Another ferry. This time the Skye ferry. On the back of the card it says “The main approach to Skye is by Kyle of Lochalsh and across the narrow ‘Kyle’ by ferry to Kyleakin. Here passengers are seen disembarking at Kyleakin with the picturesque ruin of Castle Mail in the background.”
What it doesn’t say is that DSY583 is an Austin A55 built in Birmingham and registered in Midlothain (Edinburgh). So they are about six hours north of home. The different coloured flash down the side and the interesting grille with two horizontal chrome strips as opposed to the the more usual mesh made me wonder whether there is one of the those very rare Vanden Plas versions. What a segue that would have been from the Dylan Princess Ferry postcard! But I think that would be too much of a coincidence. It does have over-riders but no wing mirrors, which I would have expected, and we don’t have a clear view of the badges on the front wing. So I think all we can say with any certainty is that it is a late fifties Austin Cambridge.
Or is it a Westminster?
Someone will know.
What’s behind it? Looks like a mid-fifties Hillman MInx Mk VII perhaps?
There’s a message from Jonathan (?) to the Sadlers in Lomax Cottage in Southend-on-Sea and the postcard was posted on 22 August 1968.
The tomato red beauty is an A95 Westminster, being the basic six-cylinder version of the mid-fifties Austin saloon family, ranging from the four-cylinder A55 up to the A105 Vandenplas top model. The A95 and A105 shared the slightly longer wheelbase (room for those six pistons!) and the front grille you referred to. Two front fog lamps and whitewalls were standard extras on the A105, and its roof echoed the contrasting colour of the flash mentioned.
The Hillman’s grille has blacky looks; some sort of cover perhaps? If so, it hides the answer to the Mk VII or MK VIII question. If not, we do see a Mk VII.
By the way: I was on this little ferry during my first Spitfire & tent holiday (1989), admiring Skye’s impressive mist!
You’ve certainly travelled the UK, Rob. And you certainly know your cars! I remember you commented on a postcard from Eastbourne once saying you knew the scene in the postcard well. Did you send postcards back home? Any worth featuring here if they still exist?