• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
  • HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
    Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
    im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
    we are now using a backup solution

Car Parade in New Street

Heartland

Heartland

master brummie
A number of classic vehicles paraded through Birmingham in the summer of 1980.

They passed down New Street at a time before pedestrians took over this thorough fare:
172.jpg
 
Think I’ve seen a photo of the same parade with a Mini Moke - remember those ? Think there were models in the Moke. Viv.
 
1548531425762.png
We had Mini Mokes in the late 1960's and early 70's. They were without rear seat as equipment was carried there. Fantastic little vehicles ideal where you were continually getting in and out of them.
Some bright spark (not management) stated that they were unsafe and the men could fall out of them easily. I went quite a few miles in them and never fell out! Remember the people who were likely to fall out were the kind of people who climbed ladders crawled on roofs, scrambled down into cellars and sewers and did all manner of things that would be considered dangerous. That was the start of the H&SE directives. Surviving models are worth a fortune I believe.
 
There are German, Irish, Scottish and French flags on the Town Hall. Was this parade part of some wider event ? Viv.
 
I was there watching the parade.
I remember a Citroen DS being driven around on three wheels. One of the rear wheels had been removed to show how sophisticated the suspension of the DS was.
 
Apart from Rolls Royce. a Citroen DS9 was a car I always considered buying. But they were quite expensive to maintain so I never did own either one.
 
Anyone remember this?PROGRAMME WRITE UP ABOUT THE BIRMINGHAM MOTORING FESTIVAL..jpg It is a page from a Mallory Park programme, and mentions the Motoring Festival, which I was part of. This was the pre-cursor to the Birmingham Grand prix.
 
Just to add to the above. There are lots of video and movie showing Birminghams grand Prix, but I have never seen any of the actual Festival, when the racing cars did a circuit of Colmore Row, New Street, corporation Street and back to Colmore Row. THOUSANDS lined the streets, and it really was a show-stopper for the people of Brum....and yet, no 8mm or movie of any kind has ever been found, to my knowledge anyway. unless someone on here recalls filming it?
 
The vintage car (NK 616) in the first post seems to have been part of the International Motoring Festival of June 1972. Maybe this was an annual event, hence the various flags flying on the Town Hall. Viv.

C2E4F928-DBF0-4309-88F8-8E3CDC4912B7.jpeg
 
Vivienne14 said:
The vintage car (NK 616) in the first post seems to have been part of the International Motoring Festival of June 1972. Maybe this was an annual event, hence the various flags flying on the Town Hall. Viv.

View attachment 131140
Click to expand...
Hi! Many thanks for this information. I think that this was the event. I have never seen anything about it before. The mix of cars there was wonderous, from F1 cars through to sports cars and Special Saloon racing cars. the sun was out, and noise was wonderful Birmingham celebrated it's heritage. it was organized by an old friend at the time, MARTIN HONE. Martin sadly got no real thanks for the event, and I understand was shut out of the organizing of the later Grand Prix.
 
Gerry Cannell said:
Just to add to the above. There are lots of video and movie showing Birminghams grand Prix, but I have never seen any of the actual Festival, when the racing cars did a circuit of Colmore Row, New Street, corporation Street and back to Colmore Row. THOUSANDS lined the streets, and it really was a show-stopper for the people of Brum....and yet, no 8mm or movie of any kind has ever been found, to my knowledge anyway. unless someone on here recalls filming it?
Click to expand...


No film or video, but here is a photo of the racing cars that looks like they are racing against buses.

City New Street Birmingham Super Prix[1].jpg
 
Does any one recall the parade in 1975 thru Brum to mark 75 years of motoring history, The parade was led by a white Jaguar XJS license # PJE444, I think the Evening Mail and Dispatch had a picture of it on the front page, I would love to find a picture, it was my job to get the Jaguar ready for the show back then the XJS was brand new and this was the first one out of the factory.
 
Radiorails said:
View attachment 131083
We had Mini Mokes in the late 1960's and early 70's. They were without rear seat as equipment was carried there. Fantastic little vehicles ideal where you were continually getting in and out of them.
Some bright spark (not management) stated that they were unsafe and the men could fall out of them easily. I went quite a few miles in them and never fell out! Remember the people who were likely to fall out were the kind of people who climbed ladders crawled on roofs, scrambled down into cellars and sewers and did all manner of things that would be considered dangerous. That was the start of the H&SE directives. Surviving models are worth a fortune I believe.
Click to expand...
I had one bought it half wackes with my pop I drove from Rendal to the city every day including the winter big long coat hat gloves and froze my ass off, mine was yellow paid 200 pounds for it 74 ? ( sorry I am in the states my key board only has a $ sign)
 
Robert Ensor (bob) said:
I had one bought it half wackes with my pop I drove from Rendal to the city every day including the winter big long coat hat gloves and froze my ass off, mine was yellow paid 200 pounds for it 74 ? ( sorry I am in the states my key board only has a $ sign)
Click to expand...

When we were filming a TV series in Wales, we had Mokes, fitted with a canvass striped roof cover. They were chosen because they were thought to look Different.
 
Was never so surprised when I saw how small the cars where that day thought they where much larger
 
Radiorails said:
Apart from Rolls Royce. a Citroen DS9 was a car I always considered buying. But they were quite expensive to maintain so I never did own either one.
Click to expand...
Just now read this its funny you should mention Rolls Royce and Citroen, the suspension system fitted to Rolls Royce Silver Shadows was under license from Citroen, a small plate on the bulkhead on the L/h side under the bonnet gave a shout out to Citroen.
My pop owned a DS 19 back in the 60's I remember going on holiday to Cornwall in it Reg #MNP 200 D.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top