The Way We Were
Earls Court was always the British Motor Show’s spiritual home. We revisit some of the epics, starting with the 43rd motoring extravaganza six decades ago
1958, ‘60 and ‘76 Motor Shows, Earls Court
An enthusiast for the motoring culture portrayed in classic movies, Andrew blames his obsession on viewing Carry On Cabby in 1975. ‘The Sunbeam Rapier II is ideal for any blazer-wearing driver with a Terry-Thomas moustache’ APPROPRIATELY ATTIRED
For anyone with an avid interest in post-war motoring, it is fascinating to imagine the prospect of being one of the 534,422 visitors to Earls Court Motor Show in 1958, gazing at the often-unattainable cars as you grumbled about petrol now costing 4/6d per gallon (23p in today’s money). The first display to catch the eye is, inevitably, that of Rolls-Royce. A price tag of £5693 17s for a standard steel Silver Cloud represents nearly 12 years’ worth of wages for the average worker, so it’s a good idea to be on good terms with your bank manager.
Fortunately, the Hillman stand offers somewhat more affordable vehicles, and the latest Minx Series III boasts a new 1494cc engine, a modified radiator grille and an improved clutch. The convertible is an especially tempting proposition, providing Pinewood- or Elstree-style glamour for a reasonable £898 7s (plus £16 10s for a heater and £1 7s 6d for windscreen washers), while the Husky is practical utilitarian transport par excellence.
Next door, Sunbeam presents the Rapier Series II, and its 1.5-litre Rallymaster powerplant makes it ideal for any blazer-wearing driver with a Terry-Thomas moustache, especially as there is now a floormounted gear lever as standard, plus a convertible option. And, taking our leave from these fine Rootes-mobiles, the MG stand has an eye-catching cutaway model of an MGA Twin Cam Coupé – the fastest non-supercharged car to hail from Abingdon – while Bristol is offering the elegant 406 to any well-heeled motorist with £4493 17s to spare.
To the right of Rolls-Royce’s stand is a tempting array of Lancias; in their homeland, these are cars for the automotive connoisseur, but in the UK they are highly exotic. The cheapest model is the Appia, but import duties ensure that an already expensive small car costs more than a Humber Hawk.
Moving away from the camera are Jensen’s 541 and 541R, while pride of place among Rover’s line-up is the new P5 3-Litre, with formal yet understated lines from a young designer named David Bache. Morris showcases the Minor 1000, Cowley and Oxford Series III. The Riley One Point Five and Two Point Six are tempting in their individual ways and the Peugeot 203 and 403 epitomise automotive integrity.
At the back of the shot, Ford has its entire British line-up from the Popular 103E ( just £443 17s, although indicators, a second windscreen wiper and a boot floor are optional extras) to the Zodiac MkII, the car of desire for all aspirational British rock ’n’ roll singers. Moving to the left of the frame, we find the tail-finned magnificence that is the PA Series Vauxhall Velox and Cresta, while Armstrong Siddeley’s latest Star Sapphire is one of the finest cars to bear the sphinx logo. Chance places it next to a cheaper (1958 motoring snobs would say ‘parvenu’, but we’ll ignore them) but no less magnificent rival – the new Jaguar MkIX, with its 3.8-litre engine. And for the ‘executive motorist’, there is the Citroën ID19 and DS19, while the major news from Humber is the latest version of the Super Snipe.
Venturing further around Earls Court, we encounter the latest Aston Martin DB4, Austin A40 ‘Farina’, Triumph TR3A, Daimler Majestic, Austin-Healey Sprite and Standard Vanguard Vignale. For the chap (or chappess) of means, there is the Freestone & Webb-bodied RollsRoyce Silver Cloud ‘Honeymoon Express’ or Facel Vega’s HK500 and awe-inspiring Excellence four-door saloon. Its compatriot, the Renault Floride, looks almost as exotic and its Dauphine underpinnings mean that it is slightly more affordable. The NSU Sport Prinz looks intriguing, as does the DAF two-door saloon with Variomatic transmission. A Swedish marque named Volvo is showing its 122S, which is apparently soon to be officially sold in the UK.
And amid all the Brylcreem, Senior Service cigarette smoke and caution-free HP agreements, one phrase constantly on the lips of those attending the show is ‘motorway age’, because the opening of the Preston Bypass is only a few weeks away. For anyone craving the opportunity the new road offers to combine speed limit-free motoring with the finest of sporting machinery, the show also offers the Peerless, the BMW V8powered Frazer Nash Continental or, courtesy of World Champion racing driver Mike Hawthorn (who has recently been appointed Ferrari agent for Great Britain), a 250 GT Coupé with Pininfarina coachwork.
Ah, what a bright future awaits the British motorist!