The 1978 Peugeot 104ZS I replaced with an overpriced and over rusted 1980 Mini 850 City in 1986.

The Pug was an early warm hatch, a car for the open road not the commute and we thought Mrs B to be would need something to drive from Watford to London.

In practice she drove once and used the train for three and a half years.

For all the need to watch it's coolant and appetite for head gaskets if you didn't I'd have been no worse off keeping the Pug until we bought a BX in 89.

Oh and then there's the 05/1.9D Berlingo on 156k miles I changed today for a 11 plate Roomster on half the miles.

Jury out until 2017.

A Rover SD1 3500SE which I converted from auto to manual using a donor car that was rotten. Also rebuilt the engine myself to a 'fast road' spec with a custom made quad 1 1/2 SU set up. About 225hp and prodigious torque - massively quick and could pull a house. Brilliant to drive in the dry but required considerable respect in the wet!! My last rwd car - I miss those sideways days.

My 1660cc road rally preped Avenger comes a close second. But the SD1 was nice to drive even when towing the Avenger (and later a stage preped Escort) on a trailer to events.

I've had a series of ordinary cars - Morris 1100s (3), Triumph 1300, Maxis (5), Cavalier estate, Nissan Prairie (there was a practical reason for that), Fiat Punto, Minis while the kids were learning, then loads of Pug 205s of almost all versions, a few 306s and now a 207SW. Apart from the Minis none of them were rust-buckets or mechanical lemons, nor racers for that matter.

If I had to pick one it might be the 205 Dturbo, technically SWMBO's car. She had it for about 6 years, but moved on when little things like clutch cables and stop-solenoids started to fail.

My BMW 330d estate. It was a company car, and I liked it so much I had the lease extended. It eventually had to go, but I see its still around on the MOT database. STarted racking up lots of fails and advisories though!

I regret rolling my XR3 in 1990 and writing it off. I also miss my Cavalier LXi.

1973 MGB GT V8 that I owned from '93 to '96. It was an aftermarket conversion, not a Costello, but done properly. Fantastic to drive, with the classic V8 wuffle and waves of torque.

Unfortunately, using it as a daily driver started to highlight its shortcomings (the need for regular tinkering, a front suspension and brake overhaul, crap heating & ventilation in the winter, etc) so I felt it had to go.

But I can still hear the exhaust gurgle deepen to a growl and feel the push when hitting the throttle to overtake on an open A-road. I wish I could've kept it as a weekend classic.