Rover 620SLDi

Posted on 18/07/2010 by Sam Skelton

Dull, diesel, yet deserving... So what does £200 buy you nowadays? A nice bottle of champagne, a weekend away, 650 or so cigarettes? Or a car. I'm not entirely new to the idea of Bangernomics, but a Rover 600 with at least a year's life left in it and a full MoT for 200 sheets had to be worth investigating further. The car is my mate Oli's current daily hack, bought in April with 154000 miles for the sum named above to replace his 420 diesel - which he put 35,000 miles on in a year for Read more [...]

Jaguar X-Type 2.5SE

Posted on 14/07/2010 by Sam Skelton

Big cat's little cat... I've always been a bit of a Jag man. Maybe it's the lovable spiv image Arfur gave the XJ series, maybe it's the villains in the Sweeney on their way to a blag, maybe it's even the real-ale drinking crossword lover Inspector Morse. But something about owning, driving, or even admiring a Jaguar from afar has always appealed to me. Even the 'pretend' Jag that is an X-Type holds some appeal for me - it looks fairly good from most angles and from countless trips as a passenger Read more [...]

MG Maestro 1600

Posted on 12/07/2010 by Sam Skelton

Born to perform... Many Austin Maestro enthusiasts will, if asked, tell you that their preferred variant is the MG 1600 - produced only for the first couple of years, until the launch of the EFi. The sound of the induction roar, combined with the standard 'Nicolette' digital dashboard and the interior with overtones of red, make it certainly the most sporting model in the range as far as looks go. The Turbo may have the lairy bodykit, but inside it's not as special as a 1600. As it happens, Read more [...]

MG Maestro Turbo

Posted on 10/07/2010 by Sam Skelton

Faster than a Ferrari... There is a legend in Maestro circles known as John Orrell. Some say he's secretly the ghost of Spen King, creator of the Maestro, and as such wants to keep as many on the road in good condition as he can. Some say he's a mentalist for loving such derided cars. But what is unanimously accepted is that he's a great guy with a genuine passion for Leyland. Having offered me a spin in one of his MG Maestro Turbos, I leapt for the keys - with only 505 made such offers are Read more [...]

Land Rover SIII 2.25 diesel

Posted on 08/07/2010 by Sam Skelton

Climbing every mountain... I was ready to hate this car before I even so much as saw it. Belonging to Harry Seager, a friend of mine who uses it daily, I'd been taking the mick out of it for months. I'd even sent him extracts from a (false) pre-written road test, implying it was heavier than a tank full of lead and slower than a dead glacier. I make no secret of my dislike in general for 4x4s on the public highway - though Harry to his credit does go off road - and being something of a human Read more [...]