I agree that the Alpine is a much more balanced car. Putting that V8 lump up front did nothing for the handling and balance. That may explain why not many were raced. That example is a beautiful one, love the green color. Tell your friend we need the drive reports so he must buy some more cars for us.
Ha!! He has several cars he has kept a long time and some that get rotated thru. I think the 1951 Singer may be the next to go if he finds a buyer. He just got the Ford Anglia this fall so it may be a little bit till something new comes in. There is one car in his fleet that I have not yet driven.. an amazing 1933 Wolseley Hornet Daytona Special. It has been offered but I have not yet accepted a drive. That one is very rare, very expensive and I dont fit well in it (the owner is very tall and it is a long reach to the clutch for me from the non-adjustable seat). It has been in the shop a long while awaiting an engine rebuild, but I expect it will be back on the road this spring. Here is a pic.. I have been for a passenger ride in it.. I may have some video if you are interested.
When I was in my teens I worked for a dealer that sold Tigers. They would send me and some others over to San Francisco docks to drive them back to the dealership. That was a lot of fun for a me.
If’n a Sunbeam Tiger was good enough for Agent 86 Maxwell Smart then it’s good enough for me to lust after all these years even if not a nimble driver.
This is the last drive on my list that I can think of for a while.. This is a 1953 Jowett Jupiter. It is a very unusual car with an aluminum body, a horizontally opposed water cooled 4-cylinder engine (like a Subaru), a radiator placed behind the engine, and a 4-speed column shifter. To make it stranger, the shift pattern is opposite of the Hillman, with first gear towards you and down, and 4th away and up. A version of this car won it's class in Le Mans in 1950. This car had been previously restored to museum quality and trailered to events, so there were a few teething problems when transitioning to a regularly driven car. It is a tight squeeze to slide into the bench seat under the large steering wheel, but there is adequate room once you are in. The engine does not rev especially high but there is good torque in the low and mid-range. Shifting is slow, and the gear selection is a bit vague. Brakes are fair, but not great. The body lines on this car are beautiful from some angles but a bit awkward from other angles, but the car always draws a lot of attention. For those who have been following along.. thanks for the read.. it was a bunch of fun to show off these interesting cars. I'll add to it when I get opportunities to drive other fun vehicles.
I’d never heard of Jowett automobiles before but it is a very nice looking car. Interesting read on their history manufacturing ideas.
Jowett Jupiter what an odd one, but I really dig it. Your friend really does know how to pick them. Thanks for sharing your rides with us. I really enjoyed them.
Does it have to end? If any els has pictures of unusual rides post the. This has been fun! Thanks @Ernesto !
It's 60 degrees in Chicagoland today so I snuck out to my offsite storage location and took my 1987 BMW K75 out for a short spin. This is a bike from a family friend/friend who passed away a few years ago. It's been hopped up with a bunch of cosmetic and performance parts from back in the day, but he put this and another bike in storage 20 years ago until his death. I took the bike late last fall and got it cleaned up, fluids changed and running. I'm waiting for spring to get a chance to put some miles on it, but couldn't resist a February ride Clutch and throttle response are amazing and very comfortable for easy riding around town or for getting on it hard.. Brakes are 1 finger sensitive and super strong. Riding position is sporty and firm but not too aggressive.
Today was a judged car show.. I was able to drive my friends 1951 Jowett Jupiter which won it's class. Lots of very nice cars there Here is a link to a few more pictures.. https://www.flickr.com/photos/ernestovumbles/albums/72177720319782208
Attended a large British Car show. My ride for the day was this Triumph Herald. Lots of new and classic MINIs and one really clean Moke. Here is a link to my pictures https://www.flickr.com/photos/ernestovumbles/albums/72177720320172382
This was the owners first and last restoration that he did himself from a car purchased in 2012 from the original owner's grandson. It was done primarily for the owner's wife to drive, but others get to use it when she does not go with. it is a 1960 model and among one of the first Herald convertibles built. Here is a short video of the car on a drive a couple years ago https://flic.kr/p/2m5oBnm