Hot Hatch High Jinx!
Discussion
Much on PH recently has had me thinking back to my youth and the part hot hatches played in my upbringing - I wondered whether anybody else had similar experiences.
For context, I'm 56 and passed my driving test in 1985 (yikes - 40 years ago in October!!). From age 14 onwards I worked part time, weekends and school holidays, valeting for a local used car dealership that specialised in nothing in particular but was run by a decent, trustworthy chap who was well regarded. Our stock was varied: lots of Metros, Escorts and Fiestas, Cavaliers and Astras all interspersed with the odd Granada, Suzuki SJ and Triumph Spitfire.
Around 1984 we started getting a lot of Mk1 Golf GTIs coming in, I guess because they were starting to become available through the auctions. The boss and his mates all had them, and we sold a load off the forecourt. We also had quite a few Escort XR3is.
One such was a beautiful silver one which we sold to a young lady who was trading in a blue one, which in truth was probably just as nice but which had a few miles on. Trouble is, she was literally about 4ft tall and had pedal extensions that allowed her to drive it.
I was tasked with swapping these extensions over, and collecting her car to perform the swap was one of the scariest experiences of my early driving career. You see, the extensions multiplied the pedal effort, so the slightest pressure on the pedals brought about an immediate effect. Once I'd unpeeled my face from the windscreen I vowed to be more careful from then on.
Some years later, I was the proud owner of one of the earliest RHD Mk1 Golf GTIs in the country, a 1979 V reg car in black: small bumpers, steel wheels, Madonna instruments etc. I acquired a 5 speed gearbox for it and was going to have the clutch replaced "while you're at it" by a local mechanic. Driving to his premises involved a U-turn across a dual carriageway, the completion of which saw the clutch fail amid a cloud of acrid smoke. Luckily I'd managed to gain enough momentum to make it over the brow of the hill and coast down the other side, off the dual carriageway, past the tip (sorry, Household Waste Recycling Centre), over the roundabout and along the 100m of flat road to the garage, arriving slowly but looking as though nothing was the matter.
Final one from me: Christmas morning, 1994. The day before I'd taken a 205 GTI 1.6 in as part exchange, and planned to use this to visit my parents in North Wales, quite a drive from Suffolk. Fearing the 205 might not have the range needed, I packed a couple of full fuel cans alongside the prezzies and I was set. I left home at 0530, battling thick fog but with temperatures fortunately above freezing. Back then - no speed cameras, so I was "making progress". I got to within 50 miles of my mum's when the fuel light came on. Both cans went in and I completed the journey in three and a half hours, door to door, against the usual four and a half in heavier, daytime traffic. The record will never be beaten.
Anyone got any hot hatch stories to tell?
For context, I'm 56 and passed my driving test in 1985 (yikes - 40 years ago in October!!). From age 14 onwards I worked part time, weekends and school holidays, valeting for a local used car dealership that specialised in nothing in particular but was run by a decent, trustworthy chap who was well regarded. Our stock was varied: lots of Metros, Escorts and Fiestas, Cavaliers and Astras all interspersed with the odd Granada, Suzuki SJ and Triumph Spitfire.
Around 1984 we started getting a lot of Mk1 Golf GTIs coming in, I guess because they were starting to become available through the auctions. The boss and his mates all had them, and we sold a load off the forecourt. We also had quite a few Escort XR3is.
One such was a beautiful silver one which we sold to a young lady who was trading in a blue one, which in truth was probably just as nice but which had a few miles on. Trouble is, she was literally about 4ft tall and had pedal extensions that allowed her to drive it.
I was tasked with swapping these extensions over, and collecting her car to perform the swap was one of the scariest experiences of my early driving career. You see, the extensions multiplied the pedal effort, so the slightest pressure on the pedals brought about an immediate effect. Once I'd unpeeled my face from the windscreen I vowed to be more careful from then on.
