You've got Thriller in your tape deck and you're off to the newsagents - yes, folks...it's 1982! First of all, I'll start with an apology, on my way back to the present (in the RSM time machine) I snaffled the Dentyne gum from the cover - sorry. Whilst we're looking at the cover the first thing I noticed was SM's own project Model B, it's a nice looking ride but what really stands out is that X registration - there's not many 'rodders that would like that these days. Next? Who wouldn't be tempted by Cortinas galore!, especially as they're all in colour....Woo-hoo!
This was nestled amongst the four page Cortina article...not content with sticking men to plasterboard and dangling them from helicopters (yes, I'm old enough to remember) Araldite went even further and stuck a Cortina to a billboard in Cromwell Road, London. Here's what SM had to say: 'a specially designed steel jig was stuck to the car using about 10 standard packs of Araldite, then the ton of car was lifted into place by crane. A special steel stanchion was placed behind the hoarding to carry the load'. Would you walk under it? Interestingly the 'Tina itself looks new, but the ad behind shows a MKV*, so the yellow MkIV must've been a few years old. Let's take a look at a couple more Cortinas from the same feature:
Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Bososoku in the UK in the early 80s? Hang on, there's more...
A bit more in the chin and a star-shaped exhaust and we're there. On the subject of early appearances of recognised styles how about a European-based full-on lowrider Beetle:
This is Bernt Carlsson's '55 Oval Bug from Sweden. It's chopped, it's widened, it's wearing wires and yes, it's sports hydraulics - it's the real deal. What you can't see is the purple crushed velour that adorns the interior...and the engine bay! Bernt, where are you now? As is customary on our trips back into time we've packed a pile of pound notes (yes, notes) and we're going hunting in the classifieds:
That'll do nicely. An X-flowed Prefect in good condition with an MOT for six hundred quid. Not far from me either. That's it for now retro readers, I'm off to get some fresh garbage for the Mr.Fusion.
*Trivia alert! Officially the MKV didn't exist - it's the MkIV 'Cortina 80'.
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