Drivers in the 80's (interesting article)

Very interesting, as he said, you couldn't do that now, too many similar boring car colors,wonder how many people could identify the vehicles.
 
I enjoyed that. Thanks for posting :D
 
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dizidav said:
Very interesting, as he said, you couldn't do that now, too many similar boring car colors,wonder how many people could identify the vehicles.
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1# Maestro van
2# Datsun Cherry, Fiat 131, Honda clunk 90
3# Dunno but I'd guess only a 3litre Granada would be carrying that diabolical bling
4# Bedford BT van, Renault 18
5# Bus
6# Mk3 Escort van, either the neg was scanned backwards or its LHD
7# Bedford Commer
8#...can't put my finger on this one
9# Mk3 Escort van
10# Mk5 Cortina.......with Crusader decals and trim

had one of those in red with a black vinyl roof.....lol
 
dizidav said:
Very interesting, as he said, you couldn't do that now, too many similar boring car colors,wonder how many people could identify the vehicles.
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I'll have a punt at it
  • Austin Maestro van with Leyland Titan bus
  • Honda C90
  • ?
  • British Telecom Bedford HA van
  • Ford Escort Mk 3 van (image mirrored)
  • AEC Routemaster
  • Morris J4 van
  • Renault 30
  • Another Mk3 Escort van
  • Ford Cortina Mk 4
:)
 
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Renault 30 is right, couldn't winkle that one out
 
Looks like an RD200/400 in the first one...
 
3 - could be a granada, they did have that 'tag' on the window, but I don't recognise the colour.
7 - I think thats a sherpa van.
6 - did the lid van have the fuel filer on the near side? the rhd had it on the off side. its also missing a tax disc, which may mean it has been scanned backwards.
 
7 is indeed a Leyland Sherpa.
 
Tigger.ufo said:
Looks like an RD200/400 in the first one...
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400 I think - the 200 had the "YAMAHA" inside the slashed stripes wile the 400 set it above them. That's IF the tank is the original rather than a replacement after the rider got spat off it!
 
joxby said:
8#...can't put my finger on this one
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I reckon that's a 1970's Lancia Beta. Apart from the window shape the major clue is rust in the bottom of the doors!!

Interesting photos - I think they all made me smile.
 
I don't really see why you couldn't do a similar set now.
There's plenty of variation in cars though you don't see much brown and custard yellow these days.
 
4wd said:
I don't really see why you couldn't do a similar set now.
There's plenty of variation in cars though you don't see much brown and custard yellow these days.
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You could... although you'd need to wait 30 years to publish them to have the same interest. It would be harder though, as you'd have to make a conscious effort to avoid all the black, silver or white Mercs, Audis and BMWs. :)

Why are management types so unimaginative??
 
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Pretty sure that's a Yamaha RD250 from the slightly smaller cylinder head and barrel - the 400 has taller head fins and a longer barrel. The lettering above the speed block on the tank was from earlier models.
 
The standard BBC company car used to be a blue Ford Sierra. The crew used to use them as extra vehicles for street shots - so if you're ever watching old BBC reruns, just look out for how many blue Sierras there are parked in the street!
 
Nod said:
400 I think - the 200 had the "YAMAHA" inside the slashed stripes wile the 400 set it above them. That's IF the tank is the original rather than a replacement after the rider got spat off it!
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The RD 200 never had the square ish tank or them stripes, Thats one of the later RD 250 C I owned one back then
 
Pookeyhead said:
You could... although you'd need to wait 30 years to publish them to have the same interest. It would be harder though, as you'd have to make a conscious effort to avoid all the black, silver or white Mercs, Audis and BMWs. :)

Why are management types so unimaginative??
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Very interesting idea about imagination in car buying really made me think. When I got a company car, imagination of choice was the last thing on my mind. It was purely a financial decision based on tax, mpg etc.. A car to me is a utility item. I just want to get from A to B as comfortably and safely as possible with a set of key features that are important to me such as head room, boot space etc and within a set budget. Other than that I couldn't care what type of car it is, what it looks like etc
 
Brilliant set of photographs.

Unfortunately, probably impossible to recreate today due partly to the lack of interesting vehicle colours (I spent the late '80s driving either a sunset orange Mk 3 Cortina or a turquoise Citroën Visa). But mainly due to universal aircon. No one sits in traffic anymore hanging out of an open window. Shame.
 
DeadpanDodo said:
mainly due to universal aircon. No one sits in traffic anymore hanging out of an open window. Shame.
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I just spent 15 minutes drinking a coffee outside a café, watching cars go past and thinking about this. A very good proportion of them had windows wide open.
 
Thinking about it some more - a lot of the images in the link are of van drivers - and today, like then, there seems to be a tendency to lean out of an open window - so yes you're right, probably still doable from that aspect, but the range of vehicle colours today is pretty dull nonetheless.
 
Musicman said:
I just spent 15 minutes drinking a coffee outside a café, watching cars go past and thinking about this. A very good proportion of them had windows wide open.
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I would much rather have windows open than have them closed to run air conditioning.


Steve.
 
Love the colours. I'm obsessed with bright colours (my bike looks like this), I bought a nearly new car last year and it was near impossible to track down one in the single bright colour that they offered the car in, some manufacturers also charge a hefty premium for some brighter colours now.

Interesting project anyhow, I'm sure a day or two spent in most town centres would turn up enough variation and character to capture a pretty interesting set for the future.
 
Chris Dorley Brown who took the photos, has a Facebook page, it has some of the photos on there. On my mobile , so can't post a link.

Do like the photos., really interesting.
 
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