What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[Chris Garner]

Out in the Gordon England Brooklands today, I noticed I was being followed by a very red, very shiny, very new Ferrari. Despite there being several opportunities when he could have overtaken, he stayed back, giving me a short " pip " when I finally turned off. Well, there's at least one discerning Ferrari driver!

[Bob Culver]

Hi Chris
Blasting past a Seven does not do much for the ego. The performance of all moderns is such and speed limits so restricting, I can never fathom the attraction of harsh riding, spaceless, exoticars.
Followers are intriuged by the narrowness, the skinny tyres, and often the involuntary meanderings.

[Austin in the Shed]

I went to Goodwood 79 th members meeting,Gordon Murray was showing his new T33 model,as well as the previous T50 ground effect road car as pace car on the track.
Both fantastic looking and sounding cars powered by a specially developed Cosworth 3.9 vee 12,12,100 rev limit,the engine that pretty as to have one with a glass top as a coffee table.
The T33 developed as the ultimate petrol engined driver controlled (no traction control etc) vehicle but I wondered where the hell could you drive it apart from a track day ?
I think it was said all 100 being built were sold in 90 minutes of being on sale.
There was also,although not advertised as such a brand new 1930 blower Bentley alongside a new Bentley model.

[Peter Sweeney]

I am always amazed at these Exotica "drivers" cars. If they are so good why do they come up for sale at huge prices 20-30 years old with minimal mileage.

---

Probably answered my own Question. Its an investment not the driving. Which is happening at A7 levels.

[JonE]

errr.... investment purchases. Buy 9 or 10, store them well, and spread your mileage. Bingo!
The T33 and T50 aren't cheap (over a million each?) but are going to be part of the last great combusion engine push before the lights go out... unless some aboutturn takes place for e-fuels when they realise electric, overall, is pants for the environment.

[Austin in the Shed]

You may be right,over here we have a couple of "rich " builders who order Lambos then when they arrive a couple of years later put them up for sale at a premium.Guess its similar to when Morgan used to have. 7 year wait and sold their slot when up for delivery.

[Howard Wright]

Well…

I’ve been to Moreton in Marsh.  To the Fire Services College to be exact.

Site visit for volunteers organised by Peter Lawson and David Cochrane.  We were able to walk around the site, take note of access, registration areas and the canteen! Discuss all manner of things, and argue about some  .

Full marks to Peter and David for an excellent visit and taster for the volunteering at the main event.

Cheers

Howard

PS The food in the canteen was very good!

[Hedd_Jones]

errr.... investment purchases. Buy 9 or 10, store them well, and spread your mileage. Bingo!
The T33 and T50 aren't cheap (over a million each?) but are going to be part of the last great combusion engine push before the lights go out... unless some aboutturn takes place for e-fuels when they realise electric, overall, is pants for the environment.

The bloke who steered my traction engine the other day works for one of the best known independant engine developers. 

He says they have i.c engines in development for cars for a 'secret' super car manufacturer. Secret in that he couldn't tell me who, rather than one I had never heard of. The car is due out circa 10years. 

So they clearly dont believe fuel will dry up anytime soon.

[Mike Costigan]

Just because the UK and Europe are banning the sale of i.c.-engined cars doesn't been the end of demand - I'm sure there will be an ongoing market in the middle-east, for example.

[Bob Culver]

It really warrants a separate topic, but the notion that the modern world can function in an acceptable way without i.c vehicles is nonsense. Over the decades I ran low on fuel on a couple of journies. It was near divorce and would have been if had run out. With an ev near every journey in that category, with the added stress of a wait for and slow recharge. Current very free use will have to be reduced to more as the 1950s. Some sort of light weight modest sized, low powered car built and legislatively encouraged for long service and with parts available for decades would prove very competitive when whole world whole of life CO2 considered. Local CO2 is not the issue. Recently reported here a 1970s Toyota with 2 million km and very few replacements! it has avoided 5 or 6 scrappings and replacements and transport here and no regular energy and CO2 expensive giant battery repalcements.