Reply to: Is this legit or a hoax?

[Paddy]

Pity about the rampant tin worm though.

The car was great on snow in Austria and Germany however, after only three years the tin worm got in. It ended up with about 4kg of filler on the front skirt and wings

[Doggy Styles]

Who had a car with a five speed box in 1972?

Austin Maxi.

[barrydidit]

It looks to me like the person in question hasn't managed to finish one of those pints - there's a bit left in each of them. Clearly a southern poofter.

[minestrone]

Laycock De Normanville made most of the overdrive units.

say what!

Sounds like a 70s pron star.

[stek]

Pity about the rampant tin worm though.

And becoming a Lada...

[Eirikur]

It's not a 5 gear box, the 5th gear on that poster is actually reverse

[VectraMan]

Probably no difference because many of the overdrives were operated by a solenoid which had a high failure rate.

My Dad had an old Vauxhall Viceroy that was anything but sporty, and that had an overdrive on the wheel. It definitely did something, but I never understood why you'd select the 5th gear via a lever on the wheel rather than with the gear lever. I guess it made some kind of sense to somebody at sometime.

Now I have 6 gears. 7 if you include reverse. What an age we live in.

[Paddy]

My MGB-GT had an overdrive, still have no idea what difference it made!

Probably no difference because many of the overdrives were operated by a solenoid which had a high failure rate.

[SimonMac]

One's 'orseless carriage would have had an overdrive to provide the 5th gear.

In the event that one's 'orseless carriage was a bit sporty like, it might have had overdrive on 3rd gear as well as top.

My MGB-GT had an overdrive, still have no idea what difference it made!

[Paddy]

Who had a car with a five speed box in 1972?

Me,

Fiat 125S

1608 cc DOHC

Twin Webber carb

5-speed manual

Reclining heated seats

Not like the British Leyland crap of that time.

In 1968 the 125S ("Special") was added to the range, with 100 bhp (from a modified cylinder head, camshafts, inlet/outlet manifold and Weber/Solex carburettor) and, unusually at this time, a five-speed gearbox.[4] It also had one of the worlds first intermittent wipers, halogen lights, servo-assisted twin circuit brakes and optional superlight magnesium wheels. A variety of other improvements were made including improved cabin ventilation, trim and styling

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_125

[stek]

I find that five pints is the sweet spot for getting behind the wheel, all the traffic lights disappear and there are no other cars.

[OwlHoot]

This. A fifth gear was still considered exotic ten years after the supposed date on the poster.

Maybe that would have given the poster extra punch - suggesting that having a fifth pint was as outlandish as a car with a fifth gear

(although that psychology could have backfired if five gear cars were considered exotic in a good way)

It doesn't feel genuine to me though

and there's this:

1965: Drink-drive limit to be introduced

In January 1966 the new Road Safety Bill was introduced. It set a limit of 80mg of alcohol in 100cc of blood and it became an offence to drive when over this limit.

In 1967 the breathalyser was introduced as a way of testing a person's blood alcohol level. ...

[BrilloPad]

One's 'orseless carriage would have had an overdrive to provide the 5th gear.

In the event that one's 'orseless carriage was a bit sporty like, it might have had overdrive on 3rd gear as well as top.

What hapopened to the bloke you paid to walk in front of your car with a red flag?

[BrilloPad]

Didn't you have to walk along a line to prove sobriety?

[NickFitz]

Who had a car with a five speed box in 1972?

This. A fifth gear was still considered exotic ten years after the supposed date on the poster.