Friday, September 13, 2019

A Hot Day and Hot Cars

Thought for the day:  MGs don't leak oil; they mark their places.


Dontcha love the front of this car? If I were more clever, I'd doctor the picture to make it look even more like a smiling face. No matter. When Smarticus and I went to the British Car Fayre in our town last weekend, we saw plenty of real smiling faces. And plenty of extraordinary British cars, too.

For those of you who have never had the pleasure of owning a British car, but want to know what it's like: Next big rainstorm, wait 'til dark, roll down all the windows, leave off lights and heater and wipers, and go for a drive. Stop at every intersection and throw out a twenty dollar bill. It's not exactly the same, but it's real close.  [Mike Nash]


We evidently have plenty of anglophiles and UK ex-pats living in our area, because this annual car show, sponsored in part by the loverly Taste of Britain always draws a fine array of vehicles and visitors. Lots of Triumphs, Rolls Royces, MGs, Morgans, Austin Healies, Astin Martins, Lotuses, Minis, Range Rovers, Deloreans, Jaguars, motorcycles, and more. A bunch of drool-worthy vehicles. Alas, we didn't stay as long this year as we have in years past, because it was too bloody H-O-T!





But the Queen looked cool as a proverbial cucumber. I, on the other hand, felt like I was having a heat stroke. (Such a wimp!)



One street was pretty well lined with Minis. Some of them are reeeeally... mini. You hear the one about the trouble with bucket seats is we don't all have the same size buckets? Well, I know some people who'd have a hard time fitting their impressive buckets into some of these Minis. Pulling them out of one of these cars would sound like a champagne cork popping.









There were quite a few Land Rovers, too. These two cracked me up. One for Dad... and one for Junior.


Hey, you never can tell when you might have an opportunity to go on safari in Atlanta. Heck, everyone knows the traffic here is like a jungle, and some of the drivers are real... beasts.











Aye, and there were bonnie brogues to be heard, and evidence of a wee bit of Scottish humor.

(The patch on that hat says Gleneagle, Scotland.)



Check out this 1933 Rolls Royce. Its owner had a good sense of humor, too. Know how I could tell? By what I saw sitting in the back seat...






Pardon me, but do you have any Grey Poupon?

Evi-doggone-dently!









How about this one? Anybody see the movie featuring this car?

Bond, James Bond...





Wouldn't this hood ornament be absolutely perfect for our rat rod? I mean, Smarticus and I do practice a certain amount of smart assiness from time to time.


Because of the heat, I didn't take a whole lot of pictures, so how's about if I share a few from past years:





Alas, there was no bagpiper there this year. Not that it's my favorite (or favourite) instrument, but I missed seeing... and hearing... him.



A fun touch of whimsy.


It'd be a hard call, but this was definitely one of my favourite cars at the show. In the proper colour, too...

But I do love the British racing green, too.





They don't call these the dog days of summer for nothing.


                    Until next time, take care of yourselves, old beans. And each other.


61 comments:

  1. Oh my. What a collection!

    Throw out a $20 bill. Yup, that's the way it is.

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    1. It sure was. I'm not sure, but I think there may have been even more cars there this year than in years past.

      Sounds like you're speaking from experience... :)

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  2. Fun post with lots of beautiful cars. There was an old timer rally here last week, the cars all came over on the ferry and then drove up the little road opposite. I wish people driving past me would through out money! Have a great Friday, hugs, Valerie

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    1. It's always fun to watch (or be in) one of those parades of old cars. No money, huh? Too bad. You must not have been standing at the right place. Nobody tossed any my way, either.

      You have a super weekend. Hugs back atcha.

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  3. Delightful auto show, Susan. I love the smiling front-end faces. Too many modern cars just look upset.

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    1. It really was a terrific show. You know why so many modern cars don't smile, dontcha? They all look so much alike, it's hard for any of them to feel special.

