Triumph Herald Advert

Don't you just want to take it home? It's sad that we don't see more of these in the wild, but like most cars of the era, the Herald was biodegradable - especially in convertible form.  

Spitfire drivers would probably recognize the mechanicals in the Herald - they were closely related and it's not too much of a leap to consider it a four seat Spitfire. The chrome headlight peaks and "flinlets" at the rear capture the time in which it was designed. The Herald was built from 1959 through 1971. 

With its wood dash and sharp Italian styling by Michelotti, the Herald was a small car with a bit of flair.

A Mini with an Underbite

Most British car enthusiasts know that the Mini was withdrawn from the US market when it was determined that it could not be built to meet pending crashworthiness regulations in the late 1960s. Having spent some time behind the wheel of a classic Mini, I can attest that it is not a place you want to be if metal is to be bent.

Our cousins to the north in Canada, however got the Mini a lot longer than we did. Canadians appreciate small cars due to the fact that a lot of major Canadian cities are not unlike large European cities in street width and general layout. The Canadian government adopted a number of US regulations as they pertained to crash safety and lighting. While some US standards applied, not all did. Hence, the Canadian spec Mini.

I've posted a photo from a Canadian Mini brochure from the late 1970s. You'll note that the car has side marker lights, head restraints and a couple of gawdawful bumpers hanging off of it. The bumpers give it a, well, bumper car look.

Maybe it was best that we didn't get that one here.

Spitfire Commercial

While we're on a Triumph theme, I'll post this US commercial for the Spitfire. I'm not sure it's all that politically correct (by today's standards, anyway) I'm sure the exhaust sound was, ah, modified a bit.

My Mother Probably Would!

Here's another UK print ad for an MG product, this time for the beloved Midget. I had a high school classmate that drove a Midget identical to the one in this ad (except for the right hand drive aspect). It's been years since I've ridden in a Midget, but I distinctly remember how sobering it was to view the underside of the trailer of an 18-wheel rig from that car.

MG used the "Your mother wouldn't like it" slogan for the MGB as well although the young lady in the MGB ad seemed to be suffering from a lack upper undergarment. I'm sure my mother wouldn't like that.

Well I Used to, Anyway

An MGB advert from the UK - about 1975.

A Matter of Persective?

I've posted a couple of publicity drawings of two iconic British cars - the Morris Minor and Austin Healey Sprite. As you can see from the images, there's something not quite right about the size of either the cars or the people drawn into the artwork.

The proud gent in the Morris is beaming over his purchase of a new Minor. The family running to greet him seems pretty proud of Pop, too. But look at the bloke behind the wheel. If we use the car for scale, Pop must be about 4' 6" tall and weigh in at about 80 pounds. In fact, the kids in the sketch appear to be about the same size as the old man. I've seen several Minors in the flesh and they aren't nearly as large as the sketch would indicate. Were the postwar British people that small or were liberties taken with the Morris?

It seems to be a recurring theme that artist's renderings were exaggerated to show the car larger than it really was. Clap your eyes on the Austin Healey Sprite and you'll notice that the nattily dressed man with the pipe is a bit on the slight side. In fact he seems to be about 4-1/2 feet tall as well.

Maybe the tagline 'Enlarged to show detail' had not been coined yet.

Images from BMC publicity literature

A British Leyland TV Commercial

Yes, BL actually bought air time to advertise the cars we love. I found this commercial while trolling YouTube. It really takes me back to a more simple time in life. I hope you enjoy the video, too.

Unintended Message?

This Triumph Spitfire brochure cover from 1967 may not convey the message that was intended. The gentlemen with their heads under the bonnet may be admiring the engine. Those of us with experience with old British cars might come to a different conclusion...

Classic MGB TV Commercial

Here's a classic MGB TV commercial that you may have seen when MGs were still sold in this country.


The dashing parachutist starts the car and drives away. What you don't see is the trail of oil pouring from the punctured sump. At least this take worked out better than the first one...