Ford Perfect, model E493A produced by Ford UK in the early 1950s. The car has just finished a fresh paint job in Thalang (above)

Mercedes 450 SLC Coupé (C107) at Nai Yang Beach / Phuket (below)

Daimler DS 420 Limousine in Phuket Town. This impressive limousine was built between 1968 and 1992 on an extended Jaguar 420G chassis, also using Jaguar's 4.2 litre straight-six engine. Despite the enormous production period of 24 years only 4116 cars left the factory. (above and below)

Oldsmobile Ninety Eight, the top-of-the-line model, at Bypass Road in Phuket. This Oldsmobile 98 is one of the seventh generation built between 1965 and 1970. With a length of 5.70m it is a real American full-size car. (above and below)

Lamborghini Murcielago SV at Bypass Road / Phuket (above) Well, not really a classic car yet, but we would call it a "future classic"... it looks so fancy, so spacy, so alien among Phuket's trucks and vans, therefore it surely deserves its entry in this gallery of classic cars despite its juvenile age and red number plate.

Datsun Nissan Cedric in Cherng Thalay / Phuket (below). Despite the wrong logo, this is not an old Lexus, but a luxury Nissan that competed with the Toyota Crown. This is a model of the forth generation, a series 330, that was produced between 1976 and 1979. In Japan it was also sold as Nissan Gloria.This car had a "For Sale" sign in the window, but seems to be sold already now. In the background is our own Nissan Skyline.

Mini Van, based on the slightly longer chassis of the Austin Mini Countryman or Morris Mini Traveller. This Mini that we found at night in Old Phuket Town is a Mark II version, first introduced in 1967 already. (above and below)

1975 Land Rover Series III Pickup at night in Thalang Road / Phuket Town (above)

Datsun 1200 Series 320 Pickup Truck in Thalang / Phuket. This small vintage truck was produced between 1961 and 1965. It had a 1.2 litre engine with 60hp. (below)

Mazda Familia 800 of the first generation produced between 1963 and 1968, seen in Phuket Town. This car was designed by the same famous designer who also styled the Lotus Esprit or Maserati Bora.... really??? Yes, it was Giorgetto Giugiaro in his early years working for Bertone. (above)

Datsun 1500 Series 620 Pickup Truck at Old Phuket Town Festival. This model was produced from 1972 to 1979. (below)

Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Coupé at Bypass Road/ Phuket. This is a second generation Cutlass Supreme which was built between 1968 and 1972. (above and below)

Toyota Corona T80 at Bypass Road / Phuket. Just a mid-size Toyota, but we have a weakness for Japanese retro cars. This T80-series from 1970-1973 is already 40 years old and good enough to be easily restored. (above)

Fiat 1300/1500 at Bang Tao Beach / Phuket (below)

1956 Vauxhall Wyvern in a backyard in Phuket Town. The Wyvern shared the body of the Vauxhall Velox and Cresta of the same time, but had an economical 4-cylinder instead of the 6-cylinder engine of its sister models. It will be a big investment to restore this small salon, but maybe someone is passionate enough. (above and below)

We are always searching for unrestored cars like this one in Phuket or Phang Nga to take photos and document the history of old cars in this area. Please send us an email, if you know of a "sleeping beauty" somewhere in a backyard.

Email to michael@phuket-info.asia

Austin A55 Cambridge Mark II Countryman in Phuket Town. In the late 1950s BMC hired one of the most famous Italian designers, Battista Farina (Pininfarina) to restyle all of its models. One of them was the new A55 Mark II, Austin's mid-size model with 1.5 liter engine and 55 hp. The estate versions were called "Countryman" and produced only two years, in 1960 and 1961. This is a really rare car in Thailand that would deserve to be restored (above and below).

Well, what is that? We found the relicts of this vintage local bus in Phuket and think it might be an Austin Seven Ruby from the 1930s. Even if it looks hopeless in the first moment, but a restoration could be possible as the owner still has lots of the dismantled parts. (above)