The garage employee said that when he had seen a ‘1988 Ford’ listed for a safety check this week he was surprised, and even more surprised when he saw that it was an Escort wagon! I guess he doesn’t see many of them anymore either. I’m glad I trusted my gut and made a U-turn to come back and see this unlikely automotive throwback. While I can’t have this one, my optimistic nature tells me that I’ll find my own ‘forgotten gem’ at some point too!
I tend to consider myself an optimistic person. Why see the glass half empty when you can see it as half full? Apparently I’m not the only person with this outlook on life. Today on a lazy little drive in the countryside a flash of white caught my eye as I drove by a small garage. I had to turn around and go back to see what it was. That flash of white was an impressively clean and well-kept 1988 Ford Escort GL wagon! Once a common sight on North American roads, the little Escort has all but disappeared. This model was produced from 1980 until 1990. While an even cooler find would be one of the diesel wagon models, this Escort GL came equipped with the standard 1.6L gas engine and a 5-speed manual transmission. With just 68 horsepower on tap, this 1000+ kg wagon, when fully loaded, was likely fairly sluggish, though the manual transmission would have helped a bit. Features appeared few and far between, with manual windows and locks, though I could see that this model had the ‘high-tech’ display panel that indicated when washer fluid and fuel were low or if the headlights, taillights or brake lights were burnt out! Impressively modern for a car with origins back just one year after my birth! The interior was a fantastic red, a reminder that car interiors weren’t always 50 shades of beige. Considering this car is coming up on its 30th birthday soon, it was in incredible shape, especially inside. I didn’t see a mark or tear anywhere and it puts many cars much newer to shame. I’m willing to be the owner bought it new and babied it during its entire 151,170 kms. After checking the car out and grabbing some pictures, I poked my head into the garage to see if anyone was around. I spoke with someone working there and asked if the Escort was for sale. He laughed and said no, unfortunately, it wasn’t. The owner had just dropped it off for a safety check! I admired their optimism, but considering the condition of the car, there’s a good chance it will pass safety.
The garage employee said that when he had seen a ‘1988 Ford’ listed for a safety check this week he was surprised, and even more surprised when he saw that it was an Escort wagon! I guess he doesn’t see many of them anymore either. I’m glad I trusted my gut and made a U-turn to come back and see this unlikely automotive throwback. While I can’t have this one, my optimistic nature tells me that I’ll find my own ‘forgotten gem’ at some point too!
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In a major city like Barcelona, there's no shortage of things to see. This major Spanish city is worth a visit for the Gaudi architecture alone, not to mention the general architecture, parks and avenues. On a recent visit, I discovered the recently unearthed ruins of 18th century Barcelona beautifully preserved and presented under the Mercat del Born public market. Barcelona should be on anyone's list of cities in Europe to visit! As an unrepentant car fan, I was also extremely pleased to run across a lovely car I had never seen before. This model happened to be British in origin, a handsome and clean Triumph 2000. Knowing nothing about this car (except that it had overdrive, as a badge on the rear proudly stated!), I had to look it up, and discovered that the 2000 was produced from 1964 until 1969. The 2000 was meant to offer the low operation and maintenance costs of an 'average' car with upscale comfort and luxury features unexpected for the class. This handsome light blue sedan was in beautiful shape, and only needed a wheel detail to look perfect. A touch of chrome trim added to the design without being too flashy, making this Triumph a surprisingly understated sight on a Barcelona street filled with modern vehicles. The 'Overdrive' badge suggested this was an automatic model, which struck me as surprising in Europe where manual transmissions have long been the norm. While it's still common enough to see sporty Triumph coupes and convertibles out, especially when the nice weather hits, you don't see a car like this 2000 sedan every day. Barcelona is a fantastic city with lots of sights and sounds to entertain a tourist, but for a car fan, a discovery like this only makes it better. This Triumph-ant visit makes me want to get back and discover even more!
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AuthorWelcome! My name is Paul, and I am an old-fashioned, low-pressure, low-buck car fan with lots of automotive stories to tell! Archives
February 2020
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