Re: Spotted!

Rest easy friends, I wasn't able to stay in Singapore all weekend but extending my time there by a day did allow me to attend the first and second practice sessions.  

Am now in Hong Kong, where I saw a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, Bentley Continental GT, Porsche Panamerargh and the Peninsula Hotel's fleet of custom RR Phantoms on the way from the train station. It's not the same, but it'll do for now.

Re: Spotted!

 This one is for our esteemed friend, Mr Andnairobi!

While the internet is often accused of providing merely a fleeting overload of information, my personal experience on this very island of informed discussions (as well as, on occasion, arguments) has been to the contrary - my understanding of many car-related subjects has been deepened and I have learned to truly appreciate aspects I had been indifferent towards before. 

French cars are a case in point: blame it on my Teutonic heritage, but I was always much more interested in the kind of automobile as created by Italians, Germans and Britons. And while my preferences haven't changed, I feel I can now appreciate the French approach. That might sound trivial to a majority of people, but I see it as a great achievement of my automotive education. 

With all this in mind I also didn't pass the Citroen CX this last (glorious) Saturday and instead I studied it and admired its unique not just style, but character. Would I trade in my Jag for a CX now? Not in this life, but I see it as a benefit that some of those special cars can still be seen on our roads. 

(Returning back from the lectern that's shaking on dangerously pretentious ground, may I ask who built those glorious wheels? They are delightful! I also apologise for the lack of interior photos, but light conditions were rather adverse - but my guess would be it's a rather late example of the CX, not just because it was in top condition, but also because the cockpit seemed to have been somewhat PSA'd, if you know what I mean.)

Re: Spotted!

Well spotted, Mr K. It is indeed a late model CX with the plastic bumpers and aero mirrors. These were used on certain Aston Martins (Virage of the 80s, I think). The interior has been well and truly PSAd on this car. The dashboards and trim came in black and only black while the funny ashtray and the nice binnacle had been deleted and toned down respectively. The centre console was built with a set of incredibly flimsy lidded cubby holes. The earlier interior was far more robust. The window buttons, oddly, survived this car´s death and went on to ten more years working inside the XM (and 605). The difference for cognoscenti is that the CX window switches lit up orange while the XM editions lit up green. Or maybe it was the other way around. No, if you want a CX is has to be one with the chrome bumpers and an interior in one of the four lovely colours: orange, brown, blue or green.  

The CX and Jaguar XJ share this: a clear demonstration of their founder's ideals and the culture from which it emerged. Both cars had sublime ride and put a certain amount of style before function. While the Jaguar emphasised luxury through solidity, the Citroen expresses a preference for lightness and economic modernity. If I had the money and time I´d have one of each! They are the standards for a Britishness and Frenchness that seems to be a little more indistinct.

[For good measure I´d probably add to the "national" garage a Mercedes S-class from the same period just for completeness sake but only if it was mustard coloured]

Re: Spotted!

Hi: I have a photo of a 70s S-class in primrose yellow, as it happens. The mustard colour was available in Germany but perhaps not in the UK. So, Seant, you are both wrong and right and I think your honour remains fully unsullied.

Re: Spotted!

How about something like this: