The Car Factoids 🚗
@thecarfactoids
Tweeting on the history of the British motor industry plus car advertising among other things. He/Him.
ID:22778894
04-03-2009 14:30:10
66,4K Tweets
12,2K Followers
2,1K Following
Factoid Extra: Well, just 30yrs left for the turbo-jet sports car to become reality…
Car manufacturers, it’s over to you…
Neil Briscoe Stuart M Bird Darragh McKenna 🌐 Leo Nulty Steve Cropley
Factoid Extra: No idea why a cartoon parrot appears here but by 1960 there was no doubting the Beetle’s success in countless country not least in the UK where it was one of 1st imported cars to really make an impact…
Neil Briscoe Stuart M Bird Darragh McKenna 🌐 Leo Nulty Steve Cropley
Factoid Extra: Just like the Super Minx (that originally was supposed to replace it), the Minx in Series V form saw a roof & rear window redesign to ‘modernise’ it replacing the dated reverse-rake rear window…
Neil Briscoe Stuart M Bird Darragh McKenna 🌐 Leo Nulty Steve Cropley
Factoid Extra: By the time the MkIII Sprite appeared in 1964 it was sharing a body with the MG Midget (which was technically the badge-engineered version) & now featured wind-up windows & external door handles & locks…
Neil Briscoe Stuart M Bird Darragh McKenna 🌐 Leo Nulty Steve Cropley
Factoid Extra: Calling it a ‘temptress’ is pushing it & the only out of character description in an ad that not only captures the Mk1 ‘Frogeye’ Sprite’s personality but also the appeal of affordable British sports cars…
Neil Briscoe Stuart M Bird Darragh McKenna 🌐 Leo Nulty Steve Cropley
Factoid Extra: Looking to the future features a fair bit in early ‘60s car ads such as this Singer ad even if that car’s ‘technology’, like most contemporary British RWD cars, belonged to the past…
Neil Briscoe Stuart M Bird Darragh McKenna 🌐 Leo Nulty Steve Cropley
Factoid Extra: While Austin looked ‘Years Ahead’ in its late ‘50s, early ‘60s advertising, Morris by contrast was stuck in the past with its approach & a meaningless slogan…
Neil Briscoe Stuart M Bird Darragh McKenna 🌐 Leo Nulty Steve Cropley
Factoid Extra: ‘Rubbaseal’ is the kind name you’d expect to see from a late ‘50s/early ‘60s product, and this is the kind of ad you’d expect from then to promote it…
Neil Briscoe Stuart M Bird Darragh McKenna 🌐 Leo Nulty Steve Cropley
Factoid Extra: It’s true Austin was ‘ahead’ when it came the A40 Farina though that was tks to Pininfarina’s skill in creating such a trendsetting shape though this ad though a good job of somewhat concealing it…
Neil Briscoe Stuart M Bird Darragh McKenna 🌐 Leo Nulty Steve Cropley
Factoid Extra: Of course, BMC could’ve easily run this ad as for one for the Morris Mini-Minor Traveller as from the profile the cars were identical…
Then again, there were Austin dealers to satisfy…
Neil Briscoe Stuart M Bird Darragh McKenna 🌐 Leo Nulty Steve Cropley
Factoid Extra: Of the numerous attempts to push heated rear windows during the ‘60s, the Triplex ads featuring cartoons by the great Russell Brockbank are my personal favourite by a long, long way…
Neil Briscoe Stuart M Bird Darragh McKenna 🌐 Leo Nulty Steve Cropley
Factoid Extra: Well-engineered with an advanced spec, you too would leave your other car in a sliver cloud of dust if you owned a Flavia Sedan in 1964.
You’d also need deep pockets to afford one as the ad subtly notes…
Neil Briscoe Stuart M Bird Darragh McKenna 🌐 Leo Nulty Steve Cropley
Factoid Extra: I can see a few disadvantages with this spare wheel carrier for your Mini, especially if you’re not a good parker…
Neil Briscoe Stuart M Bird Darragh McKenna 🌐 Leo Nulty Steve Cropley
Factoid Extra: The Sceptre had a similar front end to the Singer Vogue to keep an owner busy polishing on a Sunday morning but here’s a quick reminder in Australia that particular car was actually badged as a Humber…
Neil Briscoe Stuart M Bird Darragh McKenna 🌐 Leo Nulty Steve Cropley
Factoid Extra: One year on & all Jaguar needed was a dramatic pic & minimal text to sell ‘The most advanced sports car in the world’…
Neil Briscoe Stuart M Bird Darragh McKenna 🌐 Leo Nulty Steve Cropley
Factoid Extra: A sign of the Beetle’s continuous development in typically clever fashion…
Neil Briscoe Stuart M Bird Darragh McKenna 🌐 Leo Nulty Steve Cropley
Saturday Takeaway: Bored of your Consul/Zephyr or Zodiac saloon after 6mths?*
Convert it into an estate from the firm that did it for Ford for their new cars…
* Anybody know the reason for that precise date?
Neil Briscoe Stuart M Bird Darragh McKenna 🌐 Leo Nulty Steve Cropley