Brushing up on the classics

I dislike the term “Classic Car” because it is vague and ill-defined.  I also suspect that it represents misuse of the English language.  Despite that I always seem to enjoy the big classic car show held every November at the National Exhibition Centre.

The most interesting thing (from a personal point of view) about the show is noticing what captures my attention.  Fancy stuff from the famous names seldom does it and my favourite cars get barely a cursory glance; it is the odd stuff, the things you don’t see every day (or in every other magazine). 

Passing time transforms the mundane into the interesting.  How else to account for my pleasure at seeing a well-preserved, low mileage Fiat 132?  It might not be the most inspiring car in the world but you could say the same of the Morris Marina, a car with a strong – if occasionally inexplicable – following.

From a certain point of view the appeal of Citroen’s 2CV is equally difficult to fathom.  It isn’t fast or pretty or luxurious.  Some cars have interiors that are like the inside of a gentlemen’s club; the 2CV is more like an old potting shed.  For all that, it was a very comfortable place to sit.  The simple, hammock seats somehow manage to provide all the comfort and support you need as you contemplate the seemingly random collection of instruments and switches on the dashboard.  Where else would you find a choke control labelled with an “S”?  In French “strangulateur” means choke – but don’t quote me on the spelling.

Follow-up to MOT: Citroen CX

The garage that looks after my car is a Citroen specialist. While my car was there they also had a 1970s Citroen CX. It looked a lot like the car pictured, right down to the model, registration year and colour.

From Fourwheelsteer: Motoring Writer

It has been a while since I last saw a CX and I had forgotten just how stunning it is. Somehow it manages to be both of its time and futuristic. Only in the 1970s could you get away with so many different shades of brown both outside and inside. But look at that interior, the sculpted curves of that dashboard still look great and owe nothing to outdated traditions of woodworking and the carriage trade.

From Fourwheelsteer: Motoring Writer

Even better, the CX comes from an age when cars could be different under the skin. Where else would you find springs of nitrogen connected to the suspension by high-pressure hydraulics that provides self levelling and height adjustment? Where else would you find brakes operated from the same high pressure system with a pedal responsive to pressure rather than movement? How about high-geared power steering with speed-dependent assistance and powered self-centring?

The CX might not be as iconic as the DS or 2CV but it still deserves to be celebrated.

A few photos from the NEC

A crowded NEC isn't the best place for photography so I didn't take many pictures. Here is a selection:

From Classic Motor Show NEC 2010

I had never seen a Citroen Bijou before so it was nice to see one; the best thing about car shows is the opportunity to see things you've never seen before. The Bijou was a Slough-built Citroen, based on the 2CV with a glassfibre body. Despite the 'lightweight' body it weighed more than the steel-bodied 2CV. Power, if you can call it that, came from a 425cc flat twin. You didn't know Citroen built cars in Britain? You do now.

From Classic Motor Show NEC 2010

This 1930s Ford V8 was very stylish. I think it was a 1934 car with just one or two owners from new. Power would have been 75bhp from a 3.6-litre, sidevalve V8.

From Classic Motor Show NEC 2010

Keeping with the transatlantic theme, this Buick was VAST and very brown. You can imagine it packed full of a typical American family and all their holiday (sorry, vacation) luggage.

From Classic Motor Show NEC 2010

The emblems on the brushed metal wheel trims were rather neat.

From Classic Motor Show NEC 2010

As was the ornate 'Estate Wagon' script, and you get an idea of the fake wood on the body.

From Classic Motor Show NEC 2010

More fake wood at the back.

From Classic Motor Show NEC 2010

An American Icon, the fins of a 1959 Cadillac convertible.

From Classic Motor Show NEC 2010

Finally; something British, although with a Japanese twist: a cutaway Rover 200. It is a little odd to see cars that I can remember being launched now appearing as classics. However, in its time this 200 was well regarded and looked very classy. It also shows that you don't need to own something expensive and impractical to participate in the classic car scene.

Moving Motor Museum

Being a bit of a transport geek I can’t resist either a heritage railway or a motor museum. Over the weekend I visited the Mid-Hants Railway or Watercress Line and the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu. Much as I love the Beaulieu museum I do wonder if motor museums could learn a thing from the steam railway.

From Beaulieu and Watercress Line

The great thing about these enthusiast-run railways is that you experience the trains running; not just as static exhibits. You get a flavour of what railway travel was like fifty years ago. It would be interesting to see the same model applied to cars.

