto (Fiat’s Fiesta competitor). Pretty rare.
And yes, the teal coloured car is a TVR Griffin
Serious Brit-car love here. Beautiful MGB, with its vital knockoff hubs; love its shade of red, too! Not many cars introduced in 1961 still look that clean.
That ZT260 w/ Modular V8 sounds insane. Speaking of V8s, I just looked up the Daimler unit, which I never heard of before. Along with the Buick/Rover 3.5L, maybe BL could’ve had a full range of small-block OHV V8s to play with. How about the Stag with a Daimler 2.5?
The Super Snipe reminds me of lowrider Chevies fully tricked-out.
Interesting fact: The MG ZT260 was basically the RWD equivalent of the FWD Rover 75 sedan. Pictured below a Rover 75 4.6 V8, so also RWD like the MG. The lesser gods were all FWD.
That makes the Rover 75 both a FWD and RWD sedan. Pretty unique, I guess.
Not quite unique, as the Triumph Dolomite, 1500 and Toledo were RWD conversions of the FWD Triumph 1300.
Another CC in the back office
Right, I meant that there were both FWD and RWD Rover 75 models at the same time.
Taking the Landcrab and stretching it into the Austin 3-Litre was another example of the same sort of thing. BMC/BL/AR had real form in this area.
And more – I note on AROnline that Keith Adams describes the mid-engined MGF (as seen in purple above) as a “back-to-front Metro”. It’s a little more complicated than that, but still…
Daimler also had a 4.5L V8 by the same designer the cars it was fitted to could top 130mph that engine was canned by Jaguar after the merger it was too good.
Designed by Edwin Turner of Ariel Square Four and Triumph vertical twin fame. His last engine design that was any good.
Very popular among early British drag racers til American V8s took over
Lovely day for it! Even the ducks seem to be enjoying themselves.
Here’s a photo of almost the same view as the second photo, but taken by my father around 1956 or ’57.
wonder where those people were going, frozen in time like that
Thanks Bernard for a great period shot
The guy in the long coat and trilby looks like a spy from a period TV drama, but why he’s following two nurses(?) pushing a woman in a wheelchair we’ll probably never know! The line up of cars is typical for the period (colours, varied ages and types) apart from the leading vehicle. Can anyone identify it?
Thanks Roger. The cathedral looks in a lot better shape now than then.
There’s a mid 50s Ford/Mercury look to it.Could it be one of the Canadian Ford family?
Think that’s a ’55 Fairlane. Not sure what differences were between the Canadian and US versions at the time, Mirror does appear to be on the left rather than the right.
Nice write up too many MGs though but very nice Snipe and that Vogue wagon is a very rare car enen in NZ it should have the alloy head Hunter 1725 engine with twin choke solex and dual outlet header,
Pressed steel built that Roller I know they did a great job on it on an assembly line not far away two stoners built my Minx the assembly quality is chalk and cheese the quarter panel fit on my car is abysmal,( ok I know from the overstamped chassis No it was a very early build but really), Those Rolls were very quiet to ride in one was often left on a school friends parents lawn while its owners holidayed at their island getaway with instructions that it was driven weekly and I got to go for a ride or two even then I could tell a better riding car from my and my friends dad’s new Holdens.
The Armstrong Siddeley is quite an unusual car but not that unusual my uncle in south Sydney has one a 1934 4 cylinder sedan in blue, he also has a 1924 four door sedan the only survivor of its kind but that one from memory has a six,
All in All a nice show though Morry Minors and MGs are just traffic around here the rest of the coverage was great.
Your Minx can’t be all that badly screwed together if it’s still on the road after almost 60 years.
I reassembled it a few years ago but they were quite good cars to begin with but….. many missed spot welds and ill fitting rear quarters tell me someone wasnt paying attention the trim wasnt fitted correctly either, it was an early build.
The 3a which I own was shown at earls court in 1959 as the 1960 model mine was sold in New Zealand in december 59 3a’s had chassis numbers begining B108 the previous model series 3 B106 my car began life stamped B106 and was altered and restamped 108 then mailed out here for final assembly and early sale, it may have been a demonstrator first. The oldest 3a known is in Holland an October build.
