I suppose my very first car, a white VW Beetle, 323 EBP, will always remain my first automotive love. We did so much together, even eventually moving out to France together in 1973. She had regular clutch problems, which needed changing every couple of years, but otherwise she was trouble-free. A real fun car that was probably my best possible introduction to motoring.
Then I had a 2CV, some Peugeots, and a Renault, before buying myself a ridiculously over-powered Rover SDI 3.5. The Rover was dangerous. It was a bit like driving a Spitfire without the wings. After that it was back to sensible Peugeots.
My present car, Debi (the Compact Royce Mark 2) is everything I want of a car. Every time I climb into the driving seat I feel comfortable and reassured. I know she will start instantly, and will take me to my destination and back again without any hiccups.
In fact I would like to take her out of the garage more often, just for the pleasure. She is more like a well-loved armchair than a car; she and I belong together.
Debi is an estate car, a station wagon, and with the back seats permanently folded down, she becomes a two-seater with space to carry all sorts of things. I recently put a large table in the back with plenty of space left over.
I have never tested her top speed, but she has plenty of oomph. She can hold her own against most others. She has good acceleration, and good brakes. Everything works well.
If I had one small complaint, it would be that changing gear is a tad 'wooden'. I might even spray some WD40 in the relevant 'hole' to see if it makes any difference.
I'm really looking forward to our hitting the road again in about 2 hours time. Saturday is my big shopping day, and we accompany each other!
Is Deb old enough to be a silent companion, without all of the so-called safety warnings that are mandatory on all new cars? We've recently acquired a new SUV (my wife needs the height for her back problems) and I find these audible warnings for lane discipline, speed limit violations etc highly distracting, and I would argue, a safety hazard of their own. The speed limit warning is particularly irritating, as it is so frequently just plain wrong. Within half a mile of our home, I can guarantee at least 3-4 invalid warnings as I negotiate a mini roundabout and get warnings from the side road speed limit, pass under a metro bridge where I am warned of a 19mph (!) speed limit, all distracting me from the more important business of avoiding pedestrians, kids on (illegal) e-scooters, and other drivers. There are times that I yearn for the simplicity of your old Beetle or 2CV, or the 1956 Series 1 Land Rover that was the first car I drove - no synchromesh on first or second, totally useless heater, but a real joy to drive around fields as a young teenager.
ReplyDeleteShe does reprimand me if I leave the safety belt off. She also tells me if a door isn't closed properly; but not much else. Of course, the engine is beyond my repair skills, and even after a few years, I still don't know what some of the buttons are for.
DeleteThere are a couple of Rovers and a Jaguar rusting away in a car repair yard here. I'm sure they once had English plates. A pity there's no one here to give them some TLC.
ReplyDeleteWe used to have a wagon. Yes it was handy for carrying 'stuff' but not handy for parking or these island roads.
Enjoy your outing