Even without the cars, Hong Kong is a fascinating city to visit, and I'll definitely get back for a longer stay one day. I'll just consider seeing these great Mercedes models as a little bonus this time!
Over the Christmas holidays I was lucky to get to visit Hong Kong. It's a beautiful city with some fantastic views, excellent restaurants, and creative architecture. The steep hills are great for a workout, though I admit we did occasionally get lazy and take the escalators that snake their way up the hills! The collection of the cars on the road was interesting: while some models were the ones I typically see in Shanghai, there were many Japanese models as well. The most common car was the Toyota Crown taxi, just like in Tokyo, and the Japanese connection seems even stronger when you consider that cars in Hong Kong have the steering wheel on the ride side, just like in Japan. Another common vehicular theme was luxury. Fancy cars were everywhere, including lots of high-end sports cars and SUVs. Mercedes was especially popular, with their entire range on display all over the city. And while some of the shiny new ones were nice, it was a couple of oldies that I liked the most. This fantastic old Mercedes sedan was parked in a garage below an apartment building near the top of the 'Peak'. Close to the visitors center, the homes and apartments near the top of Hong Kong's highest peak look very exclusive. The guard at the complex came out when I entered the parking lot to take a picture, but agreed to let me take a second one. I didn't get to check the model, but looking online it appears to be a Mercedes Benz 200, built between 1968 and 1976. There was a bit of rain on the windshield, so the car had been out for a recent drive when I saw it. I was glad to see it wasn't a parked and abandoned relic, but still got to stretch its legs (and brakes) on the steep inclines above Hong Kong. Another gorgeous car carrying the iconic '3 pointed star' logo was the 450 SEL 6.9 that I saw further down the hill, still on Hong Kong island. This top-end model was built between 1975 and 1981, and features a massive 6.9L V8 engine and a hydraulic self-levelling suspension (which was actually the Citroen system introduced in the DS). The paint still had a nice shine, and everything about this car looked perfect. I didn't see the owner, but I'm sure they wouldn't have minded their old car attracting some attention! A final Benz worthy of mention is the big and bulky G-Class. The G is the ultimate in off-road vehicles, and while I don't know if this one ever saw more trying terrain than the Gucci and Prada shops during the Boxing Day sale, it looked ready to attack anything with big knobby tires, a bush grille, and a snorkel.
Even without the cars, Hong Kong is a fascinating city to visit, and I'll definitely get back for a longer stay one day. I'll just consider seeing these great Mercedes models as a little bonus this time!
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Another country, another old car. The country, India; the car, the Premier Padmini. This classic was originally a common car for many Indian families, and later became a popular choice for taxi use in many cities across the country. When I travel I always hope to see an old car or two, and I wasn't disappointed when I arrived in Delhi last week for work. I had just collected my bag and was stepping outside to catch a taxi when I saw one. The driver sped off before I could grab a picture, but luckily I saw many more during my week-long visit to India. The Padmini, or 'Pad', originated in 1964 and was based on the Fiat1100D. It would continue in some form or another right up until 2000. Engines and safety equipment were upgraded over the years, but the Padmini retained the same basic styling, with prominent fenders, an upright roof line, and round headlights. While modern cars are quickly replacing it on the road, there were still a fair number of the old Pad's on the streets of Mumbai. I was lucky enough to be able to meet up with a friend from Mumbai, and she took me for a great lunch and showed me around the city. At one point during our walk, I saw one of the taxis pulled off to the side of the street with its hood up. Two men were looking through a box of parts, clearly trying to repair something. I went to take a peek, and they told me that the poor car was 'injured'. When I saw how simple the engine looked, I'm sure they managed to get it going quickly! I asked the year of the car and was astonished to find out it was from 1998. I would have guessed 1968! Clearly the Premier Padmini was aging gracefully, and had resisted the urge to get a facelift. When it was time to take a taxi back to the airport, I was disappointed to find that none of the drivers of Padminis that I flagged down wanted to take the fare. Some said they didn't have enough gas, while others said it was too far. Maybe the Pad gets injured often, and they'd rather keep them in the city center. We did manage to crawl into the back seat of one before climbing out again, so I can proudly say I was in a Padmini in Mumbai, even if it was for only 17.6 seconds! The next morning I flew out early, and assumed my experience with old Indian cars had ended, but I had a pleasant surprise. The person sitting beside me in the plane was a charming Indian woman from Delhi, and we started chatting. We discussed India, and our travels, and I casually mentioned what a fan I was of the Premier Padmini. She told me that her family owned an Ambassador, which is another classic Indian car (based on the British Morris Oxford) that shares a vague resemblance with the Padmini. She had many fond memories of travels all over the country in their Ambassador. One particular trip, with her husband, was when they drove 3000 kms from Delhi to Cochin. Her husband had written a story about it for a contest in a newspaper, and his article had won! As if the story wasn't good enough, she pulled a copy of the original newspaper article from her bag! She happened to have it with her, and let me read it. There was a picture of her family in front of the Taj Mahal, and of the car, but none of her... because she was the photographer! My interest in this fantastic car went off the scale as she told me amusing stories about piling 12 people into one, or having to replace most every part on the car during their journey. She said there were no seatbelts, so her sons enjoyed playing (and fighting!) in the back seat as they drove for hours and hours. I was hanging onto her every word, when she just about finished me off: her family still owns the car! They parked it 19 years ago, and it hasn't moved from the garage since, or maybe just out of the garage to be put right back in. Apparently it is sitting under a layer of dust in a garage at her husband's parents house in Delhi, but is otherwise in relatively good shape. At the end of the flight we exchanged phone numbers, and she told me that she will try to get a scan of the newspaper article and some of the original photos they have of it when she gets home again for a visit. I would sure love to see more, and hear other adventures they enjoyed from behind the wheel of their Ambassador... EDIT: I made a major mistake with this article! The car I photographed, and saw all over Mumbai in taxi use, was a Fiat-based Premier Padmini, NOT the Hindustan Ambassador! At a glance the styles are similar, but they are certainly not the same thing at all! I have corrected the story, but the discussion I had on the plane with my seatmate and the newspaper article she shared WAS about the actual Ambassador. Sorry for the confusion!
