Semi Normal (Dad's Company) Cars Used to Be Good
Discussion
Looking at a few photos tonight from when I was younger. The Dads had Omega v6s, Ford ST24s and so on. I remember the Police dads had 525is (but they were tuned, remember 
)
Looking back beyond that in the family album there was a Sierra era v6 Granada Scorpio with black leather, other Granadas and some big Rovers.
Normal cars used to be good, now a normal car isn't. Discuss
)Looking back beyond that in the family album there was a Sierra era v6 Granada Scorpio with black leather, other Granadas and some big Rovers.
Normal cars used to be good, now a normal car isn't. Discuss
0a said:
Looking at a few photos tonight from when I was younger. The Dads had Omega v6s, Ford ST24s and so on. I remember the Police dads had 525is (but they were tuned, remember )
Looking back beyond that in the family album there was a Sierra era v6 Granada Scorpio with black leather, other Granadas and some big Rovers.
Normal cars used to be good, now a normal car isn't. Discuss
It got to the point where the biggest cars from the mass manufacturers were costing as much if not more than the next size down cars from the premium makers; company car lists had both, and a BMW or Merc looked better than a Ford or Vauxhall, even if it was smaller. )Looking back beyond that in the family album there was a Sierra era v6 Granada Scorpio with black leather, other Granadas and some big Rovers.
Normal cars used to be good, now a normal car isn't. Discuss
My father never had a company car. In general, few parents I knew had a company car nor could they afford a new car.
Back in the 70's, the "upmarket image car" was generally occupied by various older Mk II Jags with the 3.8 being the top dog. It was a really big thing back inthe 70s to see a new registration. This may be less true in big cities but a new car was very much the exception. I fact, I can recall a friend's Dad buying a new Austin 1300GT and another friend's Dad having a series of new VX4/90s because he got substantial discount working at the Ellesmere Port plant.
Back in the 70's, the "upmarket image car" was generally occupied by various older Mk II Jags with the 3.8 being the top dog. It was a really big thing back inthe 70s to see a new registration. This may be less true in big cities but a new car was very much the exception. I fact, I can recall a friend's Dad buying a new Austin 1300GT and another friend's Dad having a series of new VX4/90s because he got substantial discount working at the Ellesmere Port plant.
You don't think that it's because it was your dad's car that it was great?
I remember thinking pretty much every car my dad owned was AWESOME. We had names for them like "the getaway car" for the e28 M535i, which seemed to enhance the magic.
He had some good cars, but I can't help thinking the feeling of "this is a good car" is influenced by the fact that most little boys think that their dad's job, car, hobbies are way cooler than they actually are.
I remember thinking pretty much every car my dad owned was AWESOME. We had names for them like "the getaway car" for the e28 M535i, which seemed to enhance the magic.
He had some good cars, but I can't help thinking the feeling of "this is a good car" is influenced by the fact that most little boys think that their dad's job, car, hobbies are way cooler than they actually are.
doogz said:
bulldong said:
You don't think that it's because it was your dad's car that it was great?
I remember thinking pretty much every car my dad owned was AWESOME. We had names for them like "the getaway car" for the e28 M535i, which seemed to enhance the magic.
He had some good cars, but I can't help thinking the feeling of "this is a good car" is influenced by the fact that most little boys think that their dad's job, car, hobbies are way cooler than they actually are.
TBF, an M535i is an awesome car.I remember thinking pretty much every car my dad owned was AWESOME. We had names for them like "the getaway car" for the e28 M535i, which seemed to enhance the magic.
He had some good cars, but I can't help thinking the feeling of "this is a good car" is influenced by the fact that most little boys think that their dad's job, car, hobbies are way cooler than they actually are.
My Dad had s
t company cars, 205 1.9 non-turbo diesel being about the worst I can recall.te, but I thought it was awesome. My dad even looks back and says, that was a super st car. At the time I thought it was totally awesome.
