01-02-2023, 11:13 AM
Great photo, Mike.
The vagaries of the British climate and the lack of decent corrosion protection on cars of the period meant that a Box Saloon was already well past it's sell-by date by 1946 - it would have been classed as a "banger" even then. It was a problem that continued for many years. I remember a Mk4 Zodiac my father bought new in 1967 (RWA 589 E) - by 1970 it already had rust blisters on the front wings, and it had been undersealed (allegedly). Same for a Mini my mother bought new in 1973. It failed it's first MOT due to the inner sills having rusted out.
It's amazing that so many of our cars have survived. It's not as if they were considered classics or collectable. They just lasted a bit better than some others, probably due to the oil leaks that protected some of the underpinnings.
Even now, manufacturers consider a vehicle's "whole life" to be no more than 10 years, although my 22 year old E Class is still looking good despite its age. It will see me out, I'm sure.
The vagaries of the British climate and the lack of decent corrosion protection on cars of the period meant that a Box Saloon was already well past it's sell-by date by 1946 - it would have been classed as a "banger" even then. It was a problem that continued for many years. I remember a Mk4 Zodiac my father bought new in 1967 (RWA 589 E) - by 1970 it already had rust blisters on the front wings, and it had been undersealed (allegedly). Same for a Mini my mother bought new in 1973. It failed it's first MOT due to the inner sills having rusted out.
It's amazing that so many of our cars have survived. It's not as if they were considered classics or collectable. They just lasted a bit better than some others, probably due to the oil leaks that protected some of the underpinnings.
Even now, manufacturers consider a vehicle's "whole life" to be no more than 10 years, although my 22 year old E Class is still looking good despite its age. It will see me out, I'm sure.