Minneapolis Street Sighting: Triumph TR250

I have a thing for British cars, and more often then not, the British beings I spot in Minneapolis are of the Triumph breed--and there's nothing wrong with that. I love them all; most of the ones I see are either TR-6s, or (sadly) the later TR7s, which I abhor. Earlier cars from the brand tickle my fancy, and to me, the TR250 is about one of the best examples of what the Triumph brand stands for.

Lightweight, and a good handler, yes, but fast..erm, no.According to wikipedia, these hit null to sixty in ten-and-a half-seconds, and took nearly forty seconds to hit the magic triple-digits. But, speed is not the point of British roadsters such as this. 

Oddly enough, for not being sold in the US when new apparently, most have made their way over here, and I wouldn't be surprised if most of the 600 left are in the US. I have seen about five or six, so I'd consider myself  very lucky.

I really like this example; the deep navy bodywork looks excellent, and is a standout considering most of the examples I see are either green or white. The tan top is wonderful as well, and definitely goes well with the exterior.  I also am a staunch fan of the luggage carrier, as it looks at home here; normally I decry the addition of such exterior "modifications", but in this case, the rack looks to be a period accessory, thus I don't mind it.

I dig the wire wheels on this one, too, and how could I not? While these cars did come with steelies (painted or otherwise), I feel that proper wire wheels are the way to go here. Wires just look right.

I love finding little British roadsters, and I love shooting them so; I know these pictures are fairly old, but I do think this is one of the better subjects I've shot; I am no expert at Triumph, and each one is a learning experience for me.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: AMC Ambassador SST

More often than not, my sightings come from three major players in the American-car market: GM, Ford, and Chrysler. Lately though, things are slowly beginning to change, as I've begun stricter shooting procedures. As readers may (or may not) have noticed, I've shifted from "any old car regardless of condition" to "if it's interesting, why not?". AMCs fit both of these bills quite nicely. As a child, I quickly grew fond of the AMC Eagle, and as I got older, I developed a thing for the AMX-line of cars. It must not be forgotten that AMC did produce other vehicles. Growing up from the much smaller (okay, maybe not very small) Rambler with which it shared its name, the Ambassador quickly rose to full-size car status. A quite good looking coupe (and quite rare, too) was also available, but it seems that the sedans are the most commonly seen today--and they're no everyday car; this is the first Ambassador I've seen in quite a while--at least in Minnesota. In fact, this may be the vehicle I shot on-the-go without hubcaps a few years ago.
Popular in many 1970s and early 1980s movies as the bad-guy car, or as a cop car (in Dukes of Hazzard), the Matador was quickly a forgotten sedan; clearly, it isn't an enthusiast favorite, because I see far more LTDs and Impalas.. but the Matador is awesome in its own right.











This Ambassador is in terrific shape; the paint is in extremely good shape, and the trim is not only intact, it's damn near flawless; certainly not what I was expecting. Both from afar, and up close, this big AMC oozes class--if only somewhat. Many people bag on the big guy's looks, but honestly it doesn't look that bad. It looks odd, especially from the front, with its "coffin nose"-esque hood and grille treatment. Out back, the full-width taillight bar is an interesting touch; not many cars had that feature, nor was it executed as well as it is here.
I would rag on the Dayton wires, but honestly, the owner could've done quite a bit worse. They're not horrible, but they're great. In the era of big chrome wheels with 5 or fewer spokes, multispoked wires actually are a refreshing change; I like that they're not gold, at least. Would they be choice? Probably not. But I would still drive it.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu four door

As I've mentioned before, finding vehicles from the 1970s and 1980s is rather easy around here, even if said vehicles are in rather rough shape; however, finding vehicles from the 1960s is a bit more challenging. Not only is the survival rate fairly low, but most of the surviving vehicles from the era get chopped up and made into either donks, custom cars, or have been mutilated in a demolition derby.
Chevrolets are honestly some of the most common vehicles here, classic or not. I've seen way too many Impalas, and hoards and hoards of two-door Chevelles in various condition. Four door Chevelles from any era are quite uncommon here, and seeing a 1960s-era example? Pretty slim chance, I think. But that's exactly what I found early this summer on one of my first all-day riding sprees. I couldn't believe my eyes, and I probably spent more time staring at it in awe than actually shooting it.











Unlike the last Chevrolet four-door I posted, this Chevelle is pretty nice. No obvious paint mishaps, the chrome seems good, and the trim is intact, and in very good condition. There is some orange peel present, suggesting that this may be an older restoration turned to summer driver status, but that doesn't really bug me. A car is supposed to get driven, even if it is a classic.
The only thing I take issue with, and this is relatively minor given the rest of the car, is the wheel choice. Sure there are other wheel choices that probably would be better, but the owner chose these wires. While I don't out right hate them, I think they'd be better suited for something like an Impala or Biscayne rather than a four-door Chevelle-Malibu.
I like these thing for what it is; a no-frills basic four-door sedan that's had enough care to survive nearly four decades. With the right care, I'm sure it could survive four more. Cheers to the owner for helping save a not-sought-after version of one of Chevrolet's most sought-after nameplates.