OCTOBER 1986 PERTH, PERTH AND KINROSS
The Top Gun sequel is proving to be this year’s big blockbuster – the perfect excuse then to go back in time to see what cars ferried film fans to the cinema to see the original
Well, Tom Cruise and Kelly Mcgillis were obviously popular in Perth; if you look closely at the 1933 Art Deco Playhouse Cinema, you’ll see posters for 1986’s biggest film, Top Gun. No doubt many of the owners of the cars here were having their breath taken away (see what we did there?).
From left, we have a roof-racked 1982 Ford Cortina MKV 1.6, with those simple steel wheels marking it out as an L model. Ford initially marketed its fifth-generation mid-size family car as the Cortina 80. This example was registered in September 1982, by which time its Sierra successor was already in production.
Going for gold next door is a 1983 Mazda 323 1.3, which was Mazda’s first front-wheel-drive small car and developed with help from Ford, which then sold its own version as the Laser in markets outside of Europe. The Mazda’s grille proudly proclaims that its owner is a member of the RAC, Institute of Advanced Motorists and the Company of Veteran Motorists. The custodian of its 1981 Prairie Yellow Ford Fiesta Popular 950 neighbour is rather more coy about his affiliations.
We’ve a 1982 Datsun Cherry 1.3 next (with its front wing and bonnet in a slightly different shade of red to the rest of the car) followed by a 1980 Talbot Sunbeam 1.3. Even though the Sunbeam was into its final (1981) model year here it had still just been mildly facelifted with flush-fitting headlamps and a Talbot badge instead of Chrysler’s pentastar. Parked next to the Sunbeam is a second-generation Vauxhall Cavalier of the same lowly capacity. As with the earlier Cortina, the plain wheels help to pin it down as an L variant.
One of the Cavalier’s older siblings is next – a slightly battered M-reg Vauxhall Viva in Sunspot, a shade that unfortunately shows off its blossoming front wing rust rather well. The Peugeot 205 GT next to it was almost new at this point, having only been registered in March. With its 79bhp 1360cc engine, the GT was initially Peugeot’s 205 range topper, until the all-conquering GTI famously came along to steal its glory in May 1984. Next to the Pug there’s a beige 1985 Mini City E and, finally, a blue Rover P6 2200.
There’s no general parking here today – it’s a taxi rank. And, having checked the cars’ registration numbers, they’ve all sadly gone to that great scrapyard in the sky.
On the plus side, the Playhouse is still going strong as an independent cinema. We wonder if the latest instalment in Tom Cruise’s navy aviators franchise, Top Gun: Maverick, is proving to be as popular as the original was here 35 years ago?