Some years later, I was the proud owner of one of the earliest RHD Mk1 Golf GTIs in the country, a 1979 V reg car in black: small bumpers, steel wheels, Madonna instruments etc. I acquired a 5 speed gearbox for it and was going to have the clutch replaced "while you're at it" by a local mechanic. Driving to his premises involved a U-turn across a dual carriageway, the completion of which saw the clutch fail amid a cloud of acrid smoke. Luckily I'd managed to gain enough momentum to make it over the brow of the hill and coast down the other side, off the dual carriageway, past the tip (sorry, Household Waste Recycling Centre), over the roundabout and along the 100m of flat road to the garage, arriving slowly but looking as though nothing was the matter.
Final one from me: Christmas morning, 1994. The day before I'd taken a 205 GTI 1.6 in as part exchange, and planned to use this to visit my parents in North Wales, quite a drive from Suffolk. Fearing the 205 might not have the range needed, I packed a couple of full fuel cans alongside the prezzies and I was set. I left home at 0530, battling thick fog but with temperatures fortunately above freezing. Back then - no speed cameras, so I was "making progress". I got to within 50 miles of my mum's when the fuel light came on. Both cans went in and I completed the journey in three and a half hours, door to door, against the usual four and a half in heavier, daytime traffic. The record will never be beaten.
Anyone got any hot hatch stories to tell?
Most of mine are motor trade based as a twenty one year old trainee salesman in 1995. The trainee role limited me to cheaper part exchange vehicles to take home of an evening so my initial hot hatch of choice would be Mk2 XR2, Mk 3 and 4 XR3i, early 205 GTi, amongst others. After not crashing any of them i was allowed a bit more free reign which, hot hatch related, meant Renault 5 GT Turbo, Alfa 33 1.7 16V, Clio 16V, Golf GTi, to name but a few. Two larger hot hatches which stood out were a Citroen BX GTi 16V and a Saab 9000 Turbo 16. They were all driven hard and, on occasion, displayed a valid tax disc.
It was great being able to swop your car almost on a daily basis and in addition to the hot hatches i was able to drive many interesting cars. I was tempted by a move to the local Jaguar dealer after around two and a half years where you were issued with one car and no choice. My 'smoker' was a new Chrysler Neon!!! The unlimited fuel allowance went a small way to making up for any disappointment.
It was great being able to swop your car almost on a daily basis and in addition to the hot hatches i was able to drive many interesting cars. I was tempted by a move to the local Jaguar dealer after around two and a half years where you were issued with one car and no choice. My 'smoker' was a new Chrysler Neon!!! The unlimited fuel allowance went a small way to making up for any disappointment.
Edited by Doyliestag on Wednesday 16th July 15:19
Edited by Doyliestag on Wednesday 16th July 15:21
I owned literally hundreds of Hot Hatches - they paid my University costs
One of the memorable events was when I'd sold a mate a much modified Mk2 Golf Gti - 2.0 16v ported head etc it had 190bhp
He took me to buy a similarly modified 205 GTI - 2.0 16v on twin carbs 180bhp
We were coming back and came across a 535 BMW who wouldn't move over on a dual carriageway
Finally at the exit of a roundabout he moved over and I saw the back squat as he accelerated hard - presumably to teach us a lesson for tail gating
Except compared to our cars (with slightly less power but 700kg lighter and manual) it wasn't, we both flew past him with ease
One of the memorable events was when I'd sold a mate a much modified Mk2 Golf Gti - 2.0 16v ported head etc it had 190bhp
He took me to buy a similarly modified 205 GTI - 2.0 16v on twin carbs 180bhp
We were coming back and came across a 535 BMW who wouldn't move over on a dual carriageway
Finally at the exit of a roundabout he moved over and I saw the back squat as he accelerated hard - presumably to teach us a lesson for tail gating
Except compared to our cars (with slightly less power but 700kg lighter and manual) it wasn't, we both flew past him with ease
Turbobanana said:
Much on PH recently has had me thinking back to my youth and the part hot hatches played in my upbringing - I wondered whether anybody else had similar experiences.
