Older cars you have seen

[Cowley]

When did you last see a Fiat 126 on the road? This August 1991 UK-registered 650cc example is the Polish-built (FSM Polski) 126p variant.
I spotted it yesterday, after dusk, whilst walking the dog; and earlier this evening found where it "lives".

Love that. There used to be one kicking around Exeter in the 1980s in the same colour, the owner had made a big black key out of plywood and stuck on the rear deck lid so that it looked like a clockwork toy.

 

[Bald Rick]

A 1993 Nissan sunny, on Irish plates (hence knowing it was 1993!)

And then this evening, a Maserati Ghibli in yellow. Thought it was a Lambo Miura at first, and got very excited.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Love that. There used to be one kicking around Exeter in the 1980s in the same colour, the owner had made a big black key out of plywood and stuck on the rear deck lid so that it looked like a clockwork toy.

Genius!
Late 1970s and early '80s, I used to see a few Fiat 127 cars around my locality; but I only recall seeing one 126.

Today we passed a stunning Cortina Mk4, white, locally. If I can find its home, I'll try a photo in the coming weeks.

 

[dgl]

When did you last see a Fiat 126 on the road? This August 1991 UK-registered 650cc example is the Polish-built (FSM Polski) 126p variant.
I spotted it yesterday, after dusk, whilst walking the dog; and earlier this evening found where it "lives".

Never, though an Australian I watch on YouTube (Dank Pods/Garbage Time) has the Australian version, the FSM Niki. It's not exactly reliable and as such has been somewhat abused.

 

[Mikey C]

Old N plate Wartburg this morning in Watlington, Oxfordshire.

Wow, that's a proper rarity. The clouds of smoke will be interesting for the neighbours

 

[DelW]

This morning, a J-prefix BMW 316i estate, with slightly faded red paint but otherwise original looking and in decent nick for its 35ish years. It was a reminder of how the 3-series has grown, I think a current 1-series would be wider, probably higher and possibly longer.

 

[birchesgreen]

A house near my mum has 2 3 series of that vintage on their driveway, slowly decaying. Neither has numberplates but are both pretty old.

 

[Sun Chariot]

This morning, a J-prefix BMW 316i estate, with slightly faded red paint but otherwise original looking and in decent nick for its 35ish years. It was a reminder of how the 3-series has grown, I think a current 1-series would be wider, probably higher and possibly longer.

Not far from me, is a Y (1982-83) BMW e21 model, in - to be fair - won't run again condition. It's smaller than the e30 you mention - and its predecessor, BMW 02, was even smaller (it looks tiny these days!).

 

[Acathater]

Black original C-reg Fiat 500 in Blackpool today.
Engine rattling like a tin of marbles

 

[Mikey C]

Saw a Rover P4 in Golders Green today.

 

[Bald Rick]

Citröen CX Turbo-D, C Reg, in ‘used daily by a builder’ condition. Wonderful.

 

[david1212]

X (2000) plate Vauxhall Astra Estate, looked decent and probably a regular runabout.

 

[Mikey C]

Saw a real classic being driven around the Buckinghamshire countryside yesterday, a Bristol 411.

 

[telstarbox]

T reg Renault Laguna estate with the panoramic boot. Similar example in this classified listing

Unexceptional Classifieds: Renault Laguna Estate | Hagerty UK

When did you last see a Renault Laguna Estate? Probably not recently, but you could own this one for very little money indeed.

www.hagerty.co.uk

 

[Pyewipecarshed]

Y-reg Allegro on Grimsby docks this morning. It hasn't moved in a while by the looks!

 

[Sun Chariot]

Y-reg Allegro on Grimsby docks this morning. It hasn't moved in a while by the looks!

Fantastic. The Allegro 3 (1979 to 1982) was the car of my tweenager youth.
Its (updated) engine was also used for the Metro. Its interior was modernised, with an updated upper dashboard moulding (using the same air vents as Jaguar's XJ6), newer instrument binnacle, plus round four spoke steering wheel.

 

[Cowley]

Y-reg Allegro on Grimsby docks this morning. It hasn't moved in a while by the looks!

That’s one of the best ones yet I reckon. It’s got the makings of a good drama series actually.

Nigel, unhappy at the way his life had turned out, parked his despised Allegro in a car park at Grimsby docks. As he put his false fisherman’s beard and sou’wester on he prepared himself to cast aside the accoutrements of his current dull life as a door to door vacuum cleaner salesman in the Scunthorpe area and become someone entirely different. Adventurous even.

This was going to be the perfect vanishing act he thought. When in a few days time they realise that the ticket for the car park had run out, naturally they’d put the window in on the rear door and find his neatly laid out clothes and final note tucked underneath. It would probably make the papers (well at least the Grimsby Evening Telegraph).

