I saw an old Austin Seven on the road the other day and it made me smile. When I see someone who is brave/foolhardy/enthusiastic enough to venture onto our crowded roads in an old, pre-war car I find myself wondering if driving an old car is still as much fun as it used to be.…
A long time ago, in the seventies, I remember that I’d become fascinated by classic Lancia’s after reading ecstatic reports about them in the car magazines of the day. So I set out to try one for myself. In truth, I couldn’t have managed without having a car-mad father who would fix things that would go wrong, because I was never handy with the spanners.…
This morning I awoke to read an astonishing number of heartfelt tributes to the great driver, not least those on Facebook where I found even more insights and tributes from his admirers from all over the globe.
Many of the stories I had heard or read before and, though familiar, they reminded me why I had always been an avid fan because even in re-telling they never fail to astonish.
Last week, I took 3 very slow trains to Minto to pick up a 2010 Citroen DS3 Sport purchased in Victoria and transported by truck to Sydney. Bought sight unseen for $7000, I picked it up in the pouring rain and drove home hoping it might be the solution to the car problem that has become apparent since moving to the Upper Blue Mountains from Sydney two years ago.…
In common with most car nuts, I’m always dreaming about the cars I’ve never owned or driven. Amongst my long list of automotive heartbreakers, I’d have to say Abarth ranks high on my personal list of cars I’ve missed out on. My recent report on MotorClassica 2019, where I fell in love with an unfinished Abarth Simca 1300 coupe, reminded me that I’ve had a life-long motoring affair with the marque without actually owning one.…
I/we have a real dilemma that’s been lurking for quite a while now. The Mustang GT has been the daily driver for the last three years now and, while I love it, my wife says she doesn’t want to drive it.
When I look at the cars I’ve owned throughout my driving life, I can see there have been two clear motives for choosing them. Firstly, there are cars I’ve lusted after which, first and foremost, have needed to tug at my heartstrings to make it to my garage.…
A boring rental Camry doesn’t usually make for a memorable story, although on this occasion, it played a small part in what turned out to be a pretty eventful journey from Canada to Manhattan, last year (August 2018).
There we were sitting beside a beautiful lake, in the French-speaking countryside near La Peche, Quebec.…
When I say Lotus Elan, I mean the original 1960s model, not the later FWD version that came out nearly 30 years later. For me, it has been one of those iconic sports cars I’ve always hankered after since I first saw them racing (and usually winning) at Brands Hatch when I was a schoolboy.…