British cars of the 1950s - 1960s | Original B&W photos of our transport history

Feedback so far on old b&w photos of British cars during the 1950s and 1960s has been really positive whenever they've featured on the Old Classic Car channel. This compilation comprises original, in-period, photographs of British cars during these two decades, from the rationing-restricted early years of the 1950s, through to the swinging 1960s. One or two cars are slightly earlier than the '50s but would have been a common sight at that time.
Classic cars that feature include the following makes and models, in no particular order:
Austin A40 Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Farina
Vauxhall Velox L Type
Vauxhall Wyvern E Series
Morris Minor Traveller
Hillman Minx Phase 2, Phase 3/4 DHC, Minx Series III
Ford Prefect 100E, E493A, E93A
Ford Popular 103E
Jaguar Mk10
Thames 307E van
Standard Ensign estate
Standard 8 & 10
Triumph Herald
Triumph 2000
Austin Seven (Mini)
Ford V8 Pilot
Riley RMA
Austin A40/A50/A55 Mk2 Cambridge
Morris Oxford saloon & Traveller
MG 1100
Hillman Super Minx
Ford 100E Squire estate car
Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk2 FHC
Aston Martin DB4 Series 4
Ford Consul Mk1
Allard K2
Bentley R-Type
Lotus Elan
Morris Minor MM, 1000
MGB Roadster
Vanden Plas Princess 3 Litre
Austin A35
Ford Prefect 107E
Austin A30
Ford Cortina Mk1
Singer SM1500
Austin A40 van
... and more
In addition to the 1950s-1960s cars in evidence, these old photos are also interesting as they record the environment in which these cars did their duties, the streets, buildings, main roads etc, and also the fashions of the day. I particularly like the picnic scenes. Due to the details that are often to be found in old photos such as these, I've shown each image for a greater duration that I normally do in the photo compilation vids, to give watchers more time to soak in the details on the screen.
Please let me know in the comments if you'd like to see more videos of older in-period photographs such as those shown here, black and white or colour. If you know of anyone else who might be interested in seeing these, please forward the link -
** The car in the foreground of the photo taken with Arundel Castle in the background has been identified as a Alvis SB Speed Twenty with a Charlesworth saloon body, probably 1934.**
To see all the videos now on the channel, please see this page:
Thanks for watching.
#cars #transport #classiccars

[oldclassiccarUK]

Hi, thanks for watching, a full list of the videos on the channel is here:
Channel homepage:

[michaeltreadwell]

BRILLIANT ! Yes please to your offer of showing us more of these pictures. A real trip down memory lane. I was born in 1955 so saw all these cars on the roads. I remember the Caravan holidays and picnics by the side of the road. What a great 'memory jogger' - thank you for sharing :-)

[rogermaes]

We don't know very well the old british cars back here on the continent (I'm Belgian), so these gorgeous pictures and all the informations you give are extremely interesting... with a lot of nostalgy, even for a foreigner like me.
Thank you very much, good work !

[louisboshoff]

Thank you, lovely old photographs which I much enjoyed, including your comments on the locations and surroundings. I am a South African and loved the inclusion of local photos. My mother had a 100E Anglia from 1959 to 1967. Followed by a 105E 1200cc station wagon. My late dad was a doctor and had an Austin Westmianister A110. Mom wanted to take us kids to East London for a visit to her parents and Dad was on duty so could not get away. It was a 575 mile trip from our town Vryheid in Northern KwaZulu-Natal to East London. My father wanted her to take the Austin but she insisted on taking the 100E Anglia sedan. I was about 8 at the time and remember the trip with my three smaller siblings and our nanny! There are some serious mountain passes along the route and I remember the Anglia spending much time in second gear of the three speed a box. Buy it got us there and back no problem. Thanks again for your videos. Love watching them when I want to relax and remember cars of our past.

[johngosling]

As an 8-yr old in around 1959, I prided myself that I knew the make and model of every car on the road. But I only got around 10% of these correct! How memory fades with the passage of time!

[Chipchase]

I was a boy in the 1960’s and saw all of these cars around and knew the makes and models. They had very distinct individual styling unlike the generic designs you see today. The oldest car I had was a 1960 Singer Gazelle which drew attention wherever I went in it. It must have been about 35 years old when I took possession of it, and I travelled all around wales and the Lake District in it. No safety features whatsoever !

[brentsummers]

Some lovely & practical cars such as the Morris Minor 'wagon' version, but also a lot of cars that gave the Japanese car makers a huge opportunity to get started.

[davidinger]

Great nostalgia, takes me back to Sunday afternoon outing with my mum and dad in the mid fifties with the old Ford prefect open afield gate get th parafin stove out, and have a picnic, sometimes go collecting blackberries simple pleasures

[steve]

Excellent video, I remember the stick on demister pads for rear windows, my mother had one in her 67’ mini ( it often fell off)😁

[Finglesham]

Really interesting pictures, locations and commentary. Pure nostalgia for me who passed my test 1966 an could only afford bangers. I had in order, 1954 Minx, 1954 Somerset, 1958 A35 van with windows, 1961 Ford Consul Mk 2 with disc brakes. These were very cheap to buy but I spent weekends mending them with my mate who also had a variety of bangers. I also had a 1934 Riley Falcon . Yes, keep them coming

[Jay]

The car next to the German A40 is a Wartburg 311 Camping, an estate version with folding rear seats so they made a flat surface. Rare back then and very rare today.

[VSV]

I have sat in a few of the years you show here. My father owned a Hillman Minx Coronation model 1953 - he owned it till 73. Have driven it - real classics! Good job!

[kieranspeight]

These old cars take me back to my childhood ..I actually have a Phase 2 Hillman Minx in good running order here in Belfast . Registration is JRR 826

[Sman-egzs]

Thanks for posting these, absolutely fantastic, this era is my favourite for cars, they look so stylish.

[shannon]

Austin A40. First car I drove when I returned to England after driving Jeeps in Korea.
It seemed like luxury.

[darrylmcleman]

GREAT!!! Especially the flying"A" 40"s! Takes me back over 50 yrs! CHEERS Viewing in Canada!

[mikefisher]

Yes please to more pictures, they bring back boyhood memories. My father bought a brand new Vauxhall Velox in 1958 reg YWE 35, and sold it eighteen months later as it was beginning to rust he then had an Austin A55 reg no 6241 E it was the later model with lower rear end in two tone cream and blue. My first car was a Singer Gazelle.

[Vince_uk]

V8 Pilot my father had one in the 60"s, estate car and it was HUGE 7 seater. My first car was an MG 1100 in British Racing Green. These photos take me back so many years when life was much simpler. I was mistaken in a previous comment on another Video about the Austin 3L. My brother had an Austin, old age, no idea where the Wolseley came from. It was a lovely car though.

[carsyoungtimerfreak]

The car alongside the A40 in Germany is an East German designed and manufactured Wartburg estate, the so called Camping-Limousine. You can create a relatively comfortable bed from the seats and the earlier versions had a large fabric sunroof, located between those curved rear windows. A much sought after car among Wartburg enthusiast. If you're ever close to Eisenach in Germany, the city Luther was born in, do visit the Wartburg museum. It is not large but has an excellent collection of Wartburg's.

[christopherbarton]

Excellent collection, I particually like all the shots of cars on continental trips