charles wrote:
In article ,
JNugent wrote:
On 11/04/2021 12:17 pm, NY wrote:
"Andrew" wrote in message
...
It's quite a surprise to see a Mk1 Ford Cortina on the road
and notice how small it is in comparision to todays
'small' cars. Ditto 1968 Mk1 Ford Escort. School friends
father was a bank manager and in the 1960's they drove to
the South of France towing a caravan behind their Hillman minx
and with a dinghy on the roof rack too.

I'm amazed at how *narrow* old cars were, and yet I wasn't aware of
constantly rubbing shoulders with the person next to me, or my shoulder
forever hitting the door pillars.

Probably due to less side-impact protection in the doors.

I can't work out how they managed to fit the handbrake on the driver's
right, between the seat and the door, in cars such as the Hillman
Hunter. In a modern car the seat edge almost touches the inside of the
door (including door pockets etc).

My brother had a Hunter GT and I often used to drive it (circa 1974 /
1975). I don't remember the brake lever being between the driver's seat
and door.

my father had a Rootes car (Sceptre?). It had a bench front seat, so the
handbrake had to fit between the driver's seat and the door.


No €œhad to€� about it. Youre forgetting under dash €œumbrella€� style
handbrakes that you pulled (and foot operated parking brakes although Im
not sure these were ever popular in the UK).

Tim

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