On a dumping ground near you

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Leicester, 1956. The first picture shows a section of Hinckley Road from the corner of Mostyn Street, and the second shows Upper George Street. Although some of the buildings survive, things seem to have changed here for the better today. Both photographs were taken on the same day in October, likely to illustrate a newspaper article about rubbish and old cars being dumped in the streets, because that's what these two shots have in common.

We understand that the MOT test was introduced four years later in 1960, which is said to have encouraged the dumping of ‘death traps’ that would never pass the test. Apparently, dumping old cars wasn't unusual event prior to the MoT’s introduction!

Some of the cars are interesting. The two registrations visible (ABW 850, which we think is a Morris, and KG 4891, which is perhaps an MG) are no longer known to the DVLA system, but what else do we see? What is the coupé on the left? The big woody is not unlike the Ford V8 ‘EXY 3’ which  formerly resided in The Automobile’s Oily Rag Collection. Blimey, could it even be that? 

Words: Jeroen Booij; pictures: Leicester Mercury archive
 

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