I used to own a 2CV. It was blue, had orange boxes for seats, and was absolutely wonderful.
I remember once heading off for England in it. My very good friend, Lucienne, kept saying "You'll never make it". However, I did, and without a hitch. I really don't know why I sold it.
I've also owned a Renault 4L, which in many ways was Renault's version of the 2CV. I also went up to England and back with it several times, and just once had alternator trouble; which was quickly fixed.
So, my question is this. Why do manufacturers not make simple cars any more? Both the 2CV and the 4L had very simple engines, they had spark plugs that one could easily clean, and they had distributors that one could open up and make sure the 'points' were all working. After that it was petrol, oil, and water, and a decent battery. OK, they didn't go very fast or have heated seats and Sat Nav, but they were fun to drive and were reliable.
My current car, Debi the Compact Royce, is about as 'sophisticated' as I want. She has electric windows and a few other bits of advanced technology, but she certainly isn't like a 'plane's cockpit. When I turn the key I go; unlike those (in more complex cars) who sit for five minutes setting all the gadgets, Sat Nav destination, seat temperature, etc.
Why doesn't some manufacturer make a simple chassis with engine, steering wheel, brakes, etc, onto which one could fix any type of fiberglass bodywork. It could have a sports body, an all-terrain body, and mini-moke body, or just an OAP's shopping body. You'd make your choice according to your personality. What could be easier (and more popular) than that!
Oh; and it would have to sell for around £4,000.
Cars like the 2CV or the R4 are no longer allowed today. Even the smallest cars need to have more assistant systems than a car for handicapped persons had 20 years ago. I drive a very small and relatively basic car, a Skoda citygo, which is ten years old, and I hope I will drive it another ten years. My Skoda dealer told me they could sell it for almost the price I paid when it was new. It would be so expensive to put all the required systems in a small car like this that nobody would buy it. Or so the car makers say. I am not so sure, and neither are the dealers.
ReplyDeleteHilde in Germany
I think that's a shame. There's still a huge market for simple cars. Here in France the Renault Express sells for big money as they're used by hunters to drive around the countryside; no modern car can do that.
DeleteMy wife has a 2006 Land Rover and is gloriously happy with it. I have a 2019 BMW that goes like the clappers but bleeps and bloops every time you sit in it. after our son leaves school I will buy a beaten-up Mitsubishi Shogun and a classic car for fun. Not a bleep or bloop in sight.
ReplyDeleteMy oldest has a big German muscle car. I can't think of a single thing that it doesn't do. It would probably make you a cup of coffee if you asked it nicely. It also drinks fuel like water!
DeleteMy first car was a 1963 Hillman Imp. What a heap of rubbish that turned out to be! It was definitely Buyer Beware in that transaction and I was too naive to realise.
ReplyDeleteMy late Mother-in-Law had one; it was dreadful.
DeleteThank goodness our little Skoda is simple enough for me. It has electric windows and locking system. All good, after being fixed.
ReplyDeleteAll I want it to do is start when I turn the key and get up me up anvd down to the shops, and coffee shops 😁
That's what most of us want. I mentioned before that my youngest son arrived here this summer with a car that could do 236 Kph. Where on earth can you drive that fast? (other than on a track).
DeleteThe Russian car manufacturer Lada make a vehicle just like the one you alluded to. It is called the Lada Crozier. Owners report that it is sluggish and liable to overheating but with a capacious boot.
ReplyDeleteIs that the one with the twin tailpipes that people use as a wheelbarrow?
DeleteMy favourite cars were my Renault 4 and a Beetle, a 1303s, fancy for a Beetle.
ReplyDeleteI've owned both. The beetle (1200cc) was my first car. I loved it.
DeleteMy first car was an old VW beetle, a dirty creamy yellow in colour. It was louder inside the car than outside. I loved it, as my brother said very easy to keep going very rudimentary mechanics. He taught me how to do a basic service on it like changing spark plugs, air filter etc. I was 17 and had just passed my test first time, and my Beetle was ancient. I travelled hundreds of miles in that noisy old car and loved every minute. Now it's all sealed units and computerised technology and has to be done in a specialised garage. Oh dear. Regards Sue H
ReplyDeleteI was the same with my old Beetle. Unfortunately she had an inbuilt clutch problem that had to be regularly fixed. She was EBP 323 and white. I really loved her.
DeleteI remember the very first mini, my mother had one, and basic was an understatement! It went forwards, backwards, mostly kept the rain out and stopped when you applied the brake. That was all we really needed.
ReplyDeleteHaving looked at some of the latest offerings from Peugeot (my preference because the garage is handy and they offer excellent service), I would need to keep my eyes on the computer screen, and not on the road!
I'm ashamed to say that I do know people who set their Sat Nav for the simplest of journeys (that they know perfectly well). I'd rather watch the road.
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