• Hey Guest!
    British Car Forum has been supporting enthusiasts for over 25 years by providing a great place to share our love for British cars. You can support our efforts by upgrading your membership for less than the dues of most car clubs. There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Upgraded members don't see this banner, nor will you see the Google ads that appear on the site.)
Tips
Tips

What is that mister?

Share this page

Gliderman8

Gliderman8

Great Pumpkin
Gold
Country flag
Online
.....That's the question the a young adult posed to me this morning when I stopped for coffee.
I replied "it's a '73 TR6" he still had a clueless look on his face. A "Triumph" I said. It still didn't compute for this twenty-something.
He had never seen or even heard of a Triumph.... sheeesh.
Well, he does now!
 
At least you don't have to worry about the "Is that an MG?" questions that the Square Sprites always seem to get. I was sorely tempted to get personalized tags for my Sprite that read "NOTANMG".

Most young adults have heard of MGs, but when you say "Austin-Healey", that really causes a quizzical look on their face.
 
SaxMan said:
At least you don't have to worry about the "Is that an MG?" questions that the Square Sprites always seem to get. I was sorely tempted to get personalized tags for my Sprite that read "NOTANMG".

Most young adults have heard of MGs, but when you say "Austin-Healey", that really causes a quizzical look on their face.
Click to expand...
Oh contraire... About three years ago an older lady walked by my car and said "nice Mercedes". I just said "thank you".
 
Steering wheel on the right REALLY confuses them.....
 
"What is that mister?"

"It's a Michigan."

"the State?"

"No this."

"But that's not a State."

"Of course it isn't, it's a Michigan."

"oh" <walks away slowly>

"Sheesh, kids these days, don't even know a Michigan when they see one."

:grin: :jester: :grin:

as we come up to 42 years since the last TR6 and 40 years since the last MGB, they are at least two of that young adults lifetimes away from our cars. Kind of like the above conversation in 1945.

https://www.kpl.gov/local-history/business/michigan-buggy.aspx
 
I get: "Izzat an MG?" when in the Alfa! Couple days ago it was "Nice Spitfire!" Lots of Fiat guesses, too. Those I counter with: "It's a Fiat's second cousin."

Just to be fair, I can't tell one contemporary jellybean car from another.
 
Interesting story JP! Never knew about the Michigan car. Funny I never heard of it, being involved in early antique American cars for quite a while. Thanks for the link! PJ
 
My Lambretta's ALWAYS get mistaken for Vespa's. Man that hurts.
 
HealeyRick said:
When I tell them "Austin-Healey", I usually get, "You mean like James Bond?"
Click to expand...

SaxMan said:
I've gotten that one, but I get "Just like Maxwell Smart?" more often.
Click to expand...

Depending on my mood, I have a couple of responses:

"I wish!" and explain the difference between Austin-Healey and Aston-Martin

Or if the inquirer is attractive: "Yes, exactly like James Bond." :devilgrin:
 
:lol: exactly like james bond. I Used to live In a hilly low populated area of New York for a bit with my Mg. It was a good idea to keep the speed up to make it up the bigger hills. Plus curvy empty roads just begged for it. nothing crazy as I have no wish to die but enough "zipping around like James bond: comments.
 
I get, "What IS that?" (usually with a smile....people seem to like it).


I often explain that "......it's a replica of a car you've never heard of." :friendly_wink:

But last week I did have an older British guy pull his Miata into my driveway and ask if he could sit in it? This is not a car of an introvert. :rolleye:


RH-ebay-uk-6.jpg
 
TOC said:
Steering wheel on the right REALLY confuses them.....
Click to expand...

Confused me too when I rented a car in London once! :highly_amused: ,But only for a little while, as I survived the test! :rolleyes: PJ
 
I once went to O'Reilly's to get a coil for my 52 pick-up (it was Sunday so my real auto parts store was closed). I walked up and asked for a 12v internal resistor coil (I had converted it over to 12v), and the gal at the counter asked what year make and model car it was going on. I said it didn't matter, my car probably wasn't in her computer anyway. She said they had to have it to make sure they got the right part. I again told her it didn't matter it was the same part across many different platforms. She insisted so I told her I had a 1952 International L110. She asked "who builds that?" I said International Harvester. She said "No, who builds that? Is it Ford, Chevrolet?" I said "No International Harvester." She looked at me like I was an idiot and called someone else over, he told IH was a company and she looked it up in the computer. Then told me she was sorry they didn't have any parts for something that old in the computer. I said ok, and that I needed another part. She said ok, what is it for. I told her I needed a coil for a 1969 Ford Mustang with a 351 Cleveland. She typed it into her computer, then went and got me a 12v coil off the shelf. I paid, said thank you, and haven't gone back since.
 
Same thing goes on a lot here, Walt. I cringe at the thought of having to go into an O'Reilly/AutoZone/Advance store for anything. Even getting a set of spark plugs turns into a contest of wills.
 
I had a reasonably good experience at O'Reilly shopping for a battery for my Jensen Healey.

The obligatory "what make/model/year?-your system won't have it-we need it-fine, it's a '74 Jensen Healey-a what?-a Jensen Healey-who makes that?-Jensen Healey-we don't have it-no kidding?" conversation was over fairly quickly.

With that out of the way he set a couple Optima's on the counter where I could go at them with my tape measure and the cardboard templates I'd made.

Overall, maybe 20 minutes. Not bad and I had my battery.
 
I actually do pretty well with my local Advance Auto. The manager definitely knows his stuff, and a couple of the kids also don't bat an eyebrow when I start talking about British cars. I've been in there enough times, usually with the Sprite, that they know me.

Advance Auto is my daughter's second favorite destination. Her favorite, hands down, is Home Depot. I think she likes the fact that the place is so big and has such high ceilings. Not to mention all the neat stuff you can buy.
 
DrEntropy said:
Same thing goes on a lot here, Walt. I cringe at the thought of having to go into an O'Reilly/AutoZone/Advance store for anything. Even getting a set of spark plugs turns into a contest of wills.
Click to expand...


Same here, "the counterman's curse", everytime I go into a box store I always (and I do mean always) I somehow manage to get the absolute DUMBEST employee in company history. I can't even get the right part...even when I give them THEIR part number, tell 'em the isle and shelf it's on and BIN the thing is in...:rolleyes:
 
Back
Top