1940s Ford bus in Porto, Portugal

Obviously a restored museum example used for excursions.

'It's a good real book, would you like to read it with me?'

an unfortunate cargo carried by train in Europe a lot more than previously

 

Let's hope politicians (on both sides) work out their disputes at the negotiating table rather than on the battle field.  All war causes is death, destruction and suffering.

1948 DeSoto Custom Club Coupe

Volkswagen Type 181

This was produced from 1968 until 1983. Originally developed for the West German Army, the Type 181 also entered the civilian market as the Kurierwagen (“courier car”) in West Germany, the Trekker (RHD Type 182) in the United Kingdom, the Thing in the United States (1973–74), the Safari in Mexico and South America, and Pescaccia in Italy. Civilian sales ended after model year 1980.

More

the Darjeeling narrow gauge steam railway in action, India

One of the great little railways of the world. See earlier posts.

motorbikes and 2 sidecars, Russia

Not only 2 sidecars but a trailer.

1937-1939 Delahaye type 145 racing car

1937 Lincoln V-12 Berline Judkins sedan promo art

1934 Duesenberg SJ art

1966-1972 Maserati Mexico

From wikipedia: "485 Mexicos were produced, 175 equipped with the 4.7-litre engine and 305 with the 4.2-litre engine." More

Le Mans, 24 heures du Mans 1979 poster

'I like to read real books you can touch'

1978 AMC Concord D/L

Info

ship 'Kairouan' poster-calendar, 1950

The date etc. were changed by a movable roller, adjusted by knobs on the sides. This ship was completed in 1950 by Chantiers et Ateliers de la Mediterranee, La Seyne for the Cie de Navigation Mixte, for sailings from Marseille to Algeria and Tunisia (Algérie et Tunisie).

After Algerian independence, patronage there diminished and the company attempted to appeal to the Mediteranean cruise market, but that also diminished and the ship was withdrawn in 1973.

Capacity: 8,589 gross tons, 142.3 metre (467 foot) length x 18.3 metre (60 foot) beam, speed circa 24 knots.

More pics

1931 Auburn 8-98 A

 

things that make you go hmm

Did his wife/girlfriend find them in the glovebox and he said they were his?

1929 Graham-Paige Model 615 Roadster

1966 Saab 96 Special

More pics + info

Detroit's former Citizen's Railway

"Detroit's former vintage trolley line was a 3/4 mile (1.2 km) line completed in 1976 to revitalize a five-block section of Washington Boulevard, downtown Detroit's historic, upscale shopping avenue which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Along with the addition of the trolley, the street was also turned into a pedestrian mall. They line was extended by 1/4 mile in 1980 so as to reach then recently-completed Renaissance Center. It was operated by the Detroit Department of Transportation in a sidewalk right-of-way. The line include nine narrow-gauge trolleys, seven of which were imported from Lisbon, Portugal (as in the pic, taken in 1977). One was a Swiss car, and the last a double-decker car from England. In all, the system cost $2.72 million to build. It posted a peak ridership year in 1979 with 75,000 passengers for that year, but by 1998 it only recorded a little over 3,000 riders. By 2001, there was only one car still in use, with it only operating once per hour.

"The city announced in late October 2003 that it would be discontinuing the system to reopen (fully) traffic to Washington Boulevard, and sell off the cars. The trolley barn in Washington Boulevard was demolished in 2004. Apparently, some of the old railcars sit abandoned in one of DDOT's garages, and the ones sent to Seattle to be refurbished, were, but haven't made it back to the city. Actually, no one really knows where those ones are."

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cars in California, 1960s

 

'hamburger for the price of steak'

The huge price differentials between high end and more economical cars is not at all justified by the difference in quality. By Eric Peters at ericpetersautos.com:

The luxury car no longer exists – except as a badge and a price. And a memory. There being increasingly little, if any, meaningful difference between luxury-badged (and priced) vehicles and those that aren’t.

What is the difference, for instance, between a loaded Toyota Camry and a Lexus ES350? Or a VW Atlas and an Audi Q5? It is nothing like the difference between A Chevy Chevette and a Cadillac Sedan de Ville. That latter comparison is helpful in understanding the differences that no longer exist.

The Chevette was an economy car made by GM’s Chevrolet division made for about ten years, between 1976 and 1987. It was a car almost as basic a Model T Ford, except that it was available in more than just one color. That’s a stretch – but not much. A Chevette did not come standard with air conditioning or even a radio. The latter two were available as options, but most of the equipment that is today taken for granted – that is standard – in literally every new car, irrespective of price, such as climate control AC, power windows and locks, intermittent wipers, a stereo, electric rear defroster, cruise control and full instrumentation – was either optional or unavailable.

You could not buy a Chevette with power-adjustable leather seats and so on because why would you? If you wanted such luxury features, you were willing to pay extra for them. The whole point of a car like the Chevette was to avoid paying for such things.

And things such as heated seats, LED headlights and interior mood lighting weren’t available in Cadillacs when Chevettes were available. Today, such things are standard in Sedan deVille equivalents – and they are usually available (often standard) in today’s Chevette-equivalents.

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'I like to read a good real book in a beanbag chair inside or out'

1933 DeSoto Six ad, St Moritz, Switzerland

 

Belfast trams, 1953

Electric trams in Belfast operated from 1905 to 1954, these used a slightly wider than standard gauge of 4 ft 9 in (1,448 mm).  See here for a pic of the tram on the right preserved.

jazzed up Trabant 601

Superpower from the DDR!  The caravan (trailer) may also be from the same era.

Australian National Railways promo plaque for the 'Ghan' to Alice Springs, circa 1988

With a pair of DL class diesels up front, info on these

1938 Steyr 220 Glaser Roadster

Article

1959 Borgward Isabella coupe

Info

Taramakau bush tramway circa 1900, NZ

The top pic shows a distant canvas covered wagon stopped on the Greymouth to Kumara 4ft gauge wooden tramway running through the bush. Two passengers are visible leaning against the back of the bush tram, circa 1880s. The tram operation was horse-drawn, but the horse is not visible.  The second pic probably from a few years later shows two men sitting on the track but no wagon.

Following the gold rush of 1876, this wooden tramway was built between Greymouth and Kumara. Unsurprisingly from the nature of the track - clearer in the postcard - the trip took three hours for 30 km. Trams carried passengers and freight. Passengers had to cross the Taramakau River in a cage or flying fox suspended from a cable!

The coast railway, today the Hokitika Branch, was opened to Hokitika in 1893 and to Ross in 1906.  The extension to Ross closed in 1980.

For lots more, see our books and this webpage

1946 Delahaye Guillore

1930 Duesenberg SJ 298 Convertible

'I like a well-illustrated real book'

Dunedin tram in David Street, Caversham, circa 1910

See earlier posts and our books for more.

1948 Bentley coupe

1948 Vauxhall Velox graphic

1934 Desoto Airflow

wheels missing on a cart

WWI military train

 No other info.

1974 Morgan 8 plus

1978 Ford ZH Fairlane Marquis

1978 Ford Escort RS2000

Valentine's Day in Russia

 

shipping in Heraklion, Crete, a long time ago

Obviously a CGI. Today it is the 4th largest city in Greece -- more info

Cape Town wharves viewed from the 'Montreal Star'

No date - 1960s? Montreal Star was one of the Blue Star Line ships.  For lots more see here and of course the book Home Boats by Nick Tolerton.

'I like to read a good real book in my coffee break'