Classic Cars PhuketHistoric Sales Brochures: Great Britain |
|||||||
|
|
|
|
1986 Aston Martin V8 Vantage V8 engine with 5340 cm³ and 380 HP. V-max 269 km/h. 0-100 km/h in 5.2 sec. There is hardly any sports car that is more british, more exclusive, more masculine or more gentleman-like than this car. Aston Martin produced just about 200 cars per year in the mid-80s, all four models together! What the (German) brochure said: "Der Vantage ist das Nonplusultra der Hochleistungsfahrzeuge. Wenn Sie hinter dem Steuer sitzen, enthüllt sich Ihnen das ganze Charisma des Aston Martin. Kein anderer Wagen, selbst unter den Aristokraten, vereint so viele Vorzüge in sich. Die exquisite Feinheit seiner traditionellen Linienführung. Die elegante überaus britische Ausstattung. Der feine Luxus. Und nicht zuletzt die hohe Leistung aus dem Rennstall von Aston Martin." |
|
1986 Aston Martin Lagonda V8 engine with 5340 cm³ and 304 HP The bold, futuristic William Towns design of the Lagonda sets it apart from any other limousine of the 70s and 80s. Unfortunately the electronic gadgets were not really technically mature in the early years causing considerable trouble. But that should be sorted out today. What the (German) brochure said: "Nur ein Unternehmen wie Aston Martin hätte den Lagonda kreieren können: Einen einmaligen Wagen, in dem sich traditionelle Kunstfertigkeit mit fortgeschrittener Technik harmonisch verbindet und in dem sich die höchsten Standards im Limousinenluxus mit dem höchsten Stand in der Sportwagenleistung vereinen. Er ist ohnegleichen - und wird es vielleicht auch immer bleiben." |
***
|
1984 Bristol Beaufighter Turbo Convertible Chrysler V8-engine with 5900 cm³, "enough" HP but actual figure was not published by the company (like Rolls-Royce at that time), V-max 240 km/h. Britain is an ample source of strange and rare automobiles and Bristol is maybe the archetype of such cars, built by ex-racing car driver Tony Crook in ridiculously small numbers and at a price that also bought you a Rolls-Royce. For this money you got quite an old-fashioned machine with seperate chassis, light aluminium coachwork, lots of leather and walnut wood, but also - and that's why it was worth every penny - an exclusiveness and a snob factor that could not be reached by any other car of the time. And even not be seen by mere mortals. What a great car! What the brochure said (which was handed over to me as a yound boy of 10 years by Tony Crook personally, when I was visiting the the Bristol showroom in Kensington High Street in London in the mid-80s): "Driving the latest Bristols is an exhilarating experience. You can trickle in traffic in near silence, then simply surge away at speeds that cause passengers to hold on for dear life. The name Beaufighter (named after a famous aircraft) is appropriate: It is the nearest thing we know to taking off in an aircraft!" |
|
1984 Bristol Brigand Turbo Saloon |
***
|
1976 Lotus Esprit S1 4-cylinder 16 valve engine with 1973 cm³, 160 HP, V-max 222 km/h. Design by Giugiaro. Seeing a white Lotus Esprit S1, everyone immediately thinks at the 007-movie "The Spy Who Loved Me" in which James Bond drove such a vehicle over the roads of Sardinia, ultimately turning into the famous submarine. Of course there could not have been be a better promotion for a new sports car. What the brochure said: "The Esprit, encompassing style, performance and safety with economy, truly represents today's car designed for tomorrow." |
