SUMMER 1968

Many a motorist hitched up a 1960s caravan to their wheels for some seaside fun, Welsh style

Ah, the joys of the great British caravanning holiday – staying in a box, next to lots of other identical boxes, after a long journey that would have generated much frustration from other road users because you were very slowly towing a box. Actually, the Bay Caravan Park – still operating incidentally, on a really rather lovely bit of Welsh clifftop overlooking the Bristol Channel – was predominantly a static site, with boxes (sorry, caravans) already in place. Which was just as well, because we’re not entirely convinced about the ability of many of the cars here to tow anything beyond a very small trailer.

First of the ‘Let’s not try to tug anything too much’ motors here is the 1965 Wolseley Hornet MkII, which at least benefitted from a larger 998cc engine than most of its lesser Mini siblings. An early example of the long-lived Viva-based HA van is next – useful for luggage, especially with its roof-rack, but not much cop for passengers. We’re into the realms of real economy motoring with the Ford Popular 103E. The neighbouring Singer Gazelle is rather more upmarket; the roll-over tail fins pinpoint a 1959-on example. Moving on, we have a Mini Super MkI, Austin A30/A35 van estate conversion, Austin A55 Cambridge MkII, Ford Cortina MkI and a rather sorry-looking Ford Prefect E493A that looks abandoned and robbed of its headlamp glass. The adjacent Rover P4 is a 1952-1957 example, judging by its front end, after which there’s a Morris Oxford Series II, Austin A40 Farina, Ford Anglia 105E Deluxe and the only overseas invader in our photograph – a two-stroke Saab 96. A Standard 10 and Rover P6 2000 complete the row.

Strangely, nobody seems to be terribly interested in the industrial load of Kardov flour – a popular brand in Wales – that has turned up via a Ford D-series truck on the left. It must have been one of the highlights of the day…