Three Great Classic Cars – the Wolseley 1500, Riley Elf and Bentley S-Type

When it comes to feeding our addiction for old cars in the UK, we can’t help but lust after these three greats –

·         Wolseley 1500

·         Riley Elf

·         Bentley S-Type

They’re stylish, all very different, and they’re the sort of car you’d cherish for ever if you’re lucky enough to own one.

Wolseley 1500

As all fans of old cars in the UK will know, the Wolseley was one of those cars that probably wasn’t ever really meant to be. By that we mean that it’s lucky it ever came to fruition. Gerald Palmer was the man who designed it, and it was the last one he did before he left to join that little known car manufacturer, Vauxhall. The design work of the Wolseley 1500 was polished off by Dick Burzi, and initially, this design was intended to be the replacement for the Minor 1000 (the Morris 1200). This didn’t happen, because it became apparent that they could sell every Minor that was made. So, the Wolseley was born! It was made in Longbridge, and showcased at the London Motor Show in April 1957.

Riley Elf

The striking, instantly-recognisable design of the Riley Elf was a surefire hit. The Riley Elf featured a modified Mini body shell which had a distinguished upright grille at the front. This was incorporated into the design by elongating the nose and adding front wings. At the back, there was a larger boot which was housed under longer rear wings. The result was a car that, though small, looked the business. Just like the standard Minis, power came cour

tesy of a 34bhp 848cc A-series engine. The first model was unveiled in 1961, while a second and third model were released in 1963 and 1966 respectively. By 1969, after 39000 Riley Elf cars had been built, production ended.

Bentley S-Type

As far as luxurious old cars UK go, Bentley has to be up at the top. The S-Type was produced from 1955 up until 1959. It was special in the fact that it was Bentley’s (and Rolls Royce’s) first total redesign of their standard production car post the end of WWII. Furthermore, it was the last version they built that featured an independent chassis. These days, Bentley S-Types are extremely sought after, but you’ll need a seriously healthy bank balance to get your hands on one. You could expect to pay around £80,000 for a fully-refurbished model. If you can’t lay your hands on that amount of cash, make sure you head to your nearest classic car show and hunt one down. We’re sure you’ll adore the attention to detail that you’ll find on this truly-stunning and deeply sophisticated beautiful old car.

These three elegant old cars UK heritage all vary dramatically in style and size. And while the Riley Elf may be smaller in size than the Wolesley 1500 and Bentley S-Type, we truly believe it has the same stature.

Why we Love Old Classic Car Images

If you’re a classic car enthusiast (and you should be if you’ve found your way to our site), you’ll probably have an inkling as to why we love old classic car images. But just in case you’re not convinced, we thought we’d tell you precisely why we adore poring over old pictures… Get ready for a trip back in time…

Remember

Old classic car images have a habit of instantly conjuring up feelings, a sense of history, and a way of life. Whether it’s a picture of a classic Mini like the one your mum used to drive, or a Citroen C2 that you always lusted after as a teenager, old pictures have a habit of taking you places. On a rainy Sunday afternoon, when there’s nothing on TV, when we need a break from tinkering with our car, and when there are no car events to go to, we love getting our old classic car images out and having a browse.

Imagine

Classic cars have a tendency of evoking a very certain sense of time and place. Picture an Austin Seven in your mind’s eye and you’ll probably be taken right back to pre-WWII Britain. Think of an old VW campervan and we bet you’re imagining a sunny Summer’s day in the countryside, sometime in the 1970s. Nostalgia can be fun, and daydreaming even more so. A rifle through a selection of old photographs while you sip a hot mug of tea is – as far as we’re concerned – one of the best ways to spend a wet afternoon.

Enjoy

Who wouldn’t raise a smile when they take a glimpse at an old photo of a glorious Maserati? Or what about one of those striking old Alfa Romeos? You can’t help but be drawn in by the glamour and seduction of it all. That’s why we make sure our website has so many old classic car images on it. After all, it’s a joy to just peruse images of old cars and wile away the hours just lapping up the detail. Images can speak a thousand words, and while we love learning about the history of classic cars, we also love just taking in their splendour by looking over photographs.

Experience

However hard we save, and however hard we hunt for those old must-have cars, we will never be able to own every model we wish we could. So that’s another reason why we’ll always cherish old photos of classic cars. No, they will never be able to replace the real thing, but they’re a great way of helping us to imagine just what it would be like to race down a country lane in an old MG, or zip round London in the 1960s in a Mini Cooper.

So sit back, get yourself a cup of tea (or something a bit stronger!) and enjoy our wonderful selection of Classic cars uk photos. If you’re anything like us, we think you’ll have some fun!

The Best Classic Cars in the UK

So you want to get the lowdown on some of the best classic cars in the UK? Good news, because we’ve compiled this handy little list for you. We’ve picked out four of the best classic cars and they are…

Mini Cooper

Cars don’t get much more quintessentially British than the Mini Cooper. Unlike the huge lumbering ones of today, the classic Mini Cooper looked small enough to fit in the palm of your hand (well not quite, but you know what we mean). It was produced in the UK from 1961 right up until 2000, and quickly garnered admiration. Small, yet perfectly formed, it was the ideal city car and proved perfect for nipping around in.

Jaguar E-Type



The classic Jaguar E-Type – also known as the Jaguar XK-E – is an icon of motoring in the 1960s. Over 70,000 Jaguar E-Types were produced, and it still has many admirers today. In fact, in 2008, the newspaper, The Daily Telegraph, placed it at the top spot of ‘100 most beautiful cars’ in an online article. The Jaguar E-Type is a marriage of fantastic good looks, supreme power, and seriously competitive pricing. Some Jaguar E-Type facts –

•    Malcolm Sayer was the designer
•    It had an FR layout
•    Its predecessor was the Jaguar XK150

MGB and MGC

Many classic car enthusiasts argue over which is better – the MGB or MGC – but we’re of the firm belief that both are great. The MGC was born in 1967 with a 2912cc engine. The MGC body shell was for all intents and purposes a basic MGB unit. The MGB was ‘the original’ and was launched in 1962. It replaced the MGA. There are many MGBs available to buy, and they continue to be one of the most loved classic cars UK produced.

Triumph TR7

Who could fail to be impressed by the sleek and sexy Triumph TR7? Made from 1974 – 1981 it oozes classic 1970s style from bonnet to bumper. During its lifetime, it had three manufacturing locations – firstly, starting off in Speke in Liverpool, then moving on to Canley in Coventry, and finally coming to rest in the Rover Solihull plant. Although one of the great classic cars of the UK, the demand for the Triumph TR7 was so strong in the USA that the launch of the car in the UK was delayed on two occasions. That being said, with its sleek silhouette and rather futuristic design, the Triumph TR7 does have a very American look to it.

There are a vast number of classic cars UK, and owning and restoring them is a popular hobby for many. What’s more, every year all over the UK, there are many classic car events where fans and owners come to look at, and show off these prized classic old cars. If you’re looking to invest in a classic car, you can’t go wrong with a Mini Cooper, Jaguar E-Type, MGB or MGC, or the Triumph TR7.