This must have been the most dangerously fast car I've ever owned.
The 3.5 litre Rover SDI was a viciously fast sports car in saloon car clothing. You only realised how 'low-slung' they were when they were parked amongst other cars. They were fast, good-looking, and (for me) luxurious.
This is not my actual car, but it was silver and looked much the same.
To my eternal shame I remember one incident that I regret to this day. I was driving alone through France, heading North, on the motorway when I encountered two more SDI's. These were rare cars in France, and to suddenly find yourself in a row of three was very strange. The lead car suddenly started to speed-up, and we two behind followed suite. The speed soon became excessive but we continued; probably to the amazement of the other few road users who witnessed us flying by. I soon realised that it had become extremely dangerous and I backed off. The speeds we were doing were not only way beyond the legal limit, but were such that even the slightest 'blip' and we would probably have crashed and killed ourselves. It was that stupid.
Why I got involved in such a 'race' I don't know. It must have been part bravado, and part bravado! Knowing that you have a car that would do in excess of 130 mph needed testing; and that's what we did.
I'm pleased to say that that short (maybe 10 minute) incident changed my driving attitude for ever. I immediately realised how stupid I'd been, and ever since I've driven at my own choice of speed, and am no longer ever in a hurry.
When I look back to that day, I still feel that I'm lucky to be alive. It could all have ended so badly.
Since then, fast cars no longer interest me. In fact I soon swapped that Rover for a Renault 4, and have continued with a series of average speed utility cars ever since.
I just happened to see the above photo recently, and it brought back the horror of the occasion as if it were yesterday.
p.s. Back in about 1965 I was taken for a ride in a TVR Grantura Griffith 200. My friend who owned the car managed to reach about 150 mph along the Talgarth Road in London, on the way out to the airport. I don't think I've ever been as frightened in my whole life.
It's good that you made the right decisions about driving speed and type of cars especially when you are doing the whole long way soon. There are things you do at a young age and years later wonder how and why we did it.
ReplyDeleteThat's certainly the case with me. It horrifies me even now to remember how stupidly I behaved.
DeleteI have to admit that I do not understand the insane acceleration of a number of otherwise "normal" cars - Tesla's with 0-60 in 3secs for example. A previous work colleague had one of the original Golf GTi's, and said that the acceleration frightened him, he was always scared of back-ending the car in front when moving off in a line of cars at traffic lights.
ReplyDeleteProgrammes such as 'Top Gear' always idolised both acceleration and top speeds. Personally neither interest me in the slightest, I prefer comfort, reliability, and economy. I do like a bit of Ooomph, but not too much.
DeleteIt is a nice looking car, but I am happy you saw the foolishness of racing at such speeds. Here in my city recently a young man with only his Learner's licence was caught rocketing along at 253kph. His punishment? His pride and joy was crushed and sent to the scrap heap. I believe he also lost his licence.
ReplyDeleteBack in the UK, garishly painted 'Supercars' are very popular with the sons of the wealthy. They can't use even a fraction of their speed, so instead they rev them and accelerate away from lights, corners, etc, making a terrible noise for just a few seconds. That seems to make them happy.
DeleteWe’ve All done it cro, a silly moment of madness
ReplyDeleteMy spinal injury ward was full of them
John, I was very fortunate not to have been amongst them. I shiver when I think back to it.
DeleteMy younger self would buy a car and wonder how many mph it could achieve; my older self wondered how many mpg I could achieve.
ReplyDeleteYour older self is the wiser.
DeleteI love the look, and the prestige of course, of the Rover. There used to be one for years in our local car mechanics yard. English plates, that dark red colour and very low slung as you say. I would wander around it , peering in, while waiting for our car to be fixed. Would have been nice to have seen it restored.
ReplyDeleteIt was a lovely car to drive, but I should never have bought it.
DeleteI imagine that most UK roads are now too crowded to get up much speed.
ReplyDeleteYes, and over here they're beautifully clear.
