The Way We Were
1985, South Brent, Devon
‘Who needs a V8 Ford Gran Torino when there’s the option of a three-door Volvo 343 instead?’
VOLVO: THE SENSIBLE CHOICE
Most of this was railway, once upon a time. This is the site of Brent railway station on the main line between London Paddington and Penzance. It served the surrounding village of South Brent on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon until its closure in 1964 (although the line remained – it’s over on the right) and, as with so many similar locations, most of it was cleared and what remained passed into commercial use. The substantial brick building in the centre was the old goods shed, now being used by the South Devon Furniture Ltd.
We’ll start on the right, with Minis. Yes, plural, because although the grey Traveller MkI or MkII is obvious in the car park, look just beyond the signal box and there’s a red Mini Clubman resting in the distance over on the far right. Being at least 16 years old here – the MkIII, with concealed door hinges, came out in 1969 – the small grey estate is showing its age, with its driver’s door in a slightly different shade.
Still, it could be worse. Like the Ford Transit MkI next to it, for instance. Mud-stained, work-worn, and with a rust-lined door casually left ajar – not to mention a bonnet so utterly covered in corrosion that it hints at an engine fire – we’re not even convinced that it’s still alive. There seems to be a brown flatbed example parked next door, with its bonnet up. Was this where south Devon’s Transits went to die?
Meanwhile, the neighbouring car obviously belongs to the West
Country’s very own Starsky and Hutch, if the red paint with ‘vector’ stripe look is anything to go by. Who needs a V8 Ford Gran Torino when there’s the option of a three-door Volvo 343 instead? They’re just as good for drifting – allegedly – and the bonnet would probably stand up to a lot more sliding across it by overexcited detectives demonstrating more haste and less speed.
After the pear-like Renault 14 and an unidentified red hatchback of similar size and profile, there’s a Transit minibus that at least looks alive, in the form of a facelifted MkII of 1984-86 vintage (the bigger front indicators are the giveaway). Further illustrating the versatility of the Transit platform is the white MkII of similar vintage, complete with custom high-bodied rear, nearby. So that’s pick-up, flatbed, bus and special van all in one shot.
Fords start off the next row, too, with a hint of Ford Cortina MkV (or ‘Cortina 80’, if you want to be pedantic) followed by a Fiesta L MkI and then another Cortina 80, possibly a mid-range GL, judging by the stainless steel window frames.
Vauxhall sneaks into the Ford sandwich with a Chevette filling before another Fiesta MkI. One of its short-lived competitors, a Chrysler (or Talbot) Sunbeam is next, almost completely concealing a red Mini. The beige estate with a brown vinyl roof is a third-generation A60 Toyota Carina estate. Proving that vinyl looks better on saloon tops than on estates is the adjacent Vauxhall Viva HC; with that toupée, it could be a top-spec Viva or a Magnum.
Beyond the fence is a yellow Ford Escort MkI and then a VW LT van.
What really stands out amid the cars parked on the road (including, variously, what appears to be an abandoned Mini van, an Austin Maestro, Renault 16 and S123 Mercedes estate of indeterminate spec – and is that a Ford Granada MkII in the far distance?) is the Ford 100E. The rear light pattern and twin doors suggest that it’s a 1959-62 Popular, making it at least 23 years old when this photo was taken. Who knows, maybe it was parked there when the station was still going?