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Ford for me too. They've always been easy and cheap to repair and spares are obtainable in abundance. As a second hand buy, the low residuals make them a lot of car for the money and to top it all, they are now more reliable than they were. You've got to love 'em
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I'm going with Ford too, can't get enough of them, i've only ever brought a ford although driven many others being a company car driver.
Did a swap for a night last week to get a Mondeo ST for the night, loved it!!
I think i have most of the brochures form the Ford range for the mid to late 80's to 2000, did my work experince at Ford Dealer Jessups in Stourbridge, quality dealer then spent most of my salary when i was 18 - 19 keeping a L Reg bright red escort 1.6 ghia running, i was the envy of all my mates, the car was always going wrong but just couldnt help love it, I think my '00 Zetec Focus was the best car i ever owned, the handling was amazing, looked great, big mistake changing it i think!
Always dreamed of a cosworth, i hope to be able to buy one next year! ...keep saving!
Jon
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I would also say Ford because I have had better service from them than other mainstream manufacturers, I also like their unpretentious approach to producing good value and dynamically superior vehicles.
In a similar way Yamaha is probably my favourite brand per se', because they also have an unpretentious approach though have so strong technology and craftmanship credentials across such a wide gamut of products.
On the otherhand, Ferrari ..............................
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You've gotta love guys like Renault and Citroen for making cars like the Avantime, Vel Satis, C6, etc.
And Chrysler. (PT, 300, etc)
They make the world a more interesting place.
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a bristol for me..............eat your eart out lud
better still two bristols
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Anybody who hasn't driven one of the Triumph 2litre range of cars in the 70's has missed out on something special. Stylish, Fast, Comfortable, Reliable - yes! but not only way ahead of thier own time, but anything else on the road at the time (exc. supercars, rolls, type things obviously), Bring 'em back and re-incarnate them into the present , i says!!
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I like them too bb. No personal experience alas but I have the impression their standards of engineering are very high, and their old-fashioned side is a plus too as far as I'm concerned. The company is very snooty though, because it has a solid niche market and doesn't have to curry favour with anyone except rich Bristol owners.
I would only eat my heart out if you didn't have a 401 or 402 as one of your pair.
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Bentley - craftsmanship, history, and a cracking car.
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'Anybody who hasn't driven one of the Triumph 2litre range of cars in the 70's has missed out on something special. '
Yeah sure, great to drive, but don't put too much power down, 'cos if it don't break the gearbox, it'll do the diff. Oh, and don't forget how those sliding splines in the rear suspension used to lock up on the 2000s, and the swing axles on early Vitesses, and............
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My favorite is Bristol, mainly because they stick two finger up at everyone else and continue to build cars their way and seem to manage just fine by doing that. Proper Britishness that.
My more mainstream favorite is without any doubt Subaru - despite selling a narrow range of cars, with often dubious styling and behind the times interior design, they are still hugely desireable cars, if only for their durability and practicality with some driver fun thrown in.
I think the make I would never want to own on principle is Ferrari and not because the cars are terrible, they arent, but to me they embody the image of 'BMW man' for the rich people - its the sort of the car that BMW man buys when he wins the lottery, they spends the rest of his days driving up and down the golf course carpark with is pink shirt and posh sunglasses, never mind the fact that his clubs dont actually fit in the boot.
Renault though, surely takes the honours for the most inconsistant, fragile cars sold today.
Great to look at in most cases and daring design often, but screwed together without a care in the world - every day is a Friday afternoon in a Renault factory.
Its sort of the motoring equivilent of the disposable camera.
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Citroen.
Maigret and his car, then the DS - beautiful on the move and then when parked they "went to sleep" and gently lowered themselves, single spoke steering wheel, and those high level indicators, seemed so different from other cars. Always wanted one, could never afford one. Then along came the BX - saw one in Strasbourg in 1983(?) and thought - its a Cit, it looks different and it's got that suspension - and it might be in the price range in a couple of years. Got a second -hand one, a 19RD (reg in April 1983 I think - am I a decade out here??) so one of first in UK- did 170k trouble free miles, then a 1.9 TGD, 140k trouble free miles, then a Xantia 1.9TD 95K trouble free miles, now a Xantia 2.0HDi with 95k miles (trouble free engine, but a new electro-valve on the suspension, very expensive at £100ish). And I still think it's a damn good-looking car. And they all had "that suspension" as my Missus says.
Also got a Berlingo - reminds me of the old Renault 4 we used to have in 1970s - practical but good fun!
But what do we replace the Xantia with? - C5 is UGLY - why didn't they just "develop" the Xantia - it's a damn fine looking car - even now!
I am very biassed - hope new C5 is a good-un, and our Xant lasts 'til second-hand ones are available.
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Phil
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P.S - I also covet various Alfas - is there something seriously wrong with my taste in cars?
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Phil
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>>Alfas - is there something seriously wrong with mytaste in cars?
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Nothing whatsoever. If only you liked Bristols too you would be up there with Setright (and me in a way) :o)
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Citroen.
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Me too really. I have had three including my first car. But they were all true Citroens, a Light 15 and two 2CV derivatives, and the company has been producing cars that aren't very Citroen-like for some time now, alongside the oleopneumatic-suspended real ones. I thought the C4 diesel I drove was terrific, but they are said to be fragile and it didn't feel all that solid. C6 looks great but might cost a bit to run. And HJ called it a 'boat', which may be a criticism ...
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