THE 1962 LONDON MOTOR SHOW

Its Wednesday the 17^th October 1962 and your first port of call is to Stand 105 to appreciate three new Fords. The Zodiac, flagship of the Mk. III range, is only a few months old and the first Dagenham car with quad headlamps and a top speed in three figures. The cost is £1,070 15s 3d, which is surely reasonable for a vehicle possessing a “quality of luxury travel hitherto only by the owners of the world’s most expensive cars”. Meanwhile, the Anglia 123E Super, with a heater, screen washers and a cigarette lighter is surely a bargain £598 13s 9d.

Next, of course, is the Consul Cortina, which bridges the gap between the Anglia and the Consul Classic. It looks a tremendous bargain, with the De Luxe costing less than £700, and those ‘Ban The Bomb’ taillights are undoubtedly stylish. But there are other display to visit - namely Vauxhall on Stand 107, to appreciate the Velox and Cresta PB. Those understated lines are certainly a contrast to the outgoing PA and they are certainly handsome machines for £936 3d and £1,046 3d. However, the sales copy’s claim of “not revolutionary, but they are very nearly perfect” and “simply great” are a tad over the top.

Progressing to Stand 117, the Rover 3-Litre Coupe is a remarkably elegant machine for £2,062 2s 9d and the Daimler 2.5 V8 on Stand 98 is a very desirable sports saloon. The latter is also rumoured to be faster than the Jaguar 2.4 Mk.2. Unfortunately, banks managers do tend to lack understanding these days, so the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud SIII on Stand 99 and its Bentley S3 counterpart on Stand 97 are even more out of reach.

So far, we have only looked at saloons, but those motorists who favoured twin-sets or sheepskin car coats need make for Stand 123. Can the MGB really be an Abingdon open two-seater with its external door handles and winding windows? The Triumph Spitfire, the star of Stand 122, is also fitted with these decadent items – what is the world coming to? That said, both are very tempting prospects at £949 15s 3d and £730 respectively.

Alternatively, the Vitesse 6 drophead costs a reasonable £893 7s 9d has a rear seat, a six-cylinder engine and is apparently idea for “the man who motors for the love of it”. The Hillman Super Minx Convertible on Stand 110 is not quite as sporting but also looks excellent value £960.15s 3d.

Moving to Stand 116, that beautiful Lotus Elan looks primed for speed-limit free transport on the M1, while the Jensen CV8 on Stand 128 is equally tempting, even if £3,860 12s 9d is slightly out of reach. Heading toward the foreign marques, Stand 100 features the slightly more practical Renault R8 - £764 2s 9d for the only car in its class with all-disc brakes.

As for the star of the show? Well, that new Morris 1100 De Luxe on Stand 118 is not just excellent value at £674 15s 3d but resembles no other small saloon. It is essentially the Mini formula writ large and BMC promises it is “The car you always hoped would happen”. Then, returning to Stand 123, there is the MG 1100 version - £713 9s 7d with a heater, twin SU carburettors, and a wood veneered dashboard and even an illuminated ashtray.

Decisions, decisions…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sItz5ZO2b9Y