In article
,
Tim+ wrote:
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 ”had to• about it. You‘re forgetting under dash ”umbrella• style
handbrakes that you pulled (and foot operated parking brakes although I‘m
not sure these were ever popular in the UK).

I remember the 'umbrella' handbreke - can't remember whicj car it was in,

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England
"I'd rather die of exhaustion than die of boredom" Thomas Carlyle