Nostalgia – Found in the History File of our 1934 Riley 9 Lynx
June 29, 2022
More often than not, in the history files of our cars here at Bridge Classic Cars we’ll find some little gems that help to build
classic car stories
Nostalgia – 1957 MGA Roadster in the 2000 Monte Challenge
March 28, 2022
We’ve been sent in these amazing photos of our 1957 MGA Roadster as part of its previous life. The car took part in the Monte
And All That Could Have Been – The Porsche 965 ”The Black Bomber”
December 7, 2021
In the late 1980s, the Porsche 959 reigned as the technological supreme. A tour de force of engineering and technology proved that Porsche was at
Nostalgia – Found in the History File of our 1934 Riley 9 Lynx
June 29, 2022
More often than not, in the history files of our cars here at Bridge Classic Cars we’ll find some little gems that help to build and understand the story of a particular car.
This time, we found a few loose photos and a drawing from inside the history file of our 1934 Riley 9 Lynx. The car was exported from the UK to South Africa before many years later making its way back home to us. Well, thanks to the photos we now know that was the 10th of March 1973 in Southampton. The car was literally driven to the docks and loaded up, bound for its new life.
A life that we could see in another photo with our friend John behind the wheel. John was the previous owner of the car before us and loved his pre-war Riley. So much so, that we also found a cartoon of the car dated from 2004 which shows John and some friends huddled around the car with what appears to be an Ostrich in the back seat…
It’s always amazing when we find these little nuggets of nostalgia locked away within the paperwork of the car. These hidden treasures tell as much of the story as the invoices, receipts, notes etc. We love it when we find these types of bits and pieces.
Also, this very car is still up for sale! Head over to MyClassics now and take a look!
Nostalgia – 1957 MGA Roadster in the 2000 Monte Challenge
March 28, 2022
We’ve been sent in these amazing photos of our 1957 MGA Roadster as part of its previous life.
The car took part in the Monte Challenge, a classic rally much in the spirit of the original Monte Carlo rally organised by the CRA but now part of the HERO calendar of classic car events.
The results postings for the 2000 edition show that number 47, the number was worn by our 1957 MGA 1500 Roadster, was run by Philip Swain and Frank Lyons in the 2000 edition of the rally. From this results book, we can see that the car managed 45th place overall with a little over 2hrs in accumulated penalties.
It’s always amazing to see the lives of some of the cars in our care before they found their way to us here at Bridge Classic Cars and seeing an MGA used in the way they would have been in period.
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Remember, you can send in your classic car stories! Drop us an email with some photos and your story to marketing@bridgeclassiccars.co.uk
And All That Could Have Been – The Porsche 965 ”The Black Bomber”
December 7, 2021
In the late 1980s, the Porsche 959 reigned as the technological supreme. A tour de force of engineering and technology proved that Porsche was at the leading edge of sports cars yet again.
There was one issue with the 959 however. It was massively expensive and outrageously complicated. So, with that, Porsche engineers decided to explore the idea of a simplified 959… That is where the Porsche L7 prototype comes in. A leftover of the original 959 Prototype phase. But internally amongst its engineers, it was known by a different name, The Black Bomber.
The Black Bomber would use a prototype 959 body. But apart from that, all manner of things were entirely redone. Mainly, the engine. The 959 was powered by a twin-turbo flat 6 and connected to an electronically controlled 4 wheel drive system that helped to distribute the power out to each wheel where necessary. With this level of complexity and electronics in 1986, the 959 cost the equivalent of £375,000 in today’s money. But, that’s not the whole story. Porsche would actually lose 50% on each car it made so its real cost was around £750,000.
So, what to do? How do you make things easier for a budget-minded version of the car? Porsche kindly asked Audi to lend them a water-cooled V8 and its Quattro four-wheel-drive system to install into the back of the leftover 959 prototype body where the flat-six had once lived.
So, what ever happened to the 965 programme? It was killed off. with a recession looming over Germany towards the end of the 1980s as well as a confusing market placement (between the 959 and Turbo) meant that Ulrich Bez shut the development down. 15 prototypes of the 965 had been created with various engine choices and setups, but after cancelling the programme all were destroyed. All except one…
The Black Bomber. The Audi V8 powered car would live in the shadows after being hidden in the archives for a few years. Then, towards the end of the 1990s, it was pulled out and used to develop the first water-cooled 911 – the 996. Finally fulfilling its birthright to give the world the best sports car it could.
If you want to, check out the film that Porsche has made taking you around the elusive 965 stored away in its museum.
