What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[Chris Garner]

I agree with both Alan and Charles. My everyday car is a " fully loaded " 1.4 Turbo Astra, many features of which I never use - or know about! I put it in for service last January and was lent a new generation Astra. It had more electronics than you could wave a stick at. It took me ages to find the start button in the dark and I never did find how to lock the boot, the alarm going off every time I tried to lock the car. It went like the wind however!
Sadly I believe it is going to be nigh impossible to wean current and future drivers away from all the gadgetry that is now fitted.

[Malcolm Parker]

I think it’s time we had a complete rethink on cars. It’s not just lighting it’s all the unnecessary techno junk that they get these days. I wouldn’t be surprised if a simpler petrol engined car, no modern Emission standards wasn’t more lifetime environmentally friendly than an electric car with all the junk.

I’m with you Alan. I’ve just had a new Renault Captur (probably spelled wrong) for a week as a hire car. 
A pretty mediocre car with a gear change that was truly horrible and was filled with electronic gadgets that took me two days to turn off. Probably loaded that way to make it appealing to people buying on the never-never/PCP. 
The one saving grace, which you may appreciate, was that it had 60 section tyres providing a reasonably cushioned ride - better than my everyday modern.

Charles

I had the first generation Captur which was a super little car.  When the new model was launched the Renault garage tried to get me to change but I didn't get further than opening the drivers door.  The technology and gizmos overwhelmed me.  I changed for a Dacia Duster.  Reliable tried and tested Renault mechanicals in a car designed for use in less advanced countries.  It has several useful features like parking sensors and all round cameras but they can be simply turned off by a row of switches above the transmission tunnel.
It appears that my Duster is worth more now than when I bought it 2 years ago, there would appear to be a growing body of motorists that just want a good honest car that they can understand.
As for ride comfort, it always amuses me why people will pay thousands of pounds more for the 'sporting' line of some cars.  You get ultra-low profile tyres that are useless on country roads or pot-holed urban streets, coupled to rock-hard suspension.

[Reckless Rat]

It certainly reminds you that despite the "modernity" of an Austin Seven, younger people are very confused about older cars. Last run out with the RP I was showing the car to a bunch of youngsters (early 20s so probably drivers) and one of them asked what the window winder did. When I showed her she was gobsmacked. We can all remember when leccy windows were for posh folk.

Before long they'll be asking what a clutch pedal and gear lever is for. Or an engine.

I used to think I was well off when I couldn't see the road through the floor!

[Hugh Barnes]

I had a lovely opportunity the other day. I have the head off the Chummy and was able to show the lad next door (11) how an internal combustion engine works. What was fun was to tell him was that, in esence, it was no differnt from what was under the bonnet of his MOther's 18 plate Ford. Even she was quite surprised at that...

[Ruairidh Dunford]

I had a lovely opportunity the other day. I have the head off the Chummy and was able to show the lad next door (11) how an internal combustion engine works. What was fun was to tell him was that, in esence, it was no differnt from what was under the bonnet of his MOther's 18 plate Ford. Even she was quite surprised at that...

Lovely

[John Mason]

All the techno stuff on cars you don’t understand is a sign of your age. Can you remember when smart TVs and old fashioned video recorders were first introduced you had to get a 13 year old to set it up for you. Modern cars are the same. I do agree though some of the things they have are not needed. My wife (who is now the driver in our house) will not use cruise control as she is afraid she will not be able to stop the car. No amount of encouragement from me will persuade her. It just creates arguments. She wilL not drive the seven either and that’s not technical at all.

John Mason.

[Alan]

I don’t agree with you, John. I’ve worked with state of the art technology all my professional life. My gripe is not that I don’t understand it but that it’s not necessary. The result is oversize, overweight, rapidly aging cars loaded with features that don’t get used. It’s costing us money and it’s bad for the environment.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

Not today, but last weekend, on the road south of Loch Rannoch.

25 cars being driven by ScA7C members ranging from 23 to 85 years old. Two cars also came over from Northern Ireland to join us - catching the midnight ferry on the Friday they arrived in the drizzle with us at 8am, drive on the run all day and then partied into the night!

Nobody was dazzled or befuddled by technology during the making of this event.

   

[Steve Parkin]

Ruairidh, I see your trip had a Pear Cabriolet first registered in Portsmouth - RV 8578  

Greetings from RV 2811 known as "Harvey". See my post above.

I managed to get a copy of the original hand-written register for Harvey from Hampshire County Council records. The pages I have don't go far enough for RV 8578 but I think it's likely they are available.

[Chris Garner]

An interesting Sunday with a friend, viewing his collection:  Three vintage Sevens, one a '23 model, two vintage Austin 12/4 tourers, a vintage Austin 12/4 truck, a twin engine aircraft, a helicopter similar to the MASH ones, a London Routemaster bus, a 3.8 flat floor E-type, A RR Shadow, an elderly Range Rover, a vintage farm elevator, a traction engine, three Ducati 'bikes, a mint 997 cc Mini Cooper, two BMW Minis...and I've forgotten the rest!