Love your 7

[Tony Griffiths]

Reading Dave Mann’s account in the latest PWAC7 magazine of arranging a bed in a box saloon, reminded me of a true story concerning the certain owner of a 4-seat tourer. Reel back to the 1960s and a twilight evening on the outskirts of a northern city. Our young hero is driving with an attractive young lady passenger when he spots a place likely to be suitable for "romantic overtures". He pulls over, instructs the girl to get out and starts rearranging the furniture; front seats turned around, squabs on the floor and the rear seat cushion positioned, just so. Happy with his work he looks up to see his friend gazing in some amazement at these expertly performed manoeuvres – and then she says, indignantly, “You’ve done this before!”
The 1960s; summed up perfectly by Philip Larkin in Annus Mirabilis.

[Duncan Grimmond]

And the watchword is"Be prepared"...
cf. Tom Lehrer

["Slack Alice" Simon]

I enjoyed the article, there are a couple of things there I need to try.

One cannot do too much amorous activity in a Cambridge special.

I used to carry my bike strapped across the back, and I once fitted all the cushions from a three piece suite in, but in the vertical dimension it was good (bad, really) in that it could enter and leave car parks without bothering the barrier.

[Dave Mann]

That depends on how co-operative the the lady is. That part of the article was at the request of a member who was interested in how I managed to get a good night sleep in a Seven.

[Bill Sheehan]

And did the Certain Driver ask the Lady if she believed in the Hereafter?  (Remember the old adage? - "If you're not here after what I'm here after, you'll be here after I'm gone").  Cheers,  Bill in Oz

[Bob Culver]

Owners of modern cars (made in the last 40 years) have been denied the close company of the front seat passenger. Few cars match the intimacy of Seven directly (reaching for the choke in an RP could get your face slapped, and the handbrake in all) but bench seats without the enormous console, with column change, and no seat belts encouraged closeness. It was common to follow cars with two occupying little more than the drivers seat.
(I think the Seven closeness was to enable conversation).

[Chris KC]

There's a block of lock-up garages next door and my Ulster rep will squeeze under the barrier with about 1/4" to spare, screen down flat. You have to go slow though just in case one tyre runs over a stone. Constant source of amusement.

[Tony Griffiths]

Owners of modern cars (made in the last 40 years) have been denied the close company of the front seat passenger. Few cars match the intimacy of Seven directly (reaching for the choke in an RP could get your face slapped, and the handbrake in all) but bench seats without the enormous console, with column change, and no seat belts encouraged closeness. It was common to follow cars with two occupying little more than the driver's seat.

Alan Clark (he of the political diaries fame) was prosecuted when at university for driving with a girl on his lap. She was steering and he operating the foot pedals and gear lever. One leaves the rest to one's imagination. Recounted in his book "Backfire" - an interesting read.