My Motoring Week

July 1, 2023 Emma Loughlin

I continue to run in “Dinky” my Austin Seven in preparation for the Pre-War Austin Seven Club Cumbrian tour in two week’s time and so far… so good. Dinky’s former owner has also been in touch, and as a result, I am now the proud owner of my third Reliant; a wonderful 1962 Regal Mk V1. This is the third car I have bought from Eric Taylor who I met at the Ashover Show several years ago when I bought Dinky from him.

My second purchase was also a Reliant but one with four wheels; a 1987 Scimitar SS1. I drove the Scimitar this week and decided that an MOT was needed so we could do some road miles. Reliant had great plans to build 1000 of these a year but the hot hatch ruled the roads in the 1980s, so just over 1000 of these little two seaters left Tamworth in an eight year production run. It’s perhaps not one of Michelotti’s greatest designs but it’s light, nippy and a lot of fun to drive. MOT passed but a few jobs for Luke and Doc Lawrence before we buy the road tax…

The Regal has been fully restored and was a great success for Reliant in the early 60s with well over 10,000 being produced. We need a new fuel pump for mine and then we will report on the driving experience!!

I also gave my Mk 4/5 Cortina a spin as we have put this on the Drive Dads Car fleet and I must admit I was pleasantly surprised by how well it drives. I then jumped in our Mk 1 Granada with its silky smooth 2.5 litre Six cylinder engine for the early 70s luxury car experience! This is also now available to drive on the fleet.

Good to see so many Great British Car Club members for Breakfast on Sunday including this wonderful convertible Citroen Traction Avant which completed the Peking to Paris run back in 2007. Also this lovely S1 Bentley… surely the most elegant of the standard bodied Bentley and Rolls-Royce models.