Wirksworth

This weekend just gone, the parents and I went to Wirksworth for the art festival there.  The festival is not really of any interest to this blog, but some of the spots were.

This made us chuckle, mobility scooter with a Motorway Maintenance sticker on the back and a high visibility jacket on the seat.  I believe the women in purple skirts were part of a performing arts thing... or maybe it was just a strange coincidence.

Dad and I spotted this bike at about the same time.  The bike is a make I'm unfamiliar with, it being the first one I'd ever seen, but Dad was au fait being a bike riding type way back when.

Twingo!  Don't see these too often in the UK, they were primarily sold in France as rental cars.

Nissan Figaro.  One of the more successful attempts at a retro styled modern car which is itself now considered a retro vehicle due to its age.  Hard to believe this little 2 seater coupé is a Nissan Micra underneath it all.

Sooty Van, aka Bedford Rascal.  I believe these sleep one and a half people, are a little more unstable than the miniature van counterpart and quite rare now.  Perfect for wending your way around the narrow streets of Wirksworth though.

Fictional

Unfortunatley, due to the laws of physics or some such, I don't have infinite resources to be able to work on any automotive whim that pops into my head.  For this reason I'm thankful for the internet and digital manipulation software like Photoshop to make it possible for me to at least imagine some things.

Bedford Rascal

Given a slightly more American feel than the original design, but no attempt has been made to modernise this capable little van here.

Citroen Ami

I like the quirky original lines of the Ami, but if the ride height is straigthened and the rear of the car given a more conventional angle it begins to look like an elegant proposition.

Mitsubishi Spacewagon

An unlikely contender for modifying, but just cleaning it up, lowering it and fitting larger wheels goes a long way.

Riley RME

As close as I'll ever get to a single 'dream car'.  This is an RME ledsled, a rare and unusual thing that I'll likely never have the opportunity, skills or funds to acquire, but it's nice to dream.

Volvo 740

From 4-door estate to 2-door 70s inspired hot rod truck.

Bedford, Ford and Toyota

From a recent sunny day when I went for a walk to town are these spots.  I like old tin, and sometimes I forget that the things I think are newish are actually in their teens now.  Maybe in another decade I'll start taking pictures of the new and still common stuff, but for now I focus on the old things.

Bedford CF Ambulance

I have no idea why this is specifically a Michelin Ambulance.  this old van is in typical Bedford CF condition for the age, but it's great to see one trundling around.

1949 Ford Prefect hot rod

This was something a bit special.  Ford Prefects are not as commonly turned into hot rods as their smaller sibling the Ford Popular (or Pop, for short).  This one was exceptionally nice thanks to retaining a lot of original trim and hiding the hot rod-iness at the back by keeping original, probably banded, steels and hub caps.

Lovely bit of pinstriping on the boot and the frenched rear lights are spot on.

1991 Toyota Corolla GL

These sorts of cars don't normally get a second glance, but this one is still in daily use at 20 years old.  Considering how quickly we seem to discard of newer cars I'd say being on the road for 20 years warrants a snapshot at the very least.