Anyone who has been following my blog over the past few years knows that I owe (and blame) my obsession with cars to my dad. He and his auto body repair shop have been subject of many different blog entries. His garage, known as ‘The Shop’, was only a few minutes away from our house, so from the time I could walk I was spending all my spare time there. I have many vivid memories of the different cars that came and went through there, especially the ones my dad worked on for himself, like a 1962 Ford Thunderbird, 1951 Mercury Meteor, and 1920's Dodge coupe project (unfortunately I don't have a picture of that one, but did find an equally impressive project car picture!). After school I would often stop by and see what new cars had been dropped off for repairs. It always fascinated me to see a wrecked car when it arrived, and then watch as it returned to like-new condition. One of the most interesting jobs I recall was when a 1990’s Pontiac Bonneville came in after a roll-over. The roof was crushed, and my dad cut it off at the A, B, and C pillars and put on a whole new roof. He had to cut the roof pillars at just the right lengths and angles before welding the new one in place, ensuring that the doors and front and rear windshields fit perfectly. To me he was a surgeon, and that patient left fully recovered. During my last visit home I had a great time looking at old family photos. I also stumbled across some old documents from The Shop, including several work estimates for various wrecked cars. I recognize most of the names of people from around town, and even remember a few of the vehicles. For example, I can picture the blue-purple 1995 Toyota Tacoma pickup that came in with the whole left side damaged. Most of the vehicles my dad worked on back then were late-model cars (I’m sure something like 50% were there after hitting a deer in and around our rural area), so it was surprising to see a fancy brand new truck in for work. This one was only 5 months old, and had just 8407 kilometers on the odometer! I believe the owner delivered newspapers, and had rolled his truck onto its side in a ditch. I figured the truck would be written off, but with some extensive cutting, replacing, and welding, not to mention lots of sanding and painting, he was able to get it back on the road. Years later I would still see this blue-purple Tacoma around town, and it always made me proud that it was my dad that had fixed it. Another memory is of the white Chevrolet Cube van of Les Parker, a local businessman. I may not remember the exact van very well, but I was always happy to see it because he used it to deliver ‘Hamish and Enzo’ brand sandwiches to local stores and restaurants. Whenever he dropped by (which was often, as The Shop was the cultural center of the village!) there were always a few spare sandwiches to share. In hindsight I wonder if they weren’t the expired ones he couldn’t sell anymore, but when I was a kid and had been working hard sanding a fender or unbolting car parts, a free sandwich was always appreciated! One other interesting estimate from an appraiser was for a 1988 Honda Civic owned by who would become my future cousin-in-law, Dan! I’m not sure what he hit (or what hit him), but the front left corner apparently needed a little attention. If you notice the date you’ll see that it was the day before the 14th of February, so maybe he was out buying Tracey her Valentine’s Day gift. Today they’re happily married and have two lovely daughters, so I’m going to guess he found another way to make it to her house the following day with chocolates and flowers! There are other fun examples that really ring a bell, such as seeing the name of the town doctor, Dr. Pye, who actually delivered me when I was born! I’m sure he was the only Volvo driver in town, and my dad would have cursed trying to find replacement parts for a Swedish car in rural Ontario, Canada. And if you look at the date, it was September 11, 1995. Who would have guessed years later that that date would take on a very dark significance. I’m sure for my dad it was just another day, cars to inspect, estimates to write, parts to order, and body work to perform. One estimate (for a 1994 Chrysler Intrepid) made me recall a picture I had kept with me, and I was excited for a moment thinking I had an actual picture of one of the cars in the estimates. Turns out it was a different Chrysler Intrepid (maroon instead of blue), but it was still fun to see an example of the work he used to do. I really enjoy seeing these documents that represent a snapshot of a given moment in time. It’s also great to see my dad’s handwriting. As I kid I thought it was messy, but as an adult I realise that I’m certainly no better at penmanship than my dad was! He never once used a computer for his business, so all I have to look at now are these old faded documents. A few even have coffee stains. And he even had signed his name on the back of one of the sheets, for apparently no reason. We all do it, perhaps absentmindedly while waiting on the phone, and I’m happy to have this memento. So while I think back fondly to my time spent at The Shop with my dad even without these reminders, it’s really great to have these papers in my hand today, reminding me why I’m so crazy for cars. And it also makes you appreciate how wide-open the future is. I’m pretty sure he never once thought that his son would one day be writing about his body repair estimates on a blog sitting halfway around the world in China…
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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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