For context, I'm 56 and passed my driving test in 1985 (yikes - 40 years ago in October!!). From age 14 onwards I worked part time, weekends and school holidays, valeting for a local used car dealership that specialised in nothing in particular but was run by a decent, trustworthy chap who was well regarded. Our stock was varied: lots of Metros, Escorts and Fiestas, Cavaliers and Astras all interspersed with the odd Granada, Suzuki SJ and Triumph Spitfire.
Around 1984 we started getting a lot of Mk1 Golf GTIs coming in, I guess because they were starting to become available through the auctions. The boss and his mates all had them, and we sold a load off the forecourt. We also had quite a few Escort XR3is.
One such was a beautiful silver one which we sold to a young lady who was trading in a blue one, which in truth was probably just as nice but which had a few miles on. Trouble is, she was literally about 4ft tall and had pedal extensions that allowed her to drive it.
I was tasked with swapping these extensions over, and collecting her car to perform the swap was one of the scariest experiences of my early driving career. You see, the extensions multiplied the pedal effort, so the slightest pressure on the pedals brought about an immediate effect. Once I'd unpeeled my face from the windscreen I vowed to be more careful from then on.
Some years later, I was the proud owner of one of the earliest RHD Mk1 Golf GTIs in the country, a 1979 V reg car in black: small bumpers, steel wheels, Madonna instruments etc. I acquired a 5 speed gearbox for it and was going to have the clutch replaced "while you're at it" by a local mechanic. Driving to his premises involved a U-turn across a dual carriageway, the completion of which saw the clutch fail amid a cloud of acrid smoke. Luckily I'd managed to gain enough momentum to make it over the brow of the hill and coast down the other side, off the dual carriageway, past the tip (sorry, Household Waste Recycling Centre), over the roundabout and along the 100m of flat road to the garage, arriving slowly but looking as though nothing was the matter.
Final one from me: Christmas morning, 1994. The day before I'd taken a 205 GTI 1.6 in as part exchange, and planned to use this to visit my parents in North Wales, quite a drive from Suffolk. Fearing the 205 might not have the range needed, I packed a couple of full fuel cans alongside the prezzies and I was set. I left home at 0530, battling thick fog but with temperatures fortunately above freezing. Back then - no speed cameras, so I was "making progress". I got to within 50 miles of my mum's when the fuel light came on. Both cans went in and I completed the journey in three and a half hours, door to door, against the usual four and a half in heavier, daytime traffic. The record will never be beaten.
Anyone got any hot hatch stories to tell?
Your black Mk1 wasn’t AFO 199 V of AFO 200 V by any chance?For context, I'm 56 and passed my driving test in 1985 (yikes - 40 years ago in October!!). From age 14 onwards I worked part time, weekends and school holidays, valeting for a local used car dealership that specialised in nothing in particular but was run by a decent, trustworthy chap who was well regarded. Our stock was varied: lots of Metros, Escorts and Fiestas, Cavaliers and Astras all interspersed with the odd Granada, Suzuki SJ and Triumph Spitfire.
Around 1984 we started getting a lot of Mk1 Golf GTIs coming in, I guess because they were starting to become available through the auctions. The boss and his mates all had them, and we sold a load off the forecourt. We also had quite a few Escort XR3is.
One such was a beautiful silver one which we sold to a young lady who was trading in a blue one, which in truth was probably just as nice but which had a few miles on. Trouble is, she was literally about 4ft tall and had pedal extensions that allowed her to drive it.
I was tasked with swapping these extensions over, and collecting her car to perform the swap was one of the scariest experiences of my early driving career. You see, the extensions multiplied the pedal effort, so the slightest pressure on the pedals brought about an immediate effect. Once I'd unpeeled my face from the windscreen I vowed to be more careful from then on.