That was the 7th November 1987. Two weeks before Nigel (known to the fishing crew as “North Sea Jack”) was the sole survivor of a ship wreck on an uninhabited island somewhere off the coast of Greenland…

 

[Bald Rick]

That’s one of the best ones yet I reckon. It’s got the makings of a good drama series actually.

Nigel, unhappy at the way his life had turned out, parked his despised Allegro in a car park at Grimsby docks. As he put his false fisherman’s beard and sou’wester on he prepared himself to cast aside the accoutrements of his current dull life as a door to door vacuum cleaner salesman in the Scunthorpe area and become someone entirely different. Adventurous even.

This was going to be the perfect vanishing act he thought. When in a few days time they realise that the ticket for the car park had run out, naturally they’d put the window in on the rear door and find his neatly laid out clothes and final note tucked underneath. It would probably make the papers (well at least the Grimsby Evening Telegraph).

That was the 7th November 1987. Two weeks before Nigel (known to the fishing crew as “North Sea Jack”) was the sole survivor of a ship wreck on an uninhabited island somewhere off the coast of Greenland…

Superb!

That must be one of the last Allegros; the first Maestros were also Y reg.

Meanwhile today I have seen:

1985 Golf GTi, in ‘well worn running’ condition, and,
1993 Honda Prelude in ‘kept in the garage, polished a bit, but largely original’ condition.

 

[Pyewipecarshed]

That’s one of the best ones yet I reckon. It’s got the makings of a good drama series actually.

Nigel, unhappy at the way his life had turned out, parked his despised Allegro in a car park at Grimsby docks. As he put his false fisherman’s beard and sou’wester on he prepared himself to cast aside the accoutrements of his current dull life as a door to door vacuum cleaner salesman in the Scunthorpe area and become someone entirely different. Adventurous even.

This was going to be the perfect vanishing act he thought. When in a few days time they realise that the ticket for the car park had run out, naturally they’d put the window in on the rear door and find his neatly laid out clothes and final note tucked underneath. It would probably make the papers (well at least the Grimsby Evening Telegraph).

That was the 7th November 1987. Two weeks before Nigel (known to the fishing crew as “North Sea Jack”) was the sole survivor of a ship wreck on an uninhabited island somewhere off the coast of Greenland…

I love it, you should pitch that to the BBC!

 

[Mikey C]

That Allegro has been untaxed since November 2016!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

That Allegro has been untaxed since November 2016!

A brave move parking it so close to the sea air... It's held up surprisingly well by the looks of things!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 Mar 2026 ==

That’s one of the best ones yet I reckon. It’s got the makings of a good drama series actually.

Nigel, unhappy at the way his life had turned out, parked his despised Allegro in a car park at Grimsby docks. As he put his false fisherman’s beard and sou’wester on he prepared himself to cast aside the accoutrements of his current dull life as a door to door vacuum cleaner salesman in the Scunthorpe area and become someone entirely different. Adventurous even.

This was going to be the perfect vanishing act he thought. When in a few days time they realise that the ticket for the car park had run out, naturally they’d put the window in on the rear door and find his neatly laid out clothes and final note tucked underneath. It would probably make the papers (well at least the Grimsby Evening Telegraph).

That was the 7th November 1987. Two weeks before Nigel (known to the fishing crew as “North Sea Jack”) was the sole survivor of a ship wreck on an uninhabited island somewhere off the coast of Greenland…

Everybody's been making plans for Nigel, but none of them had a clue that Nigel was making plans of his own!

 

[Cowley]

Everybody's been making plans for Nigel, but none of them had a clue that Nigel was making plans of his own!

Very good!

 

[telstarbox]

Original Renault Clio in Sussex. Looks like it used to have side bumpers?

 

[Cowley]

Looks like it used to have side bumpers?

Probably just a bit of self detaching trim I’d have thought

 

[birchesgreen]

M reg Mazda camper van in the Waitrose car park when i was picking my wife up from work. I couldn't tell what the model name was as it was a bit too worn.

 

[Cowley]

M reg Mazda camper van in the Waitrose car park when i was picking my wife up from work. I couldn't tell what the model name was as it was a bit too worn.

A Bongo maybe?

 

[KT550]

A Honda Prelude 2.0 EX from December 1990 (H prefix) seen today in south Surrey.

 

[Tramfan]

Saw an N (suffix) reg Mini around Newcastle today, unfortunately it passed me from behind so didn't get chance to take a photo

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

A Bongo maybe?

Probably a Bongo Friendee (imported secondhand from Japan) since it was a camper.

File:Mazda Bongo Friendee 005.JPG - Wikimedia Commons

commons.wikimedia.org

 

[Cowley]

Probably a Bongo Friendee (imported secondhand from Japan) since it was a camper.

File:Mazda Bongo Friendee 005.JPG - Wikimedia Commons

commons.wikimedia.org

I used to have one. It had a pretty cool electric lifting roof but my word was it thirsty!