Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Photos from 2014 Boca Raton British Car Show

Her Majesty's flag proudly appears, adorning vintage cars in Boca Raton, Fla.
Again this year we depart from our normal attention to Royal Enfield motorcycles to take in the annual British Car Show in Boca Raton, Fla.

By now you would think I would have admired every British Racing Green MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey in the state. But, no, I always find something old and exciting to enjoy.

Here are my photos, with comments. Come along for the ride:

MG T-Types line up in rainbow colors.
First of all, did MG really offer its T-Types in every Life-Saver color? The cheerful line-up of hues made the little cars on display at Boca look even more toy like than usual.

Jaguar C-Type. Every detail is awesome.
A 1951 Jaguar C-Type was clearly among the most admired vehicles at the show. Everyone wanted to know if it was "real." You'd have to ask Dorothy Philipson of Boynton Beach, Fla.

1936 Railton Tourer looked indomitable.
Dominating its corner of the show was a 1936 Railton Tourer shown by Marcel Hoinville of Miramar, Fla. My friend, author Douglas Kalajian, proudly observed that this proud representative of the British Empire has a chassis and straight-eight motor by that colonial firm, Hudson.

Morris Minor with hamster-charger.
At the other end of the scale was a proud Morris Minor with a busy hamster spinning its cage in the engine compartment. (It was a mechanical toy hamster, not a real rodent.)

Undaunted by adversity. Note clothespin "clamp."
Another Morris Minor featured a clothespin clamping one of its dashboard controls. Press on Regardless!

Triumph Roadster with its strange jump seats in the boot.
Always a delight was the peculiar post-war Triumph Roadster on show, with its rumble seat (with dedicated windscreen). Such a delightful idea, so awful in reality.

Tiny turn signals on a mighty Bentley.
It's always the details that delight on British cars. Secondary lights are either occasions for glory or absolutely tacked on. The enormous Bentley celebrates its turn signals with lenses no larger than the pilot lights on my Royal Enfield Bullet.

There is no explaining a Lotus 11 in any aspect.
A Lotus 11 tucks its streamlined signal lights inside the headlight fairings. It looks splendid.

Austin-Healey makes its tail reflector a celebrity.
A battered Austin-Healey in the parking area of the show illustrated what the British could do with a cheap reflector.

Rolls-Royce tables neither shaken nor stirred.
Nothing delights more than a tray table in the back of a Rolls, although I suppose you can't use them when the vehicle is in motion. The Rolls too large for your driveway? How about a Vanden Plas Princess 1300?

Tray tables in Vanden Plas Princess.
They are no more practical than those in the Rolls, but the car itself probably was. This 1971 Princess was shown by Croan McCormack of Brookline, Mass.

Vanden Plas Princess with its grille, second to no other.
All-in-all, Good Show!

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