Paula's Place

Paula's Place

Monday 13 July 2015

A classic design

Matchbox model of the original BMC 1800
I have always had something of a passion for cars, back in the 1960s when I was growing up this was manifested by collecting toy cars.  One I still have and have always admired the styling of was the BMC 1800 Pininfarina.  So different and exciting compared to the dowdy but worthy standard "Landcrab" I was only to experience this design in the form of the "Matchbox" model.

Many years later in the 1970s the newly reformed British Leyland were to resurrect the design in the stunning Rover SD1.   With their all aluminum V8 this would prove to be a quite awesome car, whether as a mile eating luxury saloon, fast pursuit Police car or even as a Touring car racer.

As I became more and more aware I found this same design cropping up again and again.
Citroen GS
Citroen CX Prestige


Renault Megane

Seat Leon
Now I have bought a car again after a break of several years, looking at it I find it hard to get much pleasure from the image, but at the same time I wish the same amount of design effort had been put into the interior that has been put into the exterior.   Or maybe it just needed longer to mature.

Finding it hard to love the new baby

I have a mental list of cars I want to own, not an unattainable list of Aston Martins and Bentleys, but cars that when they came I thought "that would be nice". At one time or another I have owned most of the cars on that list, Mercedes estates, the Renault 20, Humber Scepter, Mark I Ford Granada Coupe, Opel Senator, Peugeot 405 Estate, The Rover SD1 V8 is one of the few on the list that I have still to own. ~ Maybe one day.....................

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