Imagine a museum where some cars are in use either every day or, at least, at the weekends. The public could see and possibly even ride in old cars. To that end you’d need a short test track. Not a race track but somewhere with a variety of road surfaces, corners and gradients and maybe a long straight. Cars would not be pushed to their limits but I would want to give people an idea of acceleration, ride comfort and cornering; hearing the noise of the engines, the feel and smell of the upholstery.

What cars would go in the collection? You’d want cars that were interesting to look at and travel in.

Considering those factors the first cars I’d source for my collection would be:

From Model T Pictures

Ford Model T – A unique character with its strange controls.

From Haynes Motor Museum

Citroen SM – demonstrate the ride quality and general eccentricity of Citroen.

From BIMS 2008 Oldies

Lamborghini Countach – big on drama and spectacle whether in motion or standing still.

From Warwick Classic and Retro Cars

Mini Cooper – cramped and uncomfortable but fun.

From Gold Cup 2008

Jaguar XJ12/Daimler Double Six – Possibly the smoothest engine ever and a great ride too.

From Gold Cup 2008

Rolls-Royce Corniche – Or any Shadow variant, to sample Rolls-Royce craftsmanship.

From Luton Festival of Transport

Plymouth GTX – Feel the power of a big, American V8 as well as the comedy cornering behaviour of a car designed for straight roads.

What cars would you include?

New cars: Citroen DS3

Not driven, but a friend has just bought a new DS3 and she’s thrilled with it. I couldn’t resist having a look and it does seem quite nice.

This isn’t it but it is very similar.

I still don’t know what the DS3 has to do with Citroen’s classic DS but it seemed like a perfect excuse to post some pictures of an utterly gorgeous Citroen DS, which I took this summer.

Unfortunately I couldn’t get a picture of the whole car as it was attracting such a crowd. Given that it looks as good as new (or better) I’d say the attention was justified.

Good things

Here are a few things I’ve seen in the last week that have cheered me up.

First is this concept by Daihatsu.



Called ‘basket’ it is designed, if I recall the press release correctly, for family trips to the vegetable patch. It is such an odd design brief and I feel I should hate it but it is so quirky I’m quite taken with the idea. Although production seems unlikely maybe Daihatsu has designs on the market vacated by the Mini Moke and Citroen Mehari.


Then I saw a retro-styled Honda electric car.



The EV-N is an electric city car with solar panels on the roof and a strong resemblance to the 1960s Honda N360. It has a similar ‘cute’ appeal to the Fiat 500 and MINI and it looks as though it would make a good rival to Toyota’s iQ. Sadly, it seems there are no plans to put it into production. On the other hand I can’t help thinking that it would be even better with a small, high-revving engine in place of the battery drivetrain.


Finally, it isn’t just small cars that appeal.



McLaren’s new supercar didn’t appeal to me when I first saw it, however I was asked to do a news story on the MP4-12C. Familiarising myself with the 12C’s details left me feeling rather more positive towards the new British supercar. Obviously McLaren’s web site would talk-up its latest offering but just looking at some of the components is a reminder that good engineering can be beautiful. I particularly like the carbon tub with its smooth curves.

The Honda and Daihatsu will be on display at the Tokyo Motor Show. The McLaren can bee seen at www.mclarenautomotive.com
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Arrivals and departures

O.K. Sorry for the lack of updates but things have been pretty busy here. If I'm not at work I'm either writing or at the gym. It is all good but leaves the poor old blog a bit neglected. Since my last update covered part of my search for a new car it seemed logical to resume by saying that I have found one. A 1998 Honda Prelude VTi, a rare manual example. Despite my general enthusiasm for automatic transmissions I think the synchromesh gearbox is the one to have if you're going to buy a Prelude. Given the rumours of problematic auto-boxes the DIY-transmission certainly seems like a safer bet.

So far I am delighted with it. Some minor details feel a little penny pinched compared with my old 1989 Preludes. Things like the lack of seat memory and unlined coin tray suggest that the accountants took their pound of flesh. Somehow fake wood on the centre console is poor compensation for what has been lost. At least the double wishbone suspension and four-wheel steering escaped the axe - a large part of the pleasure of driving the Prelude is down to the way it handles and steers. Unfortunately I can't make a direct comparison with my old Preludes but not only is there an improvement in grip and responsiveness but also the ride is much more comfortable.

Other noticeable improvements over the old Prelude include more performance and surprising smoothness from the V-tec engine. Especially gratifying is the smoother transition between the two cam profiles - the 1992 Prelude I drove, which gave me my first taste of Honda's variable valve timing and lift technology, suffered a noticeable step between the two stages. Despite the improved performance fuel economy seems no worse than my old, automatic Prelude and a 60-litre fuel tank gives more than adequate range - at the expense of a big bill if you have to refill and almost empty tank.



