Aug 3: Porto's old car show

Nothing like a European vacation to see things one can only dream about here in Toronto. Also, a good way to make us realize that we live in a pretty darn good country. But, apart from the old Europe that we can never hope to duplicate, there are the cars. To most tourists, they are simply there, but to your car guy, they are a constant source of enjoyment. My trip over the past couple of weeks to Portugal had an added feature, when my wife spotted an old car show on the Porto waterfront. Jump off the "hop on, hop off" bus and see what was up. I'm not too bad with foreign cars, but a couple stumped even humble old me.

Let's start with the big gun of the show........

Always loved this model Ferrari, but I don't believe it has appreciated like some of the others from its era. Maybe too square, but to me, that is its appeal. And of course, the old Benz beside it.......

Nothing special in its day, but over time, it seems to have gained a certain amount of charm. This was a lower range model, but it stood out (until the Ferrari parked beside it).

Hot rods? Well not quite, but this couple would have qualified as such back in their day........

.......a Fiat Innocenti and the famous Renault 5 Turbo2. The "2" indicates the less insane street version of the one that was made for the rally circuit. Still a 0-60 time of under seven seconds back in the day was very impressive. When was the last time you saw one?

A couple of interlopers also showed up.........

Interlopers? What else would you call a late '40's Chrysler, which due to its rarity stood out well in this crowd. Big and elegant(?). And of course, what car show anywhere would be complete without a Mustang? In this case a '67 Shelby GT350 and since its owner spoke excellent Anglais, we had a great chat.

Humour?

Yep, a British version of Scooby Doo's Mystery Machine. Who would expect to see one of these at any car show anywhere? Who would want to? And speaking of humorous cars........

.......a car that helped BMW thru the 1950's, while trying to re-establish themselves as a bonafide car manufacturer, the Isetta. The front of this little tyke is its door and when opened, the steering wheel moves with the door. Scary!  The Smart car is huge by comparison.

Back to the serious stuff, a lovely Jaguar (the British police loved them)........

.......and a few Opel models, showing how they evolved thru the '50's, 60's and 70's, mirroring their American contemporaries, before the European makes developed their own design language..........

Now, you want oddities? How about this cute as a button little Innocenti cabrio.........

......followed up by another Fiat, a 1200 from the late '50's.........

Again, when was the last time you saw either one of these creations anywhere?

And to finish off, anyone who has ever seen a French movie, will recognize this old Citroen from the 1930's.........

Pick any old war movie, any romantic comedy or any other type of film taking place in France and guaranteed that you'll see a Traction Avant in at least one scene. Almost like coming across an old friend.

A pleasant surprise and an added bonus for your car guy. By the way, a sharp eye will spot my very understanding wife in one of these shots. Sorry, no bonus points. Stay tuned for Friday's blog, when I'll check out some of the new stuff.

Until next time........