Buying my first seven

[Ian Williams]

Plenty of good advice, I would add that you also need to consider what you want from a seven and how you will use it, the later the car the greater the level of sophistication. ( a relative term when it comes to our cars! ) However that comes at a price, the later cars are much heavier than the earlier models and consequently do not perform as well, they are however easier (again relative tern) to drive for someone familiar with moderns. The aesthetic of various versions appeals more to some people than others and of course all the differences in performance a marginal so may not be a consideration for you. If I could only have one seven (excluding the sports models) I would plump for a good chummy, they are lively (that relative term again) room on the back seat for luggage if required, the joy of open top motoring, but also have reasonable weather protection when you need it. They have a few quirks to keep you amused, uncoupled brakes, crash gearbox, a couple of levers to play with in the middle of the steering wheel, manual advance/retard, cruise control hehehe. Most of all don't rush in there are plenty of traps for the unwary, as Tony mentioned a shiny paint job can cover a multitude of sins, the Ruby B post thread on there being a good example.