Standard or MG?
The fabulous photo from Stocktonon-tees from August 1965 (CCW,8 February) seems once again to illustrate the sad decline in British car marques of the era. I wanted to point out what I think is an error in identification. If I’m reading it right, you’ve got the car behind the bus just passing what I think is Hepworth as an MG Magnette.
I think it’s an ultra rare (even then) Standard Vanguard Sportsman, which had a very Mg-like grille. I’m a Lancia man myself but my dad had several Standards when I was growing up in the mid-’50s. I wonder if there are any Sportsmans still around? I believe an MP once bought one but had the two-tone colour changed to single tone green because he didn’t want to look too flamboyant!
❚ Derek Moore, via email
A painful Aston tale
I read the Our Classics piece on Richard Mccann’s Aston Martin (CCW, 22 February) with a wry smile. ‘Ouch’ indeed, but I can sympathise!
I sold a very lovely reliable 1980 Merc 450 SLC back in 1987 in order to satisfy my dream of owning a DBS V8. The car in question was an early 1971-on-j injection model in light metallic blue over navy leather, complete with later style alloys and in cosmetically mint condition. It was a two-owner car with history – so far so good – but the front suspension sat a bit low and it appeared to have a slight oil leak, which manifested itself when hot by dropping onto the manifold and filling the car with smoke.
A quick trip to a specialist had the front bushes sorted for £1100 and having given the car a once-over the experts recommended that they give it an engine overhaul because the oil leak was from a rear engine oil seal.
How naive a youth I was when I was quoted ‘about 12’ to do the job. I didn’t think that was too bad after spending £1100 on suspension… but obviously it was £12,000, not £1200!
That was a hard lesson learnt. But even disregarding that nightmare, I never really gelled with the car and parted company with it before the beast was given a chance to bankrupt me.
It certainly looked imposing and was actually quite agile on the road with tremendous power and lovely long legs but was very much a ‘parts bin’ sort of car and felt quite fragile, lacking the overall Teutonic solidity and reliability of the 450 that it replaced.
Anyway, job done – I’d owned one. Never again!
❚ Adrian Essen, West Sussex