Some years later, I was the proud owner of one of the earliest RHD Mk1 Golf GTIs in the country, a 1979 V reg car in black: small bumpers, steel wheels, Madonna instruments etc. I acquired a 5 speed gearbox for it and was going to have the clutch replaced "while you're at it" by a local mechanic. Driving to his premises involved a U-turn across a dual carriageway, the completion of which saw the clutch fail amid a cloud of acrid smoke. Luckily I'd managed to gain enough momentum to make it over the brow of the hill and coast down the other side, off the dual carriageway, past the tip (sorry, Household Waste Recycling Centre), over the roundabout and along the 100m of flat road to the garage, arriving slowly but looking as though nothing was the matter.
Final one from me: Christmas morning, 1994. The day before I'd taken a 205 GTI 1.6 in as part exchange, and planned to use this to visit my parents in North Wales, quite a drive from Suffolk. Fearing the 205 might not have the range needed, I packed a couple of full fuel cans alongside the prezzies and I was set. I left home at 0530, battling thick fog but with temperatures fortunately above freezing. Back then - no speed cameras, so I was "making progress". I got to within 50 miles of my mum's when the fuel light came on. Both cans went in and I completed the journey in three and a half hours, door to door, against the usual four and a half in heavier, daytime traffic. The record will never be beaten.
Anyone got any hot hatch stories to tell?
Does a Peugeot 106 Rallye (S1) count?
By 1995 the Lombard RAC Rally had been emasculated somewhat and renamed the Network Q RAC Rally.
I'm a Peugeot sales exec running a 106 Rallye S1 (M220DGV) as my demo. My dad and I decide to hit Tatton Park for the first stage of that year's rally, an easy strike from his home in North Wales. I'd travelled up the day before through torrential rail, which didn't stop for the rally's opening day.
The stage was due to start at 0900, so we must have got into the car park at about 0300 I reckon - you always had to, or you wouldn't get parked. We probably slept in the car (a 106, remember - must have been uncomfortable!) and the rain was still falling the next morning as we trudged to the stage. The car park was a field, as they often were, and I remember saying that it would be interesting getting out.
After we saw all cars through, we returned to the field and were met by carnage. Cars stuck up to their axles, people hopelessly pushing and pulling and not a tractor or 4x4in sight - how different it would look now!
We decided to have a cuppa and let the carnage unravel a bit. Due to our late-ish arrival we were at the far end of the field so I plotted a route through stranded cars to the exit, helpfully marked by a few feet of that grippy plastic flooring they put down to stop you sinking into mud.
Fuelled by his cuppa, my dad was ready to push. Once rolling, the peaky 7000rpm screamer of an engine proved surprisingly tractable and slowly we headed towards the gate, through the carnage. Each time I started to struggle my dad was able to keep momentum going with a quick push. As I neared the exit the field had a slight slope which caused a loss of forward motion, so with one last push my dad managed to get me to the plastic stuff. I was away - traction returned, I surged forward triumphantly onto the gravel. I looked in the mirror but my dad was nowhere to be seen.
It turns out that he'd been pushing hard just as my front wheels found some grip, the resulting acceleration was too much for him and he fell face first into the thick mud.
The drive home in stony silence was uncomfortable, relieved only after a hot shower and a couple of single malts.
Sorry dad.
By 1995 the Lombard RAC Rally had been emasculated somewhat and renamed the Network Q RAC Rally.
I'm a Peugeot sales exec running a 106 Rallye S1 (M220DGV) as my demo. My dad and I decide to hit Tatton Park for the first stage of that year's rally, an easy strike from his home in North Wales. I'd travelled up the day before through torrential rail, which didn't stop for the rally's opening day.
The stage was due to start at 0900, so we must have got into the car park at about 0300 I reckon - you always had to, or you wouldn't get parked. We probably slept in the car (a 106, remember - must have been uncomfortable!) and the rain was still falling the next morning as we trudged to the stage. The car park was a field, as they often were, and I remember saying that it would be interesting getting out.
After we saw all cars through, we returned to the field and were met by carnage. Cars stuck up to their axles, people hopelessly pushing and pulling and not a tractor or 4x4in sight - how different it would look now!
We decided to have a cuppa and let the carnage unravel a bit. Due to our late-ish arrival we were at the far end of the field so I plotted a route through stranded cars to the exit, helpfully marked by a few feet of that grippy plastic flooring they put down to stop you sinking into mud.