IIRC my Dad's c/car history was:
1.6 Cavalier GL
2.0 Cavilier SRi (every option ticked - lovely car, although I remember trying to persuade him to get a Carlton GSi 24v)
2.0 Mondeo Ghia
Peugeot 406 SRi
He retired about a year into owning the 406 and bought it at a daft knock down price when he left. Proceeded it drive it into the ground for the next 140k
1.6 Cavalier GL
2.0 Cavilier SRi (every option ticked - lovely car, although I remember trying to persuade him to get a Carlton GSi 24v)
2.0 Mondeo Ghia
Peugeot 406 SRi
He retired about a year into owning the 406 and bought it at a daft knock down price when he left. Proceeded it drive it into the ground for the next 140k
Ive only ever had one company Car :- TVR Chimaera arnt all company cars like that...
sadly that was replaced with a company van ! Discovery Td5, and that was replaced with a Bike - Ducati M695
next step is probably a company mountain bike, followed by a company skate board !!!
So in my experience comapany car are getting worse
arnt all company cars like that...sadly that was replaced with a company van ! Discovery Td5, and that was replaced with a Bike - Ducati M695
next step is probably a company mountain bike, followed by a company skate board !!!
So in my experience comapany car are getting worse
I remember my dad having a Talbot Alpine as a company car...its was the dogs.....turd.
Also a m2 cavvy saloon in powder blue , 2 montegos , one caught fire the other the chain went.
The only memorable company car he owned was a peugeot 405 gl , and i literally forced him to get it.
Strangely enough before those he owned a renault 16 tx and a citreon cx.
You have to google the renault 16 tx dashboard and that chrome speaker .
Also a m2 cavvy saloon in powder blue , 2 montegos , one caught fire the other the chain went.
The only memorable company car he owned was a peugeot 405 gl , and i literally forced him to get it.
Strangely enough before those he owned a renault 16 tx and a citreon cx.
You have to google the renault 16 tx dashboard and that chrome speaker .
I do think the OP's onto something.
I recall my Dad having a couple of standout company cars - a Vauxhall Cavalier Mk2 GSi and, briefly, a Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth (just before the fleet manager found out how much it cost to insure and run, and promptly took it off the fleet).
Back then, tax brackets were pretty straightforward things, and it was accepted that you needed in excess of 1600cc if you were going to be doing lots of motorway miles, so most company cars had engines of 2-3 litres.
Since this whole Co2-based taxation regime has come it, it's nowhere near as straightforward. The kind of money that would have taxed a motorway rocketship with a big V6, rear wheel drive, a slushbox and an interior full of sideboard and dead cows now only runs to a diesel saloon. OK, so manufacturers have done the decent thing and made the modern diesel repmobile a fairly pleasant place to sit, and have usually added a huge turbocharger to provide similar power, but the cache of having the biggest-engined, most powerful V6-engined Cavalier you could get your hands on has gone. The modern equivalent would be an Insignia VXR or V6 4x4, but taxing a load of those would give most fleet managers apoplexy.
I suppose it's sad because now for most people engines are just much of a muchness. It doesn't really matter what car you go for because you know thanks to fleet rules it'll be an undramatic, moderately powerful turbodiesel. As a result, in fleetland, image matters more, and that means a lot of base-model BMWs in preference to (pound-for-pound superior) mid-range Fords.
I recall my Dad having a couple of standout company cars - a Vauxhall Cavalier Mk2 GSi and, briefly, a Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth (just before the fleet manager found out how much it cost to insure and run, and promptly took it off the fleet).
Back then, tax brackets were pretty straightforward things, and it was accepted that you needed in excess of 1600cc if you were going to be doing lots of motorway miles, so most company cars had engines of 2-3 litres.
Since this whole Co2-based taxation regime has come it, it's nowhere near as straightforward. The kind of money that would have taxed a motorway rocketship with a big V6, rear wheel drive, a slushbox and an interior full of sideboard and dead cows now only runs to a diesel saloon. OK, so manufacturers have done the decent thing and made the modern diesel repmobile a fairly pleasant place to sit, and have usually added a huge turbocharger to provide similar power, but the cache of having the biggest-engined, most powerful V6-engined Cavalier you could get your hands on has gone. The modern equivalent would be an Insignia VXR or V6 4x4, but taxing a load of those would give most fleet managers apoplexy.
I suppose it's sad because now for most people engines are just much of a muchness. It doesn't really matter what car you go for because you know thanks to fleet rules it'll be an undramatic, moderately powerful turbodiesel. As a result, in fleetland, image matters more, and that means a lot of base-model BMWs in preference to (pound-for-pound superior) mid-range Fords.
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