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  4. I'm glad you had a good time at the show. Car shows don't do anything for me, they're nice to look at for about five minutes and then I've had enough.

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    1. It depends on the car show, but most of the time we really enjoy them. The only one that didn't hold much appeal to me was a low-rider show. That's where the suspension is altered so the cars can be lowered closer to the ground, and they can also be "rocked" up and down. Not only do I not care for those cars, but it was held inside of a huge warehouse, and just about everybody with a car in there had LOUD Hispanic music playing.

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  5. What an absolutely delightful collection. Throw out a $20 bill at each intersection and top up the oil at every second intersection (at least).

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    1. It really was a great show, and the people who own some of those cars pretty much agree with the oil change and money toss description, but when ya love a car, ya love a car.

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  6. Like the old motorcycle.
    My father had a Triumph Spitfire. It was a lot of trouble.

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    1. Me, too! They had a lot of old bikes there.

      Yeah, I'm sure it was a lot of trouble, but I bet it was also a lot of fun to breeze through town in it.

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  7. Absolutely spiffing my dear! If only one could match the style of some British cars with German engineering and Japanese reliability! Nothing compares to a Bentley or a Rolls Royce though (65% of all Rolls ever made are still running!)
    CLICK HERE for Bazza’s ultimately unthinkable Blog ‘To Discover Ice’

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    1. Thank you, old chap!

      Bentleys are gorgeous, but I like Morgans even more. However, they, along with Rolls Royces, are way out of my league. (Fortunately, it doesn't cost a thing to admire them!)

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  8. chip, chip cheeri-o. How fun! Ray and I would have loved wandering the grounds with you and checking out the cars. Love Austin Powers - cheeky car. And you and I could have whined (or wined) about the heat.
    Glad you two have fun. Enjoy your weekend.

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    1. And a fine cheerio to you, too! I'm sure you guys would've enjoyed the show. Lots of gorgeous cars to ogle. If only it had been about twenty degrees cooler. This endless summer is getting to be too much.

      Have a super weekend!

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  9. You really found an interesting and fun way to spend day even though it was hot. Nice you could enjoy the day. I like red car the best !

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  10. What a fun day, those cars look so great! Have a lovely weekend ☺

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  11. I love your writing and your wit, Susan. You had the perfect caption for each car. You also looked great next to that red car and that big red bus. It is your color.

    When I was in my mid-life crisis and most of my kids were off on their own, I bought a little red Jeep Eagle Talon. It only had two seats and a sort of a smaller seat in the back to put packages. The front of the car was a big smile and so was mine every time I put the key in it and went vroom, vroom, around town. The car got old and so did I and eventually it was time to say good bye to my smiling, very cool ride.

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    1. Thanks! I dunno if red is "my" color or not, but it's my favorite. ;)

      I don't have my little red car any more, either, and I miss it. It was the only car I ever picked out myself, and it was the only vehicle I've ever owned that was red. Smarticus, on the other hand, has had several. (And no, I didn't marry him because he had a cool red car. HA!)

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  12. Boys and their toys! I know precious little about automobiles, but that 'smiley face' is adorable! Was thinking about a dog stroller, as well but it's far too hot here, as well. So much for moving here to get away from Phoenix heat. Ha!

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    1. Good grief. Do you think I could write 'as well' any more? (*Banging head against wall*)

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    2. HA! You can say "as well" however often as you'd like! (No head-banging allowed, however.)

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  13. When I was a young lad, I had a '58 MGA. THe car had issues from time to time, but damn it was cool!

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    1. Nice! That's definitely a cool car. The one I always wanted was the '54 MGTD. Convertible, of course...

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  14. I love this kind of festival! They hold one in my town every year, and I'm always there!
    Nice pics, Susan!
    Have a lovely weekend.

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    1. Me, too! Our little town has quite a few festivals throughout the year, and they're always fun.

