The Way We Were
Eastbourne, August 1968
No, that’s not perspective, a photographic trick or a bunch of the world’s largest ever Ford Cortinas. That really is a tiny tram in this photo. But if you go to Eastbourne now, you’ll search in vain for any signs of diminutive tramway systems.
The Eastbourne Electric Tramway was the brainchild of Claude Lane, whose company manufactured battery electric vehicles. And he REALLY loved trams. So much so that, in 1953, he leased some land in Eastbourne and set up a twofoot gauge system with half-sized trams running two thirds of a mile between Princes Park and the wonderfully-named The Crumbles. It survived until 1969… and we’ll tell you what became of it later.
Before that, there are other forms of transport to concentrate on. As you’d expect for a south coast resort during high summer – you can see the sea in the distance on the right, in between the land and the sky, as Basil Fawlty would have put it – this is a very busy car park. In fact, there are far too many cars to discuss individually, so we’ll focus on some of the highlights.
Actually, highlights is probably the wrong word, because there’s little here that could be regarded as anything extra special. And that’s what makes this picture so fabulous; it’s such a snapshot of ordinary British motoring circa 1968. The most exotic it gets amid the Cortinas, 1100/1300s, Minis, Minors and Farinas are two foreign machines in the shapes of a Volkswagen Beetle ( left far row) and split-screen Type 2 camper (extreme right in the distance).
On the left is a 1952-56 Wolseley 4/44, the more luxurious sibling of the MG Magnette ZA. The row behind it starts off with a light grey Morris Minor, with a black Austin Cambridge A40 next door. We suspect the neighbouring Mini MkI isn’t a Cooper but a ‘ boy-racered’ example made to look a bit more purposeful with twin spotlamps, bonnet stripes, a stick-on numberplate, and its hubcaps removed. It goes bigger and more middle class again then with the Hillman Super Minx MkI or MkII; the lady staring at it as she passes by is perhaps reflecting on how the more recent examples lost some of their distinctive looks when that lovely curved roof and back window were squared off. Her little daughter (presumably) trotting along behind seems more taken by the newer Ford Cortina MkII alongside. By the time she’ll have grown up enough to drive, the Cortina, in MkV form, will be just about to give way to the Sierra.
It’s Ford versus BMC in the next row, with more Cortinas – an early MkI and another MkII – sandwiching a BMC rival Austin 1100, while another 1100 and Mini lurk close for moral support. A Triumph Herald, Humber Hawk/ Super Snipe estate and Ford 100E Anglia or Popular complete the row.
Elsewhere, there are a lot of BMC Farinas, Ford Anglia 105Es (always easy to spot thanks to their reverse-rake rear window), more 1100/1300s, Minis and Minors. One car that really stands out is the rotund Austin A40 Devon, unfortunately highlighted by the ‘toilet’ sign seemingly pointing to it. Built between 1947 and 1952, it’s only a decade or so older than many of the cars here, but its Dick Burzi curves make it look surprisingly ancient amid the new kids on the (parking) block.
And so back to the trams. When the Eastbourne system closed, it was moved lock, stock and barrel to Devon, where it still operates today on the disused railway line between Colyton and Seaton. Tramcar No. 6 is still happily operating there. So at least we know one of the vehicles here survives…