Classic Cars, not what they Seem Anymore?

 Bangers & Cash, Car SOS, Wheeler Dealers and find it, fix it and flog it!

These are some of the popular car restoration TV programme's in the U.K. that rebuild old cars and make them road safe for various clients, but also for auctions and they are interesting even for people who are not really vehicle fads?

But now with much new technology about many want to update the engines to LPG or Electric and for some this is an abomination, while for others it makes sense to pull away from burning fossil fuels!

If this does occur we may see some of the early concepts become more alive on our roads, such as steam coaches and wagons, and what future designs become of them in the world of electric and AI powered motoring?

The Mini Bus.

People movers.

Humanity has taken full advantage of the Automobile concept and has developed it in many ways. The 'Chara bang has lead to the coach for touring and long distant driving, while the bus is more of a suburban beast. Enabled to stop and start at short distant stops, wither single or double deckers.

It was in the 1960' and 70's that the concept of the mini-bus was introduced into the U.K by a van conversion with seating, but it was to be the Ford Transit van that epitomised this form of travel until the Japanese entered the market with even smaller van alternatives.

Today the people carrier and SUV has attempted to replace the mini van by offering seven seats in to the realm of the family car, but the small bus seating between 12-22 remains a very viable form of moving people in the back streets of your towns and the country side.

Speed here is not an essential factor, but rather the turning circle of the size and ability to manoeuvre in small spaces.

Hiace, Suzuki, Mercedes-Benz, Dodge, Ford, Volks Wagen and many others form the mains suppliers world-wide.

Mobile homes.

Also known as camper vans. 

There are two roads to how these vehicles came about.

1. Travelling communities across the world, Circus's, Showmen, (Fun Fairs/Fairground attractions), moved from their horse drawn waggon's and houses to the steam engines and then on to the motorised versions.

2. The 1920's saw the rise in Caravaning craze in the UK and after World-War-II (1939-45), the Camper van came in to an easy tourer. 

In the 1960's the German Volks Wagen VW camper was associated with the 'Hippie movement and Woodstock'.

It became the iconic vehicle of young people travelling around and it remains so to this day in Europe anyway.

 

Today there are quite a varied selection of vehicles on the market. In the U.S. the Winnebago is probably the largest mobile home. Many people have over the years converted trucks and buses, coaches to live in.

Buses, Coaches.

Even in the light of the recent coach crash in a Swiss road tunnel, very sad as it is. This is probably one of the most successful of human inventions. Buses are used world-wide and are to be found in all sorts of places cold and hot, wet and dry. Despite the many accidents that occur on mountain roads, they are still the best and cheapest way to travel from A to B. One of the latest inventions for the bus is the sliding side way Volvo coach. Much easier to park in urban environs, but still too expensive for many.  We today still have double decker's and now the bendy bus, love or hate it. but in eastern Europe there remains the trolley buses. What is the future I wonder in this century for the coach, bus?