      Thanks. You have a super weekend, too. :)

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  15. You look cute in your shorts and t-shirt. It's been super extra hot here, too.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. The heat's been wretched this year. We've set so many records for high temperatures, it's been unreal. (The only reason I was wearing shorts and tee shirt is if I'd been nekkid, I would've been arrested. HA!)

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    2. If I went around bare-butt nekkid I'd get burned on parts that have never seen the sun.

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  16. Love the cars, and of course the Queen.
    The red one was lovely.
    parsnip

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    1. Yeah, there's something exhilarating about a snazzy red sports car...

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  17. Hi, I follow you on gfc #432, follow back? ;)

    https://bubasworld.blogspot.com/

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    1. Well, hello, Buba! Thanks for stopping by and for signing up as a new follower. Welcome aboard!

      It'd be my pleasure to return the favor.

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  18. Hi Susan - I remember seeing a few British cars in other years in your posts ... being out in the heat can be too too much ... I wilted this year. Great selection ... I had a red Sprite at one stage - for a few years ... kept me amused - looks like a lovely day, but as you say too too hot!

    They got 28 gym ladies into a mini in 2012 ... not a good idea!
    Also the mini is slightly bigger now-a-days than when they first came out in 1959, popular in the 1960s - we had one in which I learnt to drive ... Cheers Hilary

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    1. Hi-ya, Hilary. Wilted... yeah, that's a pretty good description of what the heat's done to me this year, too. It's been brutal.

      Yipes! Twenty-eight people in a Mini??? Even if those gym ladies were the size of Twiggy, (Remember her?) that would've been a mighty tight fit.

      Cheers back atcha!

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  19. Lovely post as usual, Susan. But I have to tell you - that's the Queen, not the Queen Mother.

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  20. The Mike Nash quote cracked me up. Harsh, but kinda true. I remember us Brits looking on British Leyland as an embarrassing joke back in the 70's.

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    1. I think that quote's a hoot... and from what I know, very close to being an accurate assessment. :) Back in the Dark Ages, when Smarticus and I were in high school, one of our classmates... one of the "cool kids" with a good bit of money... had an MG. He knew how to look cool, but he didn't know much of anything about how to keep that car running, so he'd get my hubby to work on it for him during the week... every week, it seemed... just so he could take it out for a spin on the weekend.

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  21. The picture of you and the double decker bus is great - and also you and the Queen. At first glance I thought the Queen was real (I was pretty sure you were real....).

    And YES!!! I love that red Roadster!!!! I've always wanted one.

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    1. Thanks. Yep, I was real. Still am. I think.

      How about that? I've wanted a red roadster since I was a teenager. Must be another one of those Sag connections...

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  22. Sure looks like lots to see indeed. Sure some small minis out there with various buckets. I can do without the bagpiper too.

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    1. Not a fan of the melodious sound of the bagpipes, eh? :)

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  23. So nice to see you! LOL at owning a British car.

    I love love love car shows. Hint: the car show here is coming up next month. Just sayin'.

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    1. I know you love car shows, and I'd love to come down to the show in Lakeland again one of these years. Unfortunately, it won't be this year, darn it.

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  24. SO which is better, British cars of food?

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  25. What a fun day! You look so regal next to the queen. If only you'd had a hat...

    Dog days- clever girl!

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    1. It was lots of fun! Funny... I used to love wearing hats, but now I kinda hate 'em. The only one I wear with any regularity is my bright yellow Gordon's fisherman hat, and the only reason I wear that is because I hate carrying an umbrella even more than I hate hats. :)

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  26. Glad you enjoyed yourself.

    peace and blessings
    Rhapsody

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  27. It's neat that you got to see all the cars on display. Sounds like a fun time, with the exception of the heat.

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    1. Yeah, it was a lot of fun. Except for the heat. We've had a couple of cooler days recently, with temperatures in the eighties, but the nineties are coming back into town tomorrow for another encore. (sigh)

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