Chrome plated rally-style wire headlight stone-guards, blankets and picnic baskets, tasteful leather interiors meant to indulge and captivate, all in a day at the show called "San Diego British Car Day."
The beauty of a British ride...is a sense of adventure, antics and romance that comes into play messing about in these cars. Sure, not all have knock offs and shiny walnut veneered dashes, most are clad in vinyl holding the Smiths, buy still rather handsome. And the naysayers may point to the four or six bangers sucking though SU's as not lighting the beltways on fire, but one can only imagine a little heel-and-toe on the pedals as you peer through the windscreen over the front wings rounding a corner.
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| The '53 Sunbean Alpine MK1 of Dannie and Craig McLaughlin was stunning. |
One such car that caught my eye was a petite Morris Minor woody wagon. Sure the name may lack the cache' of a Jaguar or Aston, although the woodwork, like the chrome, had a subdued luster, much like old cricket bats that could hold a thousand stories, this one of miles well lived.
With a nod going to this show, complete with a British food truck serving up "Bangers and Mash,"it certainly brought back memories of names now foreign to America; bonnets, boots, crossply tyres' and petrol. And with this comes the point of my tale, although not exercising these thoroughbred motor cars in a four-wheel drift, it was a feast for the eyes dished up on a beautiful day with close to 300.
Now to go find a used
Bagpipe and take some lessons. Watch the blog calendar for next year's rendition.
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| Margret Puhn's '60 Morris Minor woodie could tell many a story. |
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| The American flag waved in the reflection of the headlight of Uwe and Diana Biegner's Jag. |
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| Rex Ryan's '53 Jag XK 120M sat gleaming with it's chrome wires. |
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| There's a gentle burnished glow from these MGBs. |
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| Blog follower Uwe Biegner had to display his Jags tools. |
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| Steve McCarthy's '60 TR3 had a war story or two told to all that looked at its patina. |
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| The ambiance of preservation filled the air. |
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Very nice car, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteKim emailed: Boy, that third MGB Roadster in the line looks like my old one. Correct color (Mallard green), correct tail lights, and I had a Jaguar exhaust that stuck out just like that one. After the fire, we gave our 1973 MGB to a fellow who spent a couple thousand hours (and thousands of $$) restoring it. Not to original concours level, but to "really nice" street level.
ReplyDeleteI don't suppose you have any photos of the MGB license plates? Mine were "978HMS" and I think he kept them (who wouldn't keep an "HMS" plate for a British car).
Thanks for posting these,
Kim
Wow, beautiful car. I love classic English cars. I'm a window tinting professional in Southern California, so unfortunately I don't get to see too many of them in my daily work!
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