Mystery car contest.

[Chris Thomas]

Dear Mystery Car buffs

I have been interested in the motoring weird and wonderful since I was at school, and thought I had seen it all, until I stumbled upon the Microcar world, and then realised that there was so much that I did not know.

Just when you think "shurly there is no others to discover" you find there is s whole new branch that has been just out of reach and there is more to discover. No person knows everything, just some know more than others.

I find that once I discover something new, there is the inevitable questions of who designed it, where was it made, what engine did it have, why was it built, what links are there with other cars. It is all the background that makes it interesting as much as the shape of the body itsel,f or how it drives along the road.

The body shape can be automotive sculpture, or it can be as ugly as sin and exceedingly practical. Each has its merits. Similarly we each have a different approach to microcars, either a broad interest, or a dedication to just one vehicle, or the thousand shades a grey in between.  Collectively we are the human encyclopedia of microcars. One day it will be recorded in words and images, but for now it is fragmented across collections and in no one place. Trying to learn from each other is what this forum is all about, and long may it continue.

Chris Thomas

[richard]

well said that man ! very succinctly put - must send off my subs      ( what issue was it someone )

[Bob Purton]

I cant remember which issue it was from but it is old, probably from the Mike Shepherd era. Jean will know.

I dont really understand Stuart point. People on the forum are at all stages of learning from newbies to old crocks like, well you know who you are!
Whats old hat to some is totally new to others, its a bit selfish to say "I know it all, stuff the rest of you!". Not all the back issues are available now and as the others have said not everyone is as tunnel visioned as Stuart is.
When someone posts a picture and says can you identify this car do you really think they dont know what it is? Or course we do, its just to keep conversation going.

[richard]

actually being anoraky myself and " working " at my pc at present i looked up mystery car competitions and in fact there have been very very few ! and mostly damned obscure . true i have posted some old photo's  and asked about them , these were with the question do you know this photo ? quite a different thing ! the point of featuring obscure prints is that each old photo of a RARE micro can hold a gem of info of great use to that marque enthusiast .
on that point perhaps so as not to annoy /offend stuart  perhaps we ought feature no more invalid cars EVER as stuart knows it all !! - HURRAY 

[Bob Purton]

Which issue was this. By the way do we think bob has delusions of grandeur ? He titled this piece mystery car contest ! Rather than the more usual competition   

That's because I cant spell competition!         The same way as Chris cant spell " surely"!

[Big Al]

I tended to think that most of these 'what is it?' things were effectively pebble chucking to watch the ripples. Much as caption competitions are in a way. Some know the answer, other do not and get informed, and enthused? The ripples disturb information and can lead to some quite obscure or interesting factoids. On occasions there is a real mystery and the search parties get sent out. That this is getting rarer only goes to show how effective RUM has been in pooling information in the first place. Yet I bet if you got into French Fridges there will be some 50 creations hardly anyone knows about. Half of those will be completely bonkers, which is their charm, and several will be near misses that could have been something really rather good. Time will see the interest develop and good job too even if I am not going to be part of that movement. As in all postings, if your not entertained, move on.

Can I just say Triumph Renown. Do you think I could remember the other razor edge Triumph when the Pilgrim Father's car was mentioned? Bigger and possibly named after HMS Renown that was sent to shoot at said PF's lot when they told Britain they were not playing anymore a bit later on. As we know that did not work out to well for our side. History could have been so different if they had named their boat 'The Wee Three'.

[Jean]

The Wee Three appeared long before Mike Shepherd was in the 'hot seat', in fact it was No 10 in the Autumn of 1986.  The article was written by the grandson of the designer Leonard Moore who lived in Rochester in Kent.  It had been his sole means of transport for five year from 1955 to 1960 when a bigger car was needed.  However, it was constantly looked after, and restored and back on the Rally circuit in the 1980's and remained road worthy and MOT'd until Leonard died at the age of 81 in November 1985 when it was housed in the Brattle Museum.  Unfortunately, the full story , complete with a description of its construction is in RCN No10 which is long since out of print  Jean

[richard]

well we are well due for either a reprint or a new article entirely . just don't send one to EVERYONE 

[Jean]

Here are the two photographs I received way back in 1984 when the Wee Three was first registered

[Garybond]

I agree with Richard we need to know more about these and others lost to time and out of print

[Jean]

Oh, I thought It hadn't worked - well here goes lets try the other one they were both taken in Chatham in 1984

[richard]

omg i just love it but it definitely gives the Gordon a run for it's money at the ugly bug ball ( youtube it you youngsters )

[Garybond]

Thats a great photo 

[thomast]

Right, how can I say this without offending anyone/someone/everyone? Oh well, here goes.  

In my opinion, Stuards comment just sounds a little autistic. I can say that as I was no better years ago. As a Dutch Reliant enthusiast I often knew more about the the cars and it's history then 99% of the enthusiasts I met in the UK. It was that bad that when I interviewed Tom Karen I had to tell him the ins and outs of some of his designs. When Don Pither was still alive I let him know all things wrong in his books... Well, since then I have blocked loads of info that is of no further use in my life. I think classic cars in general are about enthusiasm, enjoying, restoring, driving, meeting people and also nice story's and sometimes the myth and untrue stories that make it look better then it is. I don't care about statistics, '65 indicators on a '66 car... or non original paint-colors. I'm an editor for a classic car magazine for over 15 years now, I've written many, many articles and visited loads of shows en met 1000's of fellow enthusiasts. When I write an article I always turn to the owner. I know lots but never more then the owner... Finally I have to come clean, even as microcar enthusiast and owners, I had no clue what that thing on the picture was, now thanks to this forum I do know and that is nice but does not make me a better person or bigger enthusiast!

[marcus]

I am fairly anoraky but confess I remember nothing about this interesting  car. Then again I am old enough to have had - and forgotten - plenty more hot dinners than some!