Galle classic cars
Almost every other holiday I’ve had has been pretty samey. The closest to this holiday in interest and sights was a tour of Wales in May with my very good friend and business partner. But even Wales is samey. Ok, I know there’s a pseudo-divide between the north and the south, but there’s a coherency about Wales. Mountains are mountains, the coast is the coast, and sheep are sheep.
Sri Lanka’s different. The coherent thread is the friendliness of the people, except in Nuwara Eliya, of course, where they’re obviously too damp to smile. The countryside varies from mountains to plains and green fields to arid grassland. Even spending two sets of three nights in two different same places was relaxing and different.
We had a few surprises in Galle. Automotive surprises. I’d been expecting to see a lot of Morris Oxfords, now the Hindustan Ambassador, a new old car. Looking inside it is a modern car, in an old, old body.
Before writing this article I’d always thought it was based on the Morris Cowley, so thanks, Wikipedia!
This one looks brand new. I think it even has air conditioning!
Moving back in time, a car beloved of Tudor architects - the half timbered car!
Skulking in a fort side street we met the Morris Minor Traveller, windscreen wipers akimbo, the car my uncle Norman used for newspapers in his newsagent’s shop in Herne Bay, and the car Melanie had when I met her.
Solid, reliable, but with a propensity for metal fatigue of the steel wheel centres with embarrassing wheel fall-offage under hard(!) cornering, they’ve all but rusted to pieces in the UK.
We were even more surprised to find a pretty much original Jelly Mould - The Morris Minor itself.
That’s more Morris in one day in Sri Lanka than we see at home in the UK. This one looks like the post WW2 original NM version. The wonderful thing is that it still has all four hubcaps, complete with the Morris logo.
Apart from the bullock carts, oddly often hauled by intact bulls, the final car that astounded us was, we were told by its proud owner, a 1932 Singer.
It looks a little odd because the tyres are motorcycle tyres, but the original cross ply tyres are probably impossible to get there.
He’s very proud of it. It’s outside his antique and gem business and he’s had it for years. It was his brother in law’s car and they’ve both owned it from new. Only they’re too young!
What I can’t understand is how he hopes to sell the toothless old piano behind the car!
All four of these cars were somehow entirely appropriate to Galle Fort. Quaint and yet practical. Almost!