20-12-2020, 03:00 AM (This post was last modified: 20-12-2020, 03:28 PM by Tony Griffiths.)
I'd absolutely no idea that Andrew English had published this until I stumble upon it by accident - and you may or may not agree with what's printed. Still, it gives us lots to disagree with during the Christmas (and beyond) lockdown: I did my best, but we only made No.30.... https://www.telegraph.co.uk/guides/100-best-cars
My apologies, it's behind a paywall so you'll only see it if you sign up for a trial run with the paper owned by the brothers Grimm.
Here, with embarrassment, is the A7 part: click the image for a higher-resolution copy and then (if you don't know this trick - apologies if you do) hold down down the Ctrl key and roll the mouse button.
Tony, it seems, well, biased. Of course its a loaded question and somewhat biased to the UK. Most people in the states had a car in the period, if not two. When I was growing up, my Dad bought, in 1960, a brand new Corvette. The body was simply bolted to the chassis with no backing plates. The Cord, with its disappearing headlights operated by intake vacuum, often had the lights at half mast. And the Riviera? Certainly lots of iron there, but not a lot more except excess.
The Mini, certainly of divine inspiration.
20-12-2020, 12:34 PM (This post was last modified: 20-12-2020, 12:43 PM by Tony Griffiths.)
Yes, it's all highly subjective. The other day somebody was castigating the Morris Marina - a car that stood near the pinnacle of the Grey Porridge standings. However, I know of one that did a prodigious mileage without a single fault (the driver must have either loved it or been a masochist) and, amusingly, the son of the owner of what was then the UK's largest car dealership who declared to me (as we drove in one) and I quote, "How could anyone need anything more than this?"
20-12-2020, 01:23 PM (This post was last modified: 20-12-2020, 01:44 PM by Steve Jones.)
Years ago I worked with someone who ordered a new 1800 Marina for 1 August delivery. Come the day he collected his new car and away he went. Whilst he wasn't in any way a car man he always said that he thought it should go a bit better than it did. He mentioned this to the dealer when he took it in for its first service. When he went back to collect it the dealer said they'd solved the problem. 'His' number plates had been fixed to the wrong vehicle on 1 August and he'd actually got a 1300 Marina destined for someone else!
I also worked with someone in the 1970's with an 1800TC Marina. A very quick car in a straight line but worse than frightening in corners.
Don't knock the Marina! I ran a 1.8 as a company car for a couple of years, replaced by a Cortina 1600 Mk4; the Marina was a better car in just about every respect. Faster, more economical, better ride and handling, and way, way, more reliable. Perhaps not the most attractive car, and I don't have a yen for one, but it was much better than its reputation.
(20-12-2020, 01:23 PM)Steve Jones Wrote: I also worked with someone in the 1970's with an 1800TC Marina. A very quick car in a straight line but worse than frightening in corners.
Steve
I had an employee with a 1800TC Marina in the '70s He could wring the neck of the car in any situation and it was marvellous to sit with and watch him. Completely fearless...but he had been a Hurricane pilot in the Polish Air Force in WW11, which explained a lot!
As a lentil eating 2CV driver, either the Telegraph won't let me in or my computer refuses to go there. Are all the answers Lexus or diesel Jaguar? As for Marinas, there are a few with tuned 1800 engines, the stern end jacked up in the air and a small tower of spare wheels on the bootlid in the trialling world.
@Steve Jones, for frightening try a 2.6 litre 6-cylinder Australian Marina if you ever get the chance. When I worked for NZMC [the New Zealand BMC distributors] in the early 70s,we had a 1.3 Marina utility as a workshop vehicle which actually worked out quite well as a small ute. Good for the around-town run, not so good for towing.
"I also worked with someone in the 1970's with an 1800TC Marina. A very quick car in a straight line but worse than frightening in corners."
I had one of these too. As you say, quick in a straight line and great fun pulling away and wheel spinning, but frightening round corners. I nearly crashed it on a bend bringing it home from the place where I bought it. Yattendon, i seem to recall.
