When I was just a lad, (well, when I was about 11) my family had no money and vehicles, if any, were old and generally unreliable. The only member of my entire family that had money, and cars, was my mother's youngest brother Robert. He was a budding research geologist with BHP, and had graduated from unreliable British bikes (I remember and AJS and a BSA separately depositing oil all over my grand-mother's driveway) to unreliable British sports cars, which intermittently did the same. He had, in quick succession, a red MG-A, and then a BRG MG-B. My twin brother and I were completely bewitched with these utterly different vehicles, and especially with the famous second-gear growl of the MG-B. We nagged enough to get a ride in both, with the top down, of course, and came away even more starry-eyed.
For the intervening 50+ years I have followed my father's path into church ministry and relative poverty; as he did, so have I! I have never owned a new car, and most of my vehicles, with the exception of the current Magna Solara, have been old, high-mileage, unreliable, uncomfortable and beige, and, usually, all those attributes combined. But I have always wished that I could have had a sports car.
In the seventies I sublimated this passion into two wheels; I bought my first bike in 1974, and with a few years gap between then and now, I've had bikes as my 'just for fun' vehicles. Retirement, however, suddenly awakened the sleeping giant; maybe I could use some of my superannuation to actually realise my childhood dream.
So the search began, and the result is that last week I added Nicole to the Magna and the VFR in my modest stable of vehicles; why Nicole? Well, as the personalised plates suggest, I bought her from a lady named Nicole, and I couldn't think of a better name.
So, what's she like? Well, my wife and I are totally in love with her; she makes a trip to the shops fun! Acceleration is nothing like even the relatively leisurely pace of my 21-year-old VFR, but more than adequate to spot a gap in traffic, or 'buy' some clear road off the lights. After 4 years of a 3.5 litre V6 in my Magna, the fuel consumption is astonishing; 32.9mpg on our last trip. And handling and steering? Well, it's just like riding the bike, honestly; line up a corner and gas it and it just hangs on like a limpet.
Anyway, sorry to be raving on, but as you can understand, I'm having a ball with this car.
