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9th November 2021, 20:41 | #21 | |
Posted a thing or two
Rover 75 Cont SE 1.8T Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Cheshire
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Quote:
Most of our first cars were bangers - mine was an inherited Peugeot 205. She was very much an analogue beast - power assisted nothing, a manual choke and no 5th gear. This was only 20 years ago. It astounds me how so many of today's young drivers drive new or newish cars, most likely obtained on finance or on lease. Cars that do not encourage development of driving skill nor mechanical sympathy or interest. Tenure that does not require engagement with the machine, only use as a device or appliance. Fortunately there is an appreciation for 'retro' cars amongst many younger motorists. This is very evident on Facebook and at local car meets. In particular, cars from the 90s have a big following as they are modern enough to be safe, reliable and usable but old enough not be considered modern and viewed with a nostalgic tint. The cars are also affordable to buy and because they are still simple, cheap to run and maintain. Whether newer cars will be held in the same esteem as they slip into retrodom is to be seen...
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Rover 75 1.8T Contemporary SE Auto Starlight Silver MBB |
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9th November 2021, 20:58 | #22 | |
Avid contributor
Wedgwood Blue 75 Connoisseur saloon, Duotone 75 Connoisseur saloon. Former ZT190 and ZT260 owner Join Date: Oct 2021
Location: Salop
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Regarding the reduction in driver involvement, it's a fact of life, which is happening equally across all forms of mechanical transport - even those where the person in charge has been selected and trained a great deal more carefully than most motorists! It may seem a shame, but when the process of automation has run its course, the roads will certainly be safer. Guru you're absolutely right - hydrogen will never be the answer for personal transportation. It does have various possible uses - trains, HGVs and ships are all feasible for running on it. EVs may lack a certain something for enthusiasts like us, but let's face it, to most people even an ICE car is purely a utilitarian tool rather than a treasure. EVs are in many ways ideal for the average town or city dweller's daily journeys - work, school run, shopping. There's no point trying to claim that any one form of power will suit everyone, and if our elected leaders have any sense and/or have learned anything from the gilets jaune business, there will be a nuanced approach where rural communities are partially exempted from the increasingly stringent emissions controls applied in large conurbations, while funds are made available to those sectors where hydrogen is viable and EVs aren't. No chance of that then! Overall, the classic ICE car scene (and therefore the value of cars like ours) is probably going to decline in the next decade or two. Presumably, once the electric infrastructure has improved further, ICE drivers will be subject to ever high taxes and charges to 'encourage' all but the most dedicated/wealthy to abandon their pride and joy. Make the most of it while you still can! |
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9th November 2021, 21:34 | #23 |
Posted a thing or two
MG ZT, Rover Sterling, MG ZS EV & BMW X5 Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: The Norfolk Broads
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That is a good point. At the moment driving our EV across country can be a pain because of the limited infrastructure but of course in a decade or 2 the situation will be reversed as petrol stations close due to lack of demand which means that driving an ICE powered car across the country will be very difficult.
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My car history http://m6jkk.com
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