Fuelled by his cuppa, my dad was ready to push. Once rolling, the peaky 7000rpm screamer of an engine proved surprisingly tractable and slowly we headed towards the gate, through the carnage. Each time I started to struggle my dad was able to keep momentum going with a quick push. As I neared the exit the field had a slight slope which caused a loss of forward motion, so with one last push my dad managed to get me to the plastic stuff. I was away - traction returned, I surged forward triumphantly onto the gravel. I looked in the mirror but my dad was nowhere to be seen.
It turns out that he'd been pushing hard just as my front wheels found some grip, the resulting acceleration was too much for him and he fell face first into the thick mud.
The drive home in stony silence was uncomfortable, relieved only after a hot shower and a couple of single malts.
Sorry dad.
I briefly had an R registered Golf GTI - that's R the first time around. RAN291R iirc. Black, LHD, four speed box, steel bumpers, seats like Rod Stewart's trousers, alloy wheels similar to those used on the Audi 80GT. Very impressive wee thing - I sold it and had another not long after. That was FYL***V (can't recall the numbers), black again but a five speed with plastic bumpers but the small rear lights. That was about 1987 so the front wings were starting to rust - cheap and easy to replace, which I did. I got strong money for it as well.
No stories though, sorry. But they were great, especially compared to s
t like the XR3i. Oddly enough, I saw one earlier, a Y plate one in Lhasa green so probably an 1800. They look tiny now.
No stories though, sorry. But they were great, especially compared to s
t like the XR3i. Oddly enough, I saw one earlier, a Y plate one in Lhasa green so probably an 1800. They look tiny now. I-am-the-reverend said:
No stories though, sorry. But they were great, especially compared to s
t like the XR3i. Oddly enough, I saw one earlier, a Y plate one in Lhasa green so probably an 1800. They look tiny now. In 1988 I accidentally saw Simple Minds in concert at Wembley. I'd been at a party and was convinced to stay over. We were in Sudbury, Suffolk, and my colleague Nick was the host. As we turned in for the night Nick's mate Dave casually announced that he had tickets to the concert the following day and would we like to go?
He offered to drive us in his white Mk1 Golf GTI which he'd driven down from Edinburgh the day before and slept in overnight.
After the concert he drove back to Edinburgh, so I reckon he did nearly 1000 miles that weekend!
I owned a few VW's (one was the runout model in Llasa green with the Pirelli wheels) but my favourite in those days was a Jetta GLi. Fabulous for the family (and golf) in that it had an enormous boot) and was basically a MK 1Golf GTi in saloon form.Certainly startled a few folks getting away from the lights!
Later on an E30 325 Sport remains one of my all-time favourites too.
No hot hatch in modern times I'm afraid, but this journey from Alicante to Le Mans tells its own tale. A simple C200CDi is the modern transport.
Later on an E30 325 Sport remains one of my all-time favourites too.
No hot hatch in modern times I'm afraid, but this journey from Alicante to Le Mans tells its own tale. A simple C200CDi is the modern transport.
Edited by lowdrag on Friday 18th July 05:04
lowdrag said:
I had a 320i of a similar vintage - mine was around 1987 I think. It was my first company car - came with zero extras at a time when everything was an extra. I lusted after the 325i - it seemed an impossible dream! I thought it was the perfect car. Lovely! 
The first car I bought with my own money was a 4 year old MG Maestro (2.0EFi) using the hand me down Montego as a £200 trade-in (thanks Dad). The Maestro was probably 50% the cost of something like a Golf GTI which was part of the attraction to me.
All my mates had various hot hatches including a couple of Mk2 Golf GTIs, Alfasud, Sprint, Alfa 33, Astra GTE but the most unusual was a Volvo 360GLT.
There was a lot of mickey taking of me and the Volvo owner but a group trip along a local, er, private road dispelled that - all the cars had pretty much the same power - 115BHP - and there were minimal differences in outright performance.
