Join me on my nostalgia trip with one of these hoodies which features a distressed style logo for that retro look which is matched to the contrasting hood and drawcords.
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As a proud Brummie I have fond memories of the WMPTE buses from travelling to school on the famous No. 11 Outer Circle route in late seventies and early eighties. The Outer Circle was the last route to still operate the front-engined buses with the open platform and conductor and I think my journey from the Fox & Goose to King's Heath was 12p back in 1978! These buses were then replaced by Daimler / Leyland Fleetlines in various guises, which were then replaced in turn by the MCW Metrobuses, built locally in Washwood Heath (all were usually powered by the legendary Gardner 6LX diesel engine). The single deck Leyland National was another very popular bus at the time, with their very distinctive noise, smell (and fumes) from the 'headless' Leyland 500 series engine. The West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive (WMPTE) was the public body responsible for public transport in the West Midlands metropolitan county from 1969 until 2016. The WMPTE logo featured here was current from 1969 until 1990 and the cream and blue livery of the buses was once a very familiar sight around Birmingham and the West Midlands. -
The Honda HR-V was introduced in 1999, an early example of a compact SUV, initially available as front wheel drive but subsequently available with four wheel drive. Power was provided by Honda's super-reliable and revvy D16 engine in standard or VTEC format, both with a single overhead cam and sent to the wheels by either a 5 speed manual or CVT automatic gearbox. Honda's ingenious Real Time 4WD system used a dual hydraulic pump rear differential which only activated when the front wheels lost grip. Never a huge seller in the UK but the HR-Vs had funky looks that have aged well and are certainly more distinctive than the second generation models which appeared in 2013 after a seven year HR-V hiatus. The HR-V boasted funky advertising too, focusing on a fun, lifestyle image based around the 'Joy Machine' strapline, as can be seen here. The t shirt itself features a HR-V graphic plus the distinctive logos printed on a contrast varsity style hoody in black with contrasting red inner hood and draw cords.