Russell Bulgin
Discussion
Years ago, the incredibly talented CAR magazine journalist Russell Bulgin [RIP Russell] wrote an article where he drove a common 'sales reps' car [Vauxhall Astre?] around Britain's motorways for the day. A bit 'off the wall' but I loved this piece. Anyone have an idea of the year and month it was published so I can track down an old copy of the magazine?
That is a great bit of writing and I love the Skoda ad on the facing page in the magazine. After years of slagging off everything from the Eastern Bloc, Skoda, Moskvich, Lada, FSO et al, I remember Car suddenly getting in a lather about how fantastic the 136 Coupe really was. If I remember right, it had been on sale for some time before the praise started.
The Astravan only weighed 875kg: no wonder it was nippy. Wonder how much my Pug 205 XL weighed. It felt like its 55hp went a long way.
Gavin Green, the ex-editor of Car, wrote this about Bulgin in his obituary:
"He put cars into their social contexts. He wrote about ‘brands’ before car companies had brand managers and about car design years before it became the great buying differentiator. He successfully did so because of his intelligence and his keen sense of popular and youth culture."
He was way ahead of his time. Now that cars are almost universally competent, unlikely to break down, throw you off the road or rust before your very eyes, too much automotive journalism and criticism seems to focus on their social impact and context. That and the in-car IT.
The obit is here: https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/features/opinion/gav...
The Astravan only weighed 875kg: no wonder it was nippy. Wonder how much my Pug 205 XL weighed. It felt like its 55hp went a long way.
Gavin Green, the ex-editor of Car, wrote this about Bulgin in his obituary:
"He put cars into their social contexts. He wrote about ‘brands’ before car companies had brand managers and about car design years before it became the great buying differentiator. He successfully did so because of his intelligence and his keen sense of popular and youth culture."
He was way ahead of his time. Now that cars are almost universally competent, unlikely to break down, throw you off the road or rust before your very eyes, too much automotive journalism and criticism seems to focus on their social impact and context. That and the in-car IT.
The obit is here: https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/features/opinion/gav...
TWPC said:
That is a great bit of writing and I love the Skoda ad on the facing page in the magazine. After years of slagging off everything from the Eastern Bloc, Skoda, Moskvich, Lada, FSO et al, I remember Car suddenly getting in a lather about how fantastic the 136 Coupe really was. If I remember right, it had been on sale for some time before the praise started.
The Astravan only weighed 875kg: no wonder it was nippy. Wonder how much my Pug 205 XL weighed. It felt like its 55hp went a long way.
Gavin Green, the ex-editor of Car, wrote this about Bulgin in his obituary:
"He put cars into their social contexts. He wrote about ‘brands’ before car companies had brand managers and about car design years before it became the great buying differentiator. He successfully did so because of his intelligence and his keen sense of popular and youth culture."
He was way ahead of his time. Now that cars are almost universally competent, unlikely to break down, throw you off the road or rust before your very eyes, too much automotive journalism and criticism seems to focus on their social impact and context. That and the in-car IT.
The obit is here: https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/features/opinion/gav...
Peugeot 205XS weighed 820kg, and had 84hp iirc.The Astravan only weighed 875kg: no wonder it was nippy. Wonder how much my Pug 205 XL weighed. It felt like its 55hp went a long way.
Gavin Green, the ex-editor of Car, wrote this about Bulgin in his obituary:
"He put cars into their social contexts. He wrote about ‘brands’ before car companies had brand managers and about car design years before it became the great buying differentiator. He successfully did so because of his intelligence and his keen sense of popular and youth culture."
He was way ahead of his time. Now that cars are almost universally competent, unlikely to break down, throw you off the road or rust before your very eyes, too much automotive journalism and criticism seems to focus on their social impact and context. That and the in-car IT.
The obit is here: https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/features/opinion/gav...
Could do 0-60 in about 9.5 seconds.
It really didn't need disc brakes up front, could have saved another few kg there
daveco said:
TWPC said:
That is a great bit of writing and I love the Skoda ad on the facing page in the magazine. After years of slagging off everything from the Eastern Bloc, Skoda, Moskvich, Lada, FSO et al, I remember Car suddenly getting in a lather about how fantastic the 136 Coupe really was. If I remember right, it had been on sale for some time before the praise started.
The Astravan only weighed 875kg: no wonder it was nippy. Wonder how much my Pug 205 XL weighed. It felt like its 55hp went a long way.
Gavin Green, the ex-editor of Car, wrote this about Bulgin in his obituary:
"He put cars into their social contexts. He wrote about ‘brands’ before car companies had brand managers and about car design years before it became the great buying differentiator. He successfully did so because of his intelligence and his keen sense of popular and youth culture."
He was way ahead of his time. Now that cars are almost universally competent, unlikely to break down, throw you off the road or rust before your very eyes, too much automotive journalism and criticism seems to focus on their social impact and context. That and the in-car IT.
The obit is here: https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/features/opinion/gav...
