So rewarding to read this thread, its appreciation of who are to me heroes of the motoring world, who once upon a time dared call out the more cynical elements of a very cynical global industry.

It's worth remembering that in real terms, the French built the best everyday cars you could buy in the 60's and 70s and arguably the eighties. By that I mean ride comfort, general pleasantness and ease of use although Citroens are just a bit too weird and needy. When I say everyday I mean run of t...

Two grand little cars, there. I've driven many thousands of relaxing miles in early Clios, SuperCinqs, the original 5 and 4s, only once (a Budapest-Strasbourg ton up dash in tandem with an ID19) in a 16. The original R5 drives very differently from what followed because it's so different under the s...

I’m shocked the suspension etc worked that easily straight away! I’d have thought that would have been the first thing to screw up. It's the first thing to screw up if you fill it with DoT4. Which obviously, most careful English drivers did. Otherwise, providing the pipes aren't rotten the LHM syst...

I’m shocked the suspension etc worked that easily straight away! I’d have thought that would have been the first thing to screw up. It's the first thing to screw up if you fill it with DoT4. Which obviously, most careful English drivers did. Otherwise, providing the pipes aren't rotten the LHM syst...

Do you not fancy an Auntie Junkman? It ticks many of your boxes without the, ahem, character of the P6. I'm a bit off British cars generally since I had a succession of P6es. Should I ever get back into them, I'd fancy something a lot more toff. Think something with a hyphenated name. My experience...

. Belting through the night at 110-130 clicks along RNs is still commonly practiced by French drivers, as Ghosty, Squire and I were able to experience last September. Their absolute refusal to lift off even for villages is fascinating, but after 8:30 pm they are blacked out anyway. Driving through ...

Some interesting info there, JM. I think Britain was slower to use halogen lamps than continental Europe, I vaguely remember looking out for Saabs, Volvos and other forrin stuff with those bright, bright lamps which made the old ones look dirty yellow in comparison. One good reason SY headlights se...

As a lad, my Dad remembers the older guys (probably those in their thirties) using carbide lighting on their bikes, he says the smell is remembered well. One of his mates had a Miller dynamo lighting on his bike, which was considered the best. They'd sing at Evensong in the parish church then from a...

Here's an image somebody used to try and sell their bike on ebay,

It didn't go for much.