Getting the Prelude meant saying goodbye to my Citroen BX14. Sold to a BX enthusiast I'm happy that it has gone to a good home. I must admit I never bonded with 'Pierre' in the way that I did with the BX I had before, Claude. Funny how both French cars gained nicknames but neither my current Honda nor any of the others received that honour.

BX update

Fourwheelsteer’s faithful if sometimes fallible Citroen BX has received some long overdue care from the good people of Preservation Garage Services (PGS) in Warwick. The same people who did such a good job of looking after my old BX performed a service and changed the cam belt and the car seems better as a result. There may be nothing measurable – it is too early to see if fuel economy has improved and I’ve not tried to measure acceleration or top speed – but the engine sounds sweeter and feels more willing.

A 1,360cc engine in a large-ish hatchback body might not seem like the perfect recipe for driving enjoyment but the BX only weighs 900kg so the 72bhp motor does not have to work too hard. The power unit is abetted in its task by a five-speed gearbox with ratios perfectly judged to make the most of the engine’s efforts. Although the overall gearing feels rather low – there is no rev counter to verify this assumption – there are no noticeable gaps between gears. The result is that there is always a gear that is right for the occasion.

Sadly, the merits of well-spaced gear ratios are being abandoned by manufacturers for the sake of fuel consumption and carbon dioxide figures. Several times this year I have read boasts of making the top three gears in a five-speed gearbox higher whilst leaving first and second alone – what can this do except leave a big gap between second and third gear? It probably fits the strictures of the standard test procedure perfectly but our roads are not standardised and on the road there will be times when the choice is stream or strain, neither of which is ideal.

This isn’t a new problem; the industry has been producing oddly geared cars for as long as it has been producing cars but it can make a big difference between enjoyment and frustration when driving. If you want a car with perfect gearing all the time surely you need some sort of continuously variable transmission.

Thinking of buying something different

I know my trusty Citroën BX will not last forever and the prospect of promotion at work has set my mind to thinking of buying a different car. Watching the historic motor racing at Oulton Park last weekend and a passenger ride in a friend’s MG Midget has left me hankering for a classic.

A Midget probably wouldn’t do, I would like something that is capable of sustaining a decent motorway cruising speed and that I can drive for a couple of hours at a time. Although I don’t need to use a car for commuting I would need something happy to live outside in all weathers that could be used every weekend without demanding too much maintenance. Such maintenance as is required should not be so complex as to be beyond my modest mechanical ability, nor too expensive if I ask others to carry it out. Other practical considerations should, I suppose, include reasonable fuel consumption – ideally no worse than 20mpg. Emotional considerations, for want of a better expression, are that I would like something good to drive. A decent turn of speed would be good but not necessarily essential; what is more important is tactility; steering that is slop-free, accurate and if possible high-geared; similarly I’d like a gear lever that moves with slickness and speed, ideally controlling a well-spaced set of ratios; pedals should be well-spaced for heel-and-toe action and hopefully not needing either excessive pedal travel or undue effort. I’d also like something stylish – foolish, I know.

I imagine a two-litre Bristol would be perfect; sadly, such things are beyond my pocket and possibly require more specialised care and attention than I could give. Only one car in my experience has come close to meeting my requirements; the MGB roadster. I don’t think I’d want a roadster, a GT would be better for my needs, leaving only a few doubts about whether I could cope with just two seats. Other possibilities I have considered, without knowing if they are sensible or not, are the Triumph GT6 and Volvo Amazon.

There are two questions I need to answer. Firstly, is it a mistake to subject a classic to the sort of treatment I’d give it; i.e. using it twice a week whilst keeping it outside when not in use? Secondly, what cars would you suggest, given a notional budget of about £2,000?

Weekend catch up Part 2

This blog entry could be subtitled “The triumph of public transport” because I was truly impressed by how easy it was to make the journey up to Manchester.

It all started because my own aged Citroën BX was not in a fit state to undertake the journey. It is in need of a good service (which it will receive shortly) and in any case it is not the most comfortable long-distance conveyance. As a result I took a look at National Rail’s web site for trains from Leamington Spa to Manchester Piccadilly. Not only is there a reasonably frequent service but the cost of travelling in the middle of the day is surprisingly reasonable. By booking ahead – two days before my departure, hardly an ordeal – I purchased first class tickets for just over £40. The premium over a standard ticket was well worth it when you consider that first class passengers get free drinks, a sandwich and a free copy of The Times. The larger seat and reduced crowding almost seem like incidental bonuses.