Obviously because we were young and stupid there was no mechanical sympathy shown.
Looking back I consider it an absolute miracle that we're all still alive from our antics then.
Not only that but we're also still all regularly in touch and all still drive something not entirely run of the mill. I'm including Alfa Giulias in that statement (2 owned in our group) as the obvious choice would be a 3 series or, perhaps at our age (we're all 55) a German SUV.
I think I'm the only one who has a hot hatch though, a Yaris GR.
All my mates had various hot hatches including a couple of Mk2 Golf GTIs, Alfasud, Sprint, Alfa 33, Astra GTE but the most unusual was a Volvo 360GLT.
There was a lot of mickey taking of me and the Volvo owner but a group trip along a local, er, private road dispelled that - all the cars had pretty much the same power - 115BHP - and there were minimal differences in outright performance.
Obviously because we were young and stupid there was no mechanical sympathy shown.
Looking back I consider it an absolute miracle that we're all still alive from our antics then.
Not only that but we're also still all regularly in touch and all still drive something not entirely run of the mill. I'm including Alfa Giulias in that statement (2 owned in our group) as the obvious choice would be a 3 series or, perhaps at our age (we're all 55) a German SUV.
I think I'm the only one who has a hot hatch though, a Yaris GR.
I-am-the-reverend said:
I briefly had an R registered Golf GTI - that's R the first time around. RAN291R .
Are you sure it was "R" - I didn't think we got any UK cars until later, even the very early LHD ones?My dad had a mid life crisis facelift V reg mk 1 Scirocco GLi back in the day. Quite rare in the UK - the carb GLS was popular, but he had the GLi with the 1588cc 112 bhp Golf GTi engine - was a great car. Looked so cool. Replaced by a Clio 16v which was fantastic. This was some departure for the old man - a greying rural doctor who's regular wheels were a pov spec W123 4 speed manual!
After my student standard s
t cheap hatchbacks I eventually got a mk 1 MR2 and then one of the best cars I've ever owned - a mk2 big bumper 8v Golf GTi. 5 door, bright blue metallic - looked like this but 5 doors and teardrop alloys
If my numbers came up I'd look out a G60 Limited - I love the 5 door shape.
I remember a long period of hot hatch fun, the first was a 85 Vauxhall Nova Sport, factory homologation 1.3 running a big pair of weber twin 40's ( a great noise ) ran that for a couple of years then is was 205 gti time.
First was an early red 205 GTi ( 105BHP ), great fun but was no match for my old Nova as I found out one Sunday afternoon. Next was a Grey 1.9 205 GTi, all grunt and twitchiness.
The French must have got into my blood as the next two were 16v Clios, first a black 16v and then the one I have the most fond memories of a phase one Clio Williams ( where are you L29 VLP).
Its not hard to pick a fav as that has to be the Williams but that snarling sticker little Nova is up there.
Paw
First was an early red 205 GTi ( 105BHP ), great fun but was no match for my old Nova as I found out one Sunday afternoon. Next was a Grey 1.9 205 GTi, all grunt and twitchiness.
The French must have got into my blood as the next two were 16v Clios, first a black 16v and then the one I have the most fond memories of a phase one Clio Williams ( where are you L29 VLP).
Its not hard to pick a fav as that has to be the Williams but that snarling sticker little Nova is up there.
Paw
Dapster said:
I-am-the-reverend said:
I briefly had an R registered Golf GTI - that's R the first time around. RAN291R .
Are you sure it was "R" - I didn't think we got any UK cars until later, even the very early LHD ones?My dad had a mid life crisis facelift V reg mk 1 Scirocco GLi back in the day. Quite rare in the UK - the carb GLS was popular, but he had the GLi with the 1588cc 112 bhp Golf GTi engine - was a great car. Looked so cool. Replaced by a Clio 16v which was fantastic. This was some departure for the old man - a greying rural doctor who's regular wheels were a pov spec W123 4 speed manual!
