Wednesday 20 March 1963

A revolutionary research plane will make its first test flight from the Royal Aircraft Establishment field at Bedford today, if the weather is good. The plane is the Hunting 126, built on a new principle called jet flap, which will enable a short take-off.

Tuesday 19 March 1963

The BBC consults its crystal ball tonight and takes a peep into the future in Time On Our Hands. Viewers will be asked to imagine it’s 1988 and that they are watching events from the past twenty-five years.

Classic Cars of the 1960s

Mini Cooper S

Driven by Paddy Hopkirk and Henry Liddon in 1964, and Timo Makinen and Paul Easter in 1965, the Mini Cooper S stormed to victory in the Monte Carlo Rally. Thanks to its amazing handling and roadholding, this model became the ultimate town car for drivers.

Classic Cars of the 1960s

Vauxhall Viva HA, 1963

Looking to share in the success of the Triumph Herald and the Ford Anglia, Vauxhall developed the Viva. They needed a new factory, and because government planning regulations decreed that large new factories could only be situated near unemployment black spots, they built new plants on Merseyside, a location suffering from dockyard decline.

Classic Cars of the 1960s

Jaguar S-Type

The Jaguar S-Type was built with the idea of fusing the best of the Mark X and the Mk2. The launch date was well-timed, September 1963, a month before the Rover 2000 and the Triumph 2000 were unveiled.

Cars of the 1960s

The Bond Equipe GT

Designed by Lawrie Bond, the Equipe (pictured) was noted for its racy fastback roof and stylish nose. The car’s panels were formed from glass fibre, making them easy to manufacture, a factor that kept the price down - £822 - £21,000 today.

Wednesday 6 March 1963

The new Triumph Herald 12/50 saloon is a quality family car that’s different. Announced today, it is the only British car in volume production with a skylight roof. Currently, the Triumph Herald 12/50 is being made for the British market only.

The Tatler, January 1964

A cheeky-looking car.

Thursday 28 February 1963

Two Labour MPs, Mr Harold Davies and Mr Will Owen, have put down a Commons motion suggesting that a world fund be set up under the United Nations for the relief of distress due to natural disasters.

Tuesday 26 February 1963

Mrs Elein Mialila, 53, has given birth to her thirty-first child in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Extra-small coal is being put on the market to keep homes supplied with fuel during the Big Freeze. The small coal, the Coal Board said, will be of normal quality, but cheaper. Coal merchants are being asked to “encourage” customers to buy it.

Monday 25 February 1963

“The sensation of Paris, I nominate the Shift (pictured) as the dress most likely to succeed in 1963. As a style it does most for most figures. It glides tactfully over the shape beneath, looks brilliant on good statistics, and cheats a little over bad ones.” - Felicity Green.

Tuesday 19 February 1963

Motorists in London will soon be given “space flight” heart checks to measure the strain of rush-hour driving. Recorders will monitor heart rates as motorists fume in traffic jams, jockey for lane positions, and rage at other drivers.

Sunday 10 February 1963

A robot, 5’ 91/2” tall, overweight at 11st 13lbs, and wearing size 91/2 shoes has been designed to represent the typical motorist. It is claimed that a car designed to suit the robot will be comfortable for everyone.

Sunday 3 February 1963

A prelude to the Profumo Affair. What’s going on here?

Classic Cars of the 1960s

The Morris Mini Minor

Inspired by the 1956 Suez fuel crisis, the Morris Mini Minor changed the face of economy motoring. The initial reaction was lukewarm - only 116,000 Minis were sold in 1960. But now the model is regarded as the most successful all-British car ever.

Wikipedia

Cars of the 1960s

The Citroën DS Safari

At the 1963 Amsterdam International Autoshow, Citroën presented a DS body as a sculpture, upright like a rocket, on a rotating platform. In 1963, a Citroën DS Safari cost £1,698. The BBC used Safaris as camera cars to cover horse racing.

Did you own a car made in the 1960s? Do you have a favourite model? What were the pros and cons of 1960s cars?

Triumph Spitfire (Wikipedia)