The final triumph for public transport came on my return to Leamington. I only had a short wait for a bus to take me back to my village. You could almost believe the bus timetable was supposed to dovetail neatly with the train times.

The search continues and other thoughts on a Saturday morning

Up early today to collect the pipe ordered by the Citroën dealer last week. Not the right part, despite what the computer says. They did try to find the correct part but to no avail. Did give me the contact numbers of people who might be more sympathetic to my plight and who might be able to correctly identify the part I’m after.

Another moan about advertising. Last night I saw a BMW advert on television, promoting their Efficient Dynamics system for reducing fuel consumption and all the nasty stuff associated with burning a hydrocarbon fuel. The theme was BMW saying “thank you” for all the things that saved fuel, such as gravity. One of the things thanked was “the stop sign that allows the engine to switch off and save fuel”! Can you believe such a thing! The very act of stopping and starting is incredibly wasteful.

Treated myself to a McDonald’s breakfast on my way home from the garage. In the past I’ve struggled to get these things home without the coffee cup falling over and spilling. Today, somehow, I managed it – despite having a longer journey than I used to. I’d like to think it was down to my prowess as a driver but I wonder if it is down to the soothing properties of Citroën suspension?

A real treat as I drove through my village, 3 vintage cars in convoy. The lead car had the look of a Bugatti and, as it drove past, I could see that the two other cars were also Bugattis. They were all 4-seat open tourers and much quieter than I expected. Two were Type 50s and one, I think, was a Type 40. It is nice to see rare cars being driven, rather than confined inside a museum

Citroën: moving out of the bargain basement?

In the ongoing saga of the hydraulic pipe I ventured bravely to the parts desk of my local Citroën dealer. I am told that owners of old BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes can order parts from the dealer as though they were ordering parts for current models. Of course you need to pay Mercedes-sized prices for that facility. Citroën offer no such assurance but I went armed with a part number and a mental picture of what it should look like. All credit to Murley Citroën of Leamington Spa, they found the part was available and have promised to order it. Maybe one day I’ll be able to drive my car without fearing the sudden loss of hydraulic fluid.

I also noticed that the showroom had a new C5 on display and I couldn’t resist going in for a closer look. It is an impressive looking car; it does have a German look and feel. The doors close with an impressive thunk and the interior is full of handy cubby holes with damped lids. I’m not sure how much praise I want to lavish on the C5 as I still feel betrayed by the absence of self-levelling, oleo-pneumatic suspension across the range (just as I was irritated by the elimination of the Citroën short-travel brake pedal on the old C5). Final judgement depends on actually driving a C5 or two.

Behind the C5 was a silver C6, looking as impressive as ever and unmistakably French. Next to the C6 was a C-Crosser, another model I’ve not had the chance to study at close quarters. It looked like another quality product, with nice plastics and high quality switches. Contrast this with Citroën’s recent efforts to sell cars based on low prices and generous discounts. Somehow the cars looked like bargain basement products, more like the stuff the Malaysians and Koreans used to make.

Strange behaviour

When I had my Honda Preludes I used to drive with the fastest flowing part of motorway traffic. I was careful, observant and only occasionally the fastest driver of any group (much better to let someone else attract the attention of the Police). Long journeys always felt shorter and more pleasant when I was making progress. From time to time I was irritated by those who would not do as I (try to) do and keep left when not overtaking but everyone suffers because of them. Times and circumstances changed and the Prelude was replaced by my first Citroen BX, the 1.9 litre automatic. It was a long-legged car, typically French in that it gathered speed slowly but felt as though it could sustain high speeds all day. Respect for the car's great age and the lower level of performance available caused me to drive more slowly in the Citroen than I did in the Honda. Journeys took a bit longer but it was something I (grudgingly) accepted. Now I have a 1400cc Citroen BX which is slower than the old BX. As a result my cruising speed on the motorway has dropped considerably. In the old BX I'd keep the speedometer between 70 and 80mph, in the new car it is more likely to be 60-70. Not only does this have an impact on the time it takes to make a long journey but I have noticed something new about the so-called Middle Lane Owners Club. While I am passing a convoy of slower I will try and do it as quickly as possible but there are drivers who will sit right on my tail, clearly wanting to go more quickly, even when there is a clear overtaking lane to the right. Only once I pull over to the left do they drive past but they don't pull over into the clear left-hand lane.

One day you’re riding high…

… the next you’re sat by the side of the road with a growing puddle of green fluid under the car. So much for all those kind words I lavished on it. Ah the joys of a Citroën and their weird, hydraulic ways.