Too bad I can’t find a picture, but there is a Hillman Minx Serie 3a registered here. License plate
AR-11-44, first date of registration June 30, 1959. A red convertible. Registered in the Netherlands since November 2010.
Could be they werent released to the public until after the Earls court motor show when ever that was held, series 3s are early 59 3as late 59
Another fine read Roger,thank you. I’ve been in Blackpool for the punk festival and air show and nearby Lytham for the 1940s weekend where I saw the Bentley you featured last year.
Hi Gem,
That Bentley must have a parking ticket by now!
Punk is not my thing (Mike Oldfield, Genesis and Elgar are more like it). Did you get the Vulcan in the airshow?
I was in Lytham in May and caught a DeLorean at the kerbside.
Another CC to do 😉
Yes thanks Roger saw the Vulcan, last year flying so catch it if you can. Nothing wrong with Elgar, the only music I’m not a fan of is Rap and Hip Hop. There was a DeLorean dealer in Dickson Road Blackpool behind the Imperial hotel in 1982, which is now one of Blackpool’s many warzones.
For me that day would be sheer heaven. Classic British cars, a medieval cathedral, and 17th century artillery. I’d go mad trying to figure what to pay attention to next.
Ely Cathedral is certainly a magnificent site for a classic auto show. I visited there about 20 years ago and loved it!
Thanks for the post, Roger. Many happy memories of Ely.
Great pics, Roger.
Yes, the Opel GT was supposed to be like a “poor man’s Corvette”, that you could buy at your local Buick dealer back in the early 70’s.
One came up for sale, in RI, a few months ago, for about $1000… Running too.
The rust wasn’t bad, but still kinda iffy. Finding replacement panels would be like trying to find the elusive Bigfoot.
Picture #5 has 2 MGs & a Morris Minor, what is the yellow car that is next in the row? I think the rear of the same one is seen ahead of the Jaguar Mk9?
Its a Vauxhall Chevette, a GM T car
Thanks. The nose definitely has a ’70s GM vibe to it, so that makes sense.
Its this a Vauxhall Chevette sedan
Some species of late-seventies Vauxhall, but I’m not sure which.
You call em Geminis ol Pete
Superb cover shot Roger. i’ll take the purring Mk9.
Will you be at the Peterborough show on 5/6 Sept Roger? Look out for the Ami Super
Hi,
Probably not, but if I do, I’ll look for an Ami, with pleasure!
Beautiful cars and a very nice cannon.
Too bad the Gothic structure messes everything up. I HATE Gothic architecture because it is so closely related to torture, inquisitions and repression in general.
Welcome to the society in the Middle Ages.
What do you think that the “very nice cannon” was used for ? Curing Black Death ?
Cannons were invented for AC/DC concerts as a way of saluting those about to rock.
What ?!? Are you telling me that AC/DC dates back to the Middle Ages ??
Speaking of rock music and the Middle Ages. You know what an Iron Maiden is, right ?
Yep. Margaret Thatcher in leathers.
Correct !!
Don needs a cold shower, I’d rather not think of Mrs T in leathers as I don’t want to be put off my food
Iron Maiden was a medieval instrument of torture including spikes pointing inward, that’s probably what that band was thinking. The term “Gothic” is really a pejorative used by past writers describing such buildings; now it’s a fashion subculture.
There are simpler ways of torture perfected in the more “progressive” 20th Century, such as keeping the victim awake. The Soviets found that prisoners subjected to this would confess to almost anything.
Gothic architecture (roughly from 1130 to 1530) started in France and was the successor of Roman architecture.
Wars, torture, repression, and bloodshed (all of them mostly religion-related) existed WAY before the Middle Ages and WAY after the Middle Ages. Right up to our days.
Roger, I always dig your posts – the next best thing to using my passport. It doesn’t matter that I may have heard of maybe two or three of these cars – the compelling backdrop and fun mix of cars make this show look like quite the fun time.
My pick would be that Opel GT, but I doubt I’d fit in it.
Love the cathedral as a backdrop. Looks like a magnificent building, and i’m surprised this is the first I’ve seen of it.
My pick of the show would probably have to be one of the big sedans, but which one? Rolls or Mark IX? Then again that red Mark II 3.8 would be fantastic as well…