DeleteI was never interested in flashy cars, and pushing them to the limit. My first set of wheels was a beat up old Bedford Viva van. However, later on under pressure to hurry up, get back, we have another load for you, I found myself driving like an idiot. Foot flat to the floor, limited to 54mph, thrashing through 30 limits at breakneck speed. I had a lightbulb moment, I could have killed someone. It had to stop.
ReplyDeleteIf only everyone could have those same 'lightbulb' moments that we both had. There would be a lot fewer deaths on our roads.
DeleteMy ex-husband was a very fast driver, and I was often terrified. The one advantage was that he could get us from our home to Cardiff for a day's shopping in 1hr 10mins. That was well over 100 miles! Even crashing a car (no other vehicle involved) to the point where it was unrecognisable didn't stop him - he stepped out of the windscreen!
ReplyDeleteI have always stressed to my sons and grandsons that young ladies are never impressed by young men who drive like Sterling Moss, they much prefer those who respect their safety.
DeleteMy father had Rovers for years, and I learned to drive on one. It was, I think, a Rover 75, and "lumbering" was the only way to describe it. When the SDI came out he decided that it was far too fast, and a waste of power, unless we spent our holidays driving up and down German autobahns, which in those days didn't have a speed limit!
ReplyDeleteMy mother had a series of Rovers and Triumphs. She liked to drive 'British'.
DeleteThe only way you will be able to assuage your guilt over the boy racer incident is to hand yourself in at a French police station and ask them to charge you in retrospect. Even so, it's great that you drew a lifelong road safety lesson from that crazy race.
ReplyDeleteIt's strange how I still feel so guilty about it. It must have happened more than 30 years ago, and I still feel like a total idiot.
DeleteThe Rover was a wonderful car. The TVR (an acquaintance was a TVR dealer) is a manic car of uncertain driving manners in inexperienced hands.
ReplyDeleteMy oldest friend who is a true petrolhead, recently had a TVR 'Tuscan', but he sold it quite soon after having bought it.
DeleteThose were the days. When I had run in one of the first new cars I had, a VW Golf, I wanted to know how fast it would go. No cameras on the M1 then. I chickened out at 120, and like you, have never gone fast again. Maybe 90 once or twice, but otherwise stuck to the limit.
ReplyDeleteSome become addicted, others (like us) are a bit more sensible. I think my max these days is 80 mph.
DeleteI have owned a few fast cars, mostly driven slowly.
ReplyDeleteAll my cars are driven slowly these days, my speed days are over.
DeleteWhen I think of some of the things that we did in the 60's/70's ! Drove with a good few drinks inside of us and no seat belts to name but two ! I won't say what some of the other things were !!! Sorry to have been absent Cro ..... blogging has taken a bit of a back seat. Hope you and Lady M are well and your lovely family. XXXX
ReplyDeleteAh Jacqueline, how very good to see you back in Blogland; we've been worried about you. I do hope everything is going well for you and your family.
DeleteYes, we were probably all a bit young and foolish at times. Sadly some never lived to tell the tales.
Your race does sound scary and dangerous in equal parts. Thankfully, you walked away without incident. To this day, speed never interests me...much to the displeasure of my friends owning Lotus, Jags and BMW motorcycles. (I hope you do not mind if I say, "Hi, you've been missed," to Jacqueline (above).
ReplyDeleteWe've all missed Jacqueline. I hope she reads what you've written.
DeleteMy son had a sports car in college, and there was an incident. I never got the full story, but he scared himself very badly. So badly that he traded the car in for a jeep as soon as he got his first job.
ReplyDeleteI've only owned one sports car, a Triumph TR. It kept breaking-down, so I sold it.
DeleteWhen I was forty something, we aquired a candy apple red Toyota Celica. The first day I was off driving on my own, I took it out on a straight and narrow deserted highway and put the pedal to the metal, so to speak. A police vehicle came out of nowhere up ahead so I slowed right down. He still flagged me! Whew, turns out it was our next neighbour who asked "Are you enjoying that new car eh?". That was strictly a one off.
ReplyDeleteThey were very pretty cars, and being Toyota I imagine very reliable.
Delete