After my student standard s
t cheap hatchbacks I eventually got a mk 1 MR2 and then one of the best cars I've ever owned - a mk2 big bumper 8v Golf GTi. 5 door, bright blue metallic - looked like this but 5 doors and teardrop alloysIf my numbers came up I'd look out a G60 Limited - I love the 5 door shape.
Last keeper change 2012 so it's survived it seems.
Edited by I-am-the-reverend on Friday 18th July 13:05
I've always had a golf, Mk1, loads of Mk2's, a Mk4, Mk5 and Mk7 R. Everything else has come and gone, but theres always been a golf in my garage.
Still got my black Mk1, and I don't think i'll ever sell it. 79k, all orginal and in lovely condition. I've a red big bumper 16v in a barn elsewhere, that I'll get round to renovating at some point im sure...
So much of my early life involves having fun in them, particularly my atlas grey 1990 5 door GTI when I was 19. I'd love to have that back, but it met an unfortunete end due to a taxi driver pulling out on me late one night. Then the remains got stolen...
Still got my black Mk1, and I don't think i'll ever sell it. 79k, all orginal and in lovely condition. I've a red big bumper 16v in a barn elsewhere, that I'll get round to renovating at some point im sure...
So much of my early life involves having fun in them, particularly my atlas grey 1990 5 door GTI when I was 19. I'd love to have that back, but it met an unfortunete end due to a taxi driver pulling out on me late one night. Then the remains got stolen...
Edited by Timbo_S2 on Friday 18th July 13:37
I bought this Astra GTE in '94. My Mum really hated going fast in cars and always watched the speedo like a hawk, so 21 year old me thought it would be very funny to switch the speed readout on the funky digital dash from MPH to KPH when she was a passenger in the back once. Scared the bejesus out of her. 
I had three 205 GTis in a row cos they were so good. A mate of mine from London came up for the weekend in his ‘newly acquired from Warwick Wright’, D-reg 1.9 {this was before I had my first one) and I was that impressed with it, I badgered my boss for a company car one, which I did get in the end. Ex-demo, all the extras, silver … 1000 miles on the clock. I thought I was the bks in it. Had it three months, the company went tits up and back it went … G222 JUB RIP
Next was an E-reg grey one with no sunroof. By far the quickest, so quick in fact Ilost it once and glanced off a tree. All repaired though. Traded it in for the one below - got £1250. E868 GNH RIP
Finally a white one, didn’t seem as raw as the grey one somehow. Sold it to help buy a 306 convertible for the wife. Don’t. SORN’d in someone’s garage somewhere. J108 SAN …
ks in it. Had it three months, the company went tits up and back it went … G222 JUB RIPNext was an E-reg grey one with no sunroof. By far the quickest, so quick in fact Ilost it once and glanced off a tree. All repaired though. Traded it in for the one below - got £1250. E868 GNH RIP
Finally a white one, didn’t seem as raw as the grey one somehow. Sold it to help buy a 306 convertible for the wife. Don’t. SORN’d in someone’s garage somewhere. J108 SAN …
Wrecked the clutch on this in the late 1990s: drove all the way from J20 M1 (Lutterworth, Leicestershire) to Poole (Dorset) in 5th gear only to get to Eurotec, East Lulworth for replacement. It was a 4 figure job even back then.
Also spun it 360 degrees at Bruntingthorpe in full view of a group of GT Turbo owners. This was Curborough ca. 1996.
Finally followed a Ferrari 288 GTO at high speed down the M1 for many miles.
Oh almost forgot our 3 week honeymoon to Southern France, Corsica, Sardinia and NW Italy in 2003.
Sold it to a Spanish guy in 2008. No interest from anyone here in the UK whatsoever.
Also spun it 360 degrees at Bruntingthorpe in full view of a group of GT Turbo owners. This was Curborough ca. 1996.
Finally followed a Ferrari 288 GTO at high speed down the M1 for many miles.
Oh almost forgot our 3 week honeymoon to Southern France, Corsica, Sardinia and NW Italy in 2003.
Sold it to a Spanish guy in 2008. No interest from anyone here in the UK whatsoever.
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