Unsung Heroes: Rover 800 Vitesse

Posted on 23/12/2011 by Sam Skelton

In the first of a new series, Sam Skelton focuses on the Rover 800 Vitesse. Rover's forgotten record holder. Name me a fast Rover. Go on. There are a lot to choose from, P6 3500S, SD1 Vitesse, the MG ZT260, the 620ti, the Tomcat Turbo, several rather lairy, fun cars. Now, hands up who first thought "800 Vitesse". Surprising to think that such a good sports saloon has largely been forgotten. The Rover 800. A car driven by your grandad, or if he's of a certain age, your dad. Hardly a cool Read more [...]

MG6 – what needs to be done

Posted on 23/12/2011 by Sam Skelton

I've been thinking about the MG6 rather a lot recently. In the seven months or so that they've been on sale, I've seen one - from the back seat of a Maestro City X on the M6 just outside Lymm Services en route to a show at Cholmondeley Castle. See? Seeing an MG6 was such a momentous occasion, I can pinpoint exactly where I was. It's safe to assume then that they're not selling - a fact borne out by recent SMMT data, which indicated that during the month of November MG managed to move just seven Read more [...]

Project update

Posted on 16/12/2011 by Sam Skelton

Just a brief update on the progress of E225CMV. Regular readers may recall that an indicator lens had left us on the M42 en route home, and as such the indicator unit needed replacement. My old mate Doug, who had been in the car with me when the lens left us, parted with his last nearside indicator unit on Thursday night for my car, and whilst I was at his place I decided to get his opinion on what I thought was a very low idle speed - the automatic choke is meant to maintain an idle of between Read more [...]

The hunt is over

Posted on 22/11/2011 by Sam Skelton

Regular readers of From The Captain's Chair will know that I've been hunting for a Maestro or Montego now for a while. As the editor of Monstro, the M+MOC club mag, it wasn't really right that I lacked an example of the last wholly British mass-production saloon. Plus, the aged family Peugeot appeared to be doing it's best to kill me, with it's wonky brakes, knocking steering, and general feeling of being about to expire. I was looking for a Montego in preference to its hatchback brother - Read more [...]

Sir William Lyons Award 2011 pt.2: Is a classic vehicle a viable first car?

Posted on 14/11/2011 by Sam Skelton

It is surely beyond doubt that other young classic car fans, like myself, are astonished and dismayed by the number of our contemporaries we see driving 'cars' like BMW MINIs, Citroen C2s, and Ford Fiesta 1.25s. "Do they not realise," my inner petrolhead screams, "that they could save money AND drive something more fun if only they opened their eyes?" One evening, in the pub, I asked a Kia Picanto-owning friend if he'd even remotely considered a classic. His reply wasn't repeatable, but I was invited Read more [...]