Heading to work to an oil yard winter time, heavy snow back in the 80s, a mate driving, Triumph Acclaim, He ditched it, hit a fence, car was toast. We managed to cadge a lift from another oil worker, who was driving a Citroen Dyane . Conditions were not great, this was early in the morning and roads were slippery.
Skinny tyres on the Citroen which performed very well and held the road without missing a beat. Ever since then I’ve had a soft spot for these cars. One of those moments you don’t forget.
The Triumph Acclaim had quite wide tyres for its meagre weight, so was always quite poor in snow. Quite useful really, as most owners were old and slow, so keeping them off snow-covered roads was a bonus.
For a while, Mum had a Mk2 Cortina, 1600, on 165 radials. Girlfriend's mum had a Mk2 Cortina 1300, on narrower crossplies. One snowy day, both cars together, same journey to do, the 1300 drove fine, got home, we abandoned the 1600 and walked the last 500yds.
Later I had a Marina 1700 auto, on 155/80 13s, normal for medium cars of the seventies, same as now on the Panda and considered small. This was Ok on snow, but the rear wheel drive and no weight on the back made the hills difficult. Replaced with a Fiat 131 Mirafiori, 1600 auto, about the same size and weight, but wearing 165 13s. Would not go anywhere on any snow.
My first car was a 1275 MG Midget. I remember struggling down the A1 at 30 mph behind a long queue. Fair enough, that's how it is in snow, but the little car could not make its mind up which tyre rut to use. It literally skipped left and right and was frankly pretty scary.
I realised after a while that fresh snow was ok to drive on, so (heart in mouth) pulled into the empty "fast lane". 30mph was little better because wet snow wedged under the tyres but around 45 the car behaved just fine. Snow and slush were thrown aside and I could drive safely.
No doubt there was much tutting and complaining going on from those I overtook. Even today people deliberately drive in the existing ruts so the roads become railways. Then when when it freezes we are all stuffed.
The car had ordinary tyres. Nothing fancy (there were nothing fancy in the early 1980s).
Went to London one snowy day, using an Ausitn Maxi (new car then so late 70s). They were always good in snow, as long as it wasn't the top model with fatter tyres. The M3 was moving slowly in lanes 1 & 2, (35-40mph) with lane 3 covered in slush. Bored with the slow queue, clever dick here gently moved into lane 3 and increased speed very slowly, and trundled past the rest, probably 10mph faster.
The a guy with an Audi 80, new and posh then, decided he could do that too, swerved out behind me and hit the gas. Pirouetted three times, hitting the central barrier with both ends of the car. Oops!