Oh no, not again!

I visited my parents, in the South East, this weekend. Travelling down on Friday evening I did the 145 miles in 2hours 45 minutes at an amazing 42mpg. Of course it must have been too good to be true as, on the return leg last night the low hydraulic fluid light came on. I stopped in a lay-by to add some fluid (no Citroëniste is without a supply of LHM at hand), but that didn’t do the job. Carefully I made my way to Hemel Hempstead and found a Tesco petrol station forecourt in the middle of a retail park. This was a much better location to wait for help and I called the AA.

It must have been a busy night because it took a long time for the patrol man to get to me. He did at least know his way around the Citroën BX and understood what the hydraulic system did. Knowing there was nothing he could do he called for a recovery vehicle and I just had to wait. At 11:00 the recovery vehicle arrived and it then took 3 hours to get back to my home.

Now my BX is with the garage, waiting for a length of pipe to replace the faulty piece. I hope it turns up tomorrow as I need the car for the Easter weekend. I also hope that this will be the end of leaking pipes; I don’t have time for a car I can’t rely on.

Chauffeur for the day

Spent all of yesterday playing with some fancy cars. I don’t think I’ve driven as many cars in one day before; in fact the seven cars I drove would make up most of a normal year’s worth of testing. In order I drove:

VW Phaeton LWB 3.0 V6 TDI
Lexus LS 600hL
Jaguar XJ6 lwb 2.7D
Chrysler 300C (diesel)
BMW 730dL
Mercedes-Benz S300d
Volvo S80 2.5d



Overall the cars were amazingly good, I’m sure diesel engines aren’t supposed to be as nice as they were. In the case of the BMW and Mercedes you might even wonder if it was worth going for a bigger engine. The only unpleasant surprise was how badly some of the cars seemed to cope with bumps. I couldn’t help thinking that a Citroën C6 would be better than all but the 7-series and S-class.

Did anyone else see Torchwood this week?

I’m sure I saw a police-liveried Citroën C6. Having been to the BBC iPlayer site and reviewed the few seconds of disjointed film where the C6 appears it is unmistakably the big Citroën. The C6 seems like an odd choice for a police car; too complex and plush. What cars do Cardiff police actually use? Anyway, the pictures are taken from the BBC.


Not sure if you can make out the frameless side window


Unmistakable tail lamp


Blurred but clearly a police C6

Large, heavy load

I was asked to help transport an armchair over the weekend. It is the sort of task that Citroëns do well. The BX isn’t a tall car but you can get surprisingly deep loads inside and even when fully loaded the self-levelling suspension keeps everything nicely level. If you need to, the whole car can be lowered to ease loading or unloading. (So much for the virtues of oleo-pneumatic suspension not being worthwhile).

What I hadn’t planned for was the meanness of the specification of a base-model car. My old BX had a back seat that could be folded completely flat. Foolishly I thought my current BX would enjoy the same detail. I discovered that the seat back would fold down but there was no way to move the seat cushion to make a flat floor. As a result the chair wouldn’t quite fit and I had to tie the tailgate closed.

It is hardly the end of the world but it is an object lesson in not taking things for granted.

The long road ahead

I’m feeling a little apprehensive, I’m about to do a long journey in my Citroën BX – the first really long journey since I bought the car. I know it’ll happily go at motorway speeds but it sounds a little frantic. I’ve also discovered that, without the height adjustment of my old BX, the driving position is less than comfortable. If I end up with a chronic headache and backache at least I’ll know why.

Number crunching

The British digital television channel “Dave” shows, amongst other things, repeats of the BBC’s motoring program Top Gear. I was watching one of the repeats today, the episode where a Bugatti Veyron and a Cesna light aircraft race across Europe. The Veyron has a power gauge to show how much power is being used at any given point. The presenter observed that at 80mph the Veyron needed only 50 of the 1,000 or so bhp to move it along.

It made me think; 50bhp isn’t a huge amount of power but is it more or less than ordinary cars need for a typical motorway cruise?

Exact figures are hard to come by but I looked at a selection of cars with about 50bhp and also with top speed around 80mph. The Chevrolet Matiz has 50bhp and can do 90mph; the Fiat Panda 1.1 has 54bhp and can do 93mph. You have to go back many years to find cars with top speeds in the 80mph range. In 1966 a Ford Cortina needed 63bhp to do 82mph; by 1970 a Hillman Avenger could manage 81mph on 53bhp although the Citroen GS looks like it was ahead of its time by doing 93mph on 55bhp.

I’m not sure if this proves anything except that it takes less power than you’d think to drive at motorway speed.