Rusty But Trusty

As you might have guessed by the 2-week silent period, travel took the place of car hunting (though not entirely – there was a candidate for the RustyButTrusty fleet that needed evaluating, which ended up seeming Rusty but not Trusty). And it’s amazing to see in person how, in spite of a climate that’s not very supportive of the classic car hobby, there are many old cars on the roads of England, even London. Among the cars not covered in this post were a short-wheelbase topless Mini, a Panther, Lotus 7, MGB, Triumph TR6, a pair of Peugeot 205s, and more. But let’s start with ones that were moving too slowly to escape a shooter hindered by a cell phone with a security code, like this Q-plated Land Rover 1/2 ton lightweight, parked on the market square in Newbury, England. Unlike other lettered plates, which correspond to a certain year, Q-plated cars (Q is for “query”) are of an undetermined build year, so this designation is used for ex-military vehicles, former write-offs, and more. The car itself is quite interesting, having been specified as light weight to be airlifted.

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