Is the Alpine your only car, or what else do you run...??

[simontaylor]

All those Rovers, P5s too, such luxury. I'm just running about day to day in an 90's ministerial limosine, 820 Sli auto. It's so good to drive the GTA on sunny days and Sundays.
A long long time ago, must have been mid 70s, I was ferried about by the famous Heribe Flowers* in his P5 coupe, as I was in the same football team as his son.

* (session musician with the likes of T-Rex, Tom Jones, Rolf Harris and Frank Sinatra)

Still play football Simon? I'm looking to find a decent vets team for next season.

I always liked the P5 and the V8S's. Rover had class back then - poor mans Jag so to speak. Nowadays there a poor mans Honda! And in a few months time they might not exist at all. Funny how all the bits BMW sold off are thriving yet the big chunk of the business can't turn a profit despite being the countries 3rd biggest car retailer.

On other Retro cars theres a lovely version of one of my old favourites the Mk 1 Scirocco Storm in Retro Cars this month. 260bhp 20v turbo lump and 13 sec 1/4 miles.

Simon,
In an effort to reduce my vehicle habit I just sold my Rover 827 Vitesse that I have owned for 13 years and bloody good it was too. Reliable, quick and with an individually designed set of road springs, Konis and Motobuild brakes it actually handled and stopped. It made space for the Alpine and I guess that was no contest or a least a move in a new direction. The P5B Coupe is never intended for sale!!! Herbie Flowers I thought was also in "Sky" with John Williams. Great music, terrible production and mixing. They must have had a mike inside the bass drum.

A long long time ago, must have been mid 70s, I was ferried about by the famous Heribe Flowers* in his P5 coupe, as I was in the same football team as his son.

* (session musician with the likes of T-Rex, Tom Jones, Rolf Harris and Frank Sinatra)

Then things have come the full circle, as Nick, Herbies son, used to be by boyfriend. (Herbie had got rid of the P5 by the time I met him). Meanwhile my husband has recently sold his P5, and now has an Alpine.
Belinda

incroyable ! Belinda as they say in Dieppe! I take it that Herbie ( or Hebrie) didn't mention the Rolf Harris sessions too much when you called to see his son! Incidentally on a musical thread when Van Morrison sang of the red sports car was it a Rover P5 - as they seem so popular!

[stephendell]

And the P5 downstairs disappeared tonight, so I guess it now has a new home

[stephendell]

Previous transport / Car History

Fairly short list but don't think I've missed many...

Vauxhall Viva, Alfa Guillietta, Nissan Cherry Europe, Fiat 126, Yugo Zastava, Sierra Cosworth (3dr), Fiat 500, Fiat 126 BIS, MG Metro Turbo, Fiat Tempra Estate, Rover Metro GTi, Lancia Dedra Turbo, Porsche 968, Fiat Seicento Sporting, Mini Racing Green, GTA Atmo (white), Smart Passion, GTA Turbo (pearl), GTA Turbo (pearl) , GTA Turbo (tungsten), GTA Turbo (pearl), GTA Turbo (white), GTA Turbo (white), GTA Atmo (red)...

Can you see a pattern emerging

At present just the two Gta Atmos (which I'll probably be stuck with forever) and the Smart (which I'll probably need forever as reliable transport if I keep the GTA's)

One's that got away / near misses, Triumph GT6 (can you believe I bought the Viva instead ), Hyundai Pony (no comment), BMW 850i (bought the 968 instead), Ferrari Mondial (came to my senses just in time!), Lancia Delta Integrale (really should've given that a go) , Alfa 155 (bought the Dedra instead), TVR Griffith (someone beat me to it), GTA Atmo (yellow with brand new A610 Magny Cours leather and Le Mans wheels - I still miss it ), Venturi Cabriolet (don't even ask ), Clio V6 (I still have the copy of the finance agreement - lucky escape )

& without going into the fantasies of unaffordable £100K + supercars that we'd all like

One's I'd like to try / maybe one day / almost affordable possibilites, Lotus Esprit V8, Ferrari 456, Porsche 993

[simontaylor]

Stephen, with habits like that, it is lucky the chancellor has not imposed a stamp duty like tax on you.

Some of the cars I would like to try that are actually affordable - Always wanted a UR Quattro 20 Valve, and a TVR Griffith. 850 BMW strikes me as about the best value secondhand car you can buy, Porshe 928 if you can find a manual one, E36 M3, original Audi S4, a turboed Cinquecento Sporting, an M5 3.6, original Integra Type R, original CRX VTEC. That should keep me going for a while.

[stephendell]

850 BMW strikes me as about the best value secondhand car you can buy

Too true:

The 850i I looked at was only £9995 6 years ago