Wonderful film of London traffic in 1970

[The vast minority]

If you have 25 mins, watch this. if not, just watch a bit of it. I guarantee you will like it.

They are all there, vans, travs, saloons but so much other suff, All the greats are there, even the Citroen DS makes an appearance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwXQA03MJgE

[SteveClem]

Excellent!

[palacebear]

Tried watching this on my phone but the screen is too small. On my laptop later for a full viewing! Strange how there's no traffic at Hyde Park Corner heading towards Kensington, but its at a standstill in the opposite direction! Already spotted a few gems. In among all the Routemaster buses, At 3min 38sec a glimpse of an RT type (predecessor to the Routemaster) with roof-mounted front route number box. Although RTs remained in London until 1979, those with 'roofbox' bodies (built 1947 to 1950) were disposed of much earlier, with 1970 being their last year in passenger service.

[palacebear]

Watched on bigger screen. Loads of interesting stuff.

Throughout ... the large number of Austin FX4 black cabs with Lucas 'pigs ear' indicators on the roof (indicators on front and rear wings were introduced during 1968).

Between 0min 24sec and 0min 39sec two Yanks. Firstly a Ford Mustang convertible with the top up in traffic, partly hidden by the Austin A60 Countryman (or is it an Oxford VI Traveller?). Then a Ford Fairlane (?) station wagon parked at the right-hand kerb.
At 1min 21sec a Peugeot 403, a Rover P6 with boot-mounted spare wheel and seriously overloaded roof rack, then a Bedford VA coach with rare Duple Viceroy bodywork.
At 4min 39sec the 2-tone blue Bedford CA van being driven with the sliding driver's door open (the good old pre health and safety days!).
At 7min 36sec the black cab at Piccadilly Circus is a rare Beardmore Paramount (assembled by Metro-Cammell at Adderley Park) as opposed to the much more familiar Austin FX4.
At 10min 40sec. Has the yellow Triumph Herald been involved in a collision and subsequently been abandoned in the shadow of Big Ben???
At 16min 45sec one of London Transport's XA type experimental and unreliable first generation rear-engined/one-man buses, a Park Royal bodied Leyland Atlantean, one of 50 purchased during 1965/66. All had been sold by 1973.
At 19min 0sec an AC Invacar single-seat 'Invalid Carriage'. Looks old enough to have a 150cc Villiers engine chugging away at the back.

Nice opportunity to compare the frontal styling of buses too. Park Royal bodied AEC Routemaster (271CLT) is RM1271 dating from 1962 and based at Dalston garage, on route 11 to Shepherds Bush Green. By comparison the pre-Routemaster era is highlighted by another AEC; a Weymann bodied Regent Mk.3 (NLE829) is RT3722 dating from 1953 and based at Peckham garage, on route 12 to Dulwich 'The Plough'

Many thanks to the vast minority for providing the link. Much enjoyment on an exceptionally cold evening! Feeling quite wistful and kinda missing my years working for London Transport/TfL

[ianmack]

Fascinating stuff. Not many Minors to be seen, I suppose by 1970 they weren’t trendy enough for Swinging London. Plenty of Morris J4 and LD vans running about.

[Shropshiremoggie]

Super Pathe News films of the Motor Shows in the 60s on YouTube . Really nostalgic and interesting to see the stars attending as well as the cars . Emundo Ross , Brian Rix etc.

[Blaketon]

Will have a look. Reminded me of queuing outside the British Museum, in 1972, to see the Tutankhamun exhibition. I haven't been into central London for over 25 years. I wouldn't mind going to the Science Museum and the Natural History museum but I don't think I could face the crush and I may never go to London again (As a child, we had relatives in East Shean and I fondly remember Richmond Park). These days, with few exceptions (Like Prescott Hillclimb or https://www.gwsr.com/), I am happy to stay west of the M5