Safe Speed Forums

It isn't necessarily a bad decision though. I don't about Mazda/Ford (except that people here keep banging on about the superiority of Japanese engineering) but when my wife was considering a new Skoda rather than the equivalent and more expensive VW Polo she was advised that the higher second-hand prices of the VW meant that the cost of ownership over two years was lower for the VW than for the Skoda.

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

Aye, that's true. I never really think of residuals because just about every car I've ever had has gone to the scrapper when I finished with it! It's a sort of self-perpetuating myth, I guess. Because people believe they're getting something better, they feel it's worth more money. Now you mention it, I guess this is where that JD Power survey sometimes falls down. You get two vehicles that you KNOW are absolutely identical, save badging, built by the same people, in the same factory, using the same parts - and somehow, one comes out as a bit more reliable than the other! I guess one possible explanation is that the more afluent might be the sort who spend on the one with the better perceived value and are also less likely to skimp on servicing. Maybe it's also, in part, down to better trained technicians at the delaerships of the brand with the perceived better value. We get this a lot with taxis. There are still plenty of drivers who believe that (say) Peugeot make a better product than Fiat when, if fact, they are the same car! I sometimes wonder if the old Ladas had been maintained on Rolls Royce budgets, whether there woud actually have been such a difference between the two in terms of perceived reliability and build quality?! (OK, bit of an extreme example, but just to illustrate the point)!

Are they identical in every respect but the badge? AIUI Skoda and VW use the same floor-pan and running gear but differant body panels

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

You might be sacked, because nobody's buying cars. Let's hope not - car design might be
a "make work project", but at least it pays the rent. On other other hand, I don't want to
bail out car makers - there are far too many in the world already.



That's impressive. You could work as spiritualist if you know people who remind you of other
people you don't yet know. Or could you be creating a "retrospective memory"?

PS: I'm not being horrible, but car design is now more related to the fashion industry
than the transport industry. Modern cars are starting to resemble ridiculous ladies
dresses. I just want the "tee shirt and jeans" version, not the Yves Saint Laurent
version.

The Favorits (no 'E') are all knackered by now, so won't require parking. I've had two, the Bentley will have power steering, the Favorit never had it. so the Bentley might be easier to park (in a big space).

A friend of mine has an A8, not dissimilar to the W12 Bentleys. I can report that is significantly more comfortable than the last Skoda I had.

No, I wasn't there at the time. In fact I hadn't been born. But what did he say?

IIRC He said "Best car I have ever driven!"

("Classic" Bentleys were fast but pretty crude and absolutly brutal to drive, Bugatti described them as "The fastest Lorries on earth" and not without some justification)

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"The road to a police state is paved with public safety legislation"

Don't know about the relationship between Skoda and VW. Certainly the Peugeot / Citroen / Fiat product that I'm familiar with is identical (other than badging) for each manufacturer. We've even had the odd mis-build delivered where there's (say) a Citroen radiator grille and the rest is Peugeot or a couple of Citroen wheel trims on one side and Fiat ones on the other! Remember there are quite a lot of badges though! The cover over the top of the engine will be an "HDI" in the Peugeot and a "JTD" in the Fiat.

Even on my own car, I sometimes buy Fiat parts instead of Alfa bits. It has far fewer common parts than the shared vehicles of today, but some are interchangeable. Very often a genuine factory replacement part with come in a Lancia box.

That might matter to an old geezer with piles, but most people buy those cars because they are narcissistic individualists who need to express their vanity. On the other hand, if you gutted a Bentley, it might make a decent delivery vehicle, for carrying (say) heavy iron lintels etc. But most people would be put off by their appalling inefficiency.

The Morris Minor had a really good rep, I recall. And you still see them on the roads, now and again. Bentleys might be better in a demolition derby, though.

VAG go to great lengths to keep the Brands, Audi, VW, Skoda, Seat and Bugatti seperate. If you ring the seperate numbers for their customers services, you'll find they all seem to have Leed's accents! (Because it is really just one Customer "service" centre.)

My 1991 Golf MKII required new shocks and I had some Audi A3 shocks in it - yes thats right, the Audi A3 has suspension components have a 30 year old design date!!!! Now they wouldn't like you to know that would they!

Vorsprung durch Technik? Honestly *tut*

I though people brough W12 Bentleys, Landrovers etc because they dont like Polar Bears?

I thought only small people bought them, because it makes them feel bigger.

Is that generally small in height or just specific parts of their anatomy?

Their brains, perhaps

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

I dont know about "Bentleys" but You would be amazed at how many early Rolls Royces were reincarnatied into alternative vehicles, (Ladder chassis construction made this sort of mod relativly easy)

everything from light tanks to bread vans!

And yes, they (the bread vans) often lasted decades. The heavyer fuel consumption off set in the owners minds by the reliability and durability.

Just what we are asking for actually!

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"The road to a police state is paved with public safety legislation"

Right on, dcb.

Back on topic, my wife has been a victim of new fangled technology this morning. The starter motor
failed to engage. I'd be OK in my brother's old Austin Cambridge - it had a starting handle!

New fangled? Try hot wiring to the solenoid.

A Cambridge was the first family car I can remember, two tone, blue and cream, ah I wish we had it today. But I don't remember a starting handle on that - we did have them for the grey Fergie tractors though. Nasty things those starter handles when they get you knee!

But it still needed a battery in good order to start. Why they stopped using magneto ignition baffles me

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

A fine car, but prone to rust. My brother and his girlfriend tried to go for a night out in L'pool, but got sent back by a copper at the turnpike. You had to wear wellies to drive it, because the floor was rusted out. Ah, who needs comfort, when you can have fun!