Peugeot 205XS weighed 820kg, and had 84hp iirc.The Astravan only weighed 875kg: no wonder it was nippy. Wonder how much my Pug 205 XL weighed. It felt like its 55hp went a long way.
Gavin Green, the ex-editor of Car, wrote this about Bulgin in his obituary:
"He put cars into their social contexts. He wrote about ‘brands’ before car companies had brand managers and about car design years before it became the great buying differentiator. He successfully did so because of his intelligence and his keen sense of popular and youth culture."
He was way ahead of his time. Now that cars are almost universally competent, unlikely to break down, throw you off the road or rust before your very eyes, too much automotive journalism and criticism seems to focus on their social impact and context. That and the in-car IT.
The obit is here: https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/features/opinion/gav...
Could do 0-60 in about 9.5 seconds.
It really didn't need disc brakes up front, could have saved another few kg there
Mine wasn't. It had a 1.1 litre engine, 4 forward gears, a speedometer and a fuel gauge but no other dials.
Looks like it weighed a grand total of 745kg. Totally overequipped with front disc brakes, no doubt. 145 tyres on 13 inchers meant locking up was more than possible.
https://www.auto-types.com/peugeot-205-xl-11-3-doo...
Intriguing to see that in the 'Comfort' section of that website, the only piece of equipment it did have is a 'Day counter'. I don't remember there being a calendar included and am not sure what this may imply about the little Pug's velocity.
I love the fact that it lacked any 'Exterior endowment', but I was always quite proud of the wheel trims.
vanfanman said:
Thanks for the input guys, but that isn't it... as I said, ir was a sales rep car and a day's driving around the UK motorway system. Anyone???
There was an article from June 1986 when they drove the then new Mk4 Escort around the UK including 5 laps of the M25 for 5,000 miles...was that the one?https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/features/top-10s/the...
PS the link shows some of the great covers Car used to do (including that one).....not nowadays..far too PC!
Edited by GTEYE on Friday 16th March 17:09
Edited by GTEYE on Friday 16th March 17:10
TWPC said:
That'll be the fast, luxurious, well respected version.
Mine wasn't. It had a 1.1 litre engine, 4 forward gears, a speedometer and a fuel gauge but no other dials.
Looks like it weighed a grand total of 745kg. Totally overequipped with front disc brakes, no doubt. 145 tyres on 13 inchers meant locking up was more than possible.
Well, they did upgrade the brakes for the extra power of the 1.1s... Servo! The lowly 954cc 205s didn't have that, y'know.Mine wasn't. It had a 1.1 litre engine, 4 forward gears, a speedometer and a fuel gauge but no other dials.
Looks like it weighed a grand total of 745kg. Totally overequipped with front disc brakes, no doubt. 145 tyres on 13 inchers meant locking up was more than possible.
I loved ours. Utter hoot to drive.
From memory it was in CAR November 1991, Russell Bulgin did a 550 mile day in the brand new Mk 3 Astra 1.4 GLSi. London to Leeds to Manchester to Birmingham to Bristol then back to London.
I will dig said mag out at some point (I'm laid up with 'flu at the moment...) and confirm the date and details of the article.
I will dig said mag out at some point (I'm laid up with 'flu at the moment...) and confirm the date and details of the article.
aw51 121565 said:
From memory it was in CAR November 1991, Russell Bulgin did a 550 mile day in the brand new Mk 3 Astra 1.4 GLSi. London to Leeds to Manchester to Birmingham to Bristol then back to London.
I will dig said mag out at some point (I'm laid up with 'flu at the moment...) and confirm the date and details of the article.
same in June 86 but in an EscortI will dig said mag out at some point (I'm laid up with 'flu at the moment...) and confirm the date and details of the article.
vanfanman said:
Brilliant! Thanks so much! If you can please confirm that, I will start searching for a copy. Thanks again!!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Magazine-November-1991-600SEL-Bentley-Turbo-R-Lexus-Sovereign/183113358441?hash=item2aa2681c69:g:gP0AAOSwySVaS7jb"Rep for a day" - page 116.
Sebring440 said:
vanfanman said:
Brilliant! Thanks so much! If you can please confirm that, I will start searching for a copy. Thanks again!!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Magazine-November-1..."Rep for a day" - page 116.
Car, in the Bulgin and Setright era, remains a high point of motoring journalism for me. Distinctive in style and approach, and with the ability to bring the experience of driving even the most humdrum cars to life. Superb covers as well, every time. Evo got close in the early days, but I still remember Car as being the best of them all.
I've been reacquainted with Car recently through my Readly subscription, and its OK, but there's very little to distinguish it from any of the other stuff out there.
I've been reacquainted with Car recently through my Readly subscription, and its OK, but there's very little to distinguish it from any of the other stuff out there.
What made this era special for me, as in the Bulgin / Setright era, were some of the 'off the wall' articles that were 180 degrees away from the traditional car road test pieces. I'm sure there are journalists of that standard around now but the big corporations don't want to stray from the straight and narrow... sadly. I'd rather read about someone trying to make it from England to Turkey in a 2CV than about the top speed of a Veyron...
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