Articles

  • The Carchive: The Opel Manta

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    Last week, we plumbed the depths of the filthy lagoon of automotive history, and the turgid corpse that bobbed to the surface was the third-generation Chevy Impala and Caprice. This was a car famous all around the world – mainly for appearing in North American films in police cruiser or yellow cab form. This week’s…

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  • Interface: Too much information.

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    We have a simply ludicrous coffee machine where I work. It’s a Wittenborg 9100. I know this because it introduces itself with the line “I’m the Wittenborg 9100” on its high-resolution touchscreen display. The latter has a number of uses, the first of which is to display the menu of hot, yummy beverages this bean-to-cup…

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  • The Carchive: The '79 Chevrolet Caprice and Impala

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    It’s been several weeks since we last last dipped our bucket into the fetid swamp of motoring past, and trawled up the early ’80s Nissan Patrol. We’re creeping backwards just a couple of years this time, but skipping continents to land stateside again. Welcome back to The Carchive. North America has produced many iconic cars…

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  • The true spirit of the Range Rover Velar

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    I recently had a go behind the wheel of the Range Rover Velar, namely the emphatically quick and ostentatious P380 HSE. It has 1980s Ferrari levels of grunt, combined with agility that ensures it doesn’t all leach away in a maelstrom of wobbly, noisy indulgence. But I’m not here to discuss how fantastic it is.…

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  • Hooniverse Asks: How did you play with toy cars?

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    Clumsiness in my study the other day saw a number of things rolling from my bookcase and landing on my head. Among them, this Mazda RX500 and Citroen CX Familiale. I held them aloft for close inspection, and suddenly realised that I had done exactly the same thing thirty years ago. In fact, that was…

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  • Understanding endurance – Feeling it in my bones.

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    Every time I commence a challenging journey, I am beset with concerns – not all of which direct to the aged nature of the vehicles at my disposal. I’m talking about really long journeys, the kind that you can’t see the end of, that take on unfamiliar roads and unforecasted weather. This last weekend, I…

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  • The futile pursuit of HiFi on the road.

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    Whether you’re shopping at the ‘sensible family car’ end of the market, or considering spending gigabucks on a serious luxury bruiser, you’re likely to find an upgraded audio system on the options list. Their names are eyecatching – Harmon Kardon, Bang and Olufusen, even the contraversial BOSE carries a certain amount of cachet, and the…

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  • Some horseboxes are wasted on horses

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    Who didn’t enjoy building dens as a kid? Whether it be in the forest, using fallen branches and fern fronds to build a camouflaged hidey-hole, or taking snacks and a book under the dining room table – there’s something remarkably appealing about setting up a cosy retreat in a confined space. My parents probably assumed…

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  • The Carchive: The third-generation Nissan Patrol

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    After the Nissan Prairie a fortnight back, and the Citroen Dyane last week, we’re still in Utility Mode here at The Carchive. We’re looking at Datsun / Nissan’s entry to the SUV fray – in the early days of that phrase having traction, so to speak. It’s fair to say that the Datsun Patrol rather…

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  • The Carchive: The Citroen Dyane

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    Last week we took a look at Nissan’s vision of an ultra-practical family car for the ’80s – the vertiginously styled Prairie. Today we’re moving a little way back in time, a little way North in latitude, and a little way south on the price lists. This week’s subject car really does go back to…

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