Cars

A few personal observations. My first and abiding love in the automotive world was with American cars from the late 1940s to the late 1960s. Fins and Chrome, peaking with the 1959 Cadillac, but not forgetting the Hudson Hornet or the (original) Ford Mustang. Classic autos, big on style rather than go-fast ability or road holding have always appealed to me. My first three vehicles were (respectively) a Morris Minor van, followed by a 1963 GAZ M-21 Volga (black of course - and what a rarity in the UK!), then a 1955 88" wheelbase Land Rover Series I.

By the late 1980s I'd moved up the career ladder, and as managing editor of CBI News, I stumbled upon the idea of introducing an executive motoring column to the business leaders' magazine. For several years, Jaguars, BMWs, Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, Audis, Mercedes Benzes, Lexuses and the odd Aston Martin (as well as lesser marques) waited outside my door for a test drive. After several years of doing this, I came to the following conclusions:

1) Buying a car with your own money is the biggest waste of money you can achieve in your lifetime. If no one (i.e. your employer) is willing to buy one for you, buy the smallest and cheapest and most reliable car available that meets your needs. Invest the money saved on property.

2) Sitting barefoot in a Rolls-Royce or Bentley, feet immersed in lambswool rug, breathing in the heavenly aroma of Connolly leather, seeing only wood, chromed metal, leather and glass around you, and the Silver Lady or Flying "B" on the bonnet, makes you feel quite Godlike. Sit in any other car, and after a while, you forget whether you're in a Jag or Merc or a Nissan Micra.

Today, a full tank of petrol in the Toyota Yaris costs as much as a quarterly season ticket for Warsaw's public transport system. When I used to drive to work, a tankful would last a fortnight (one-sixth of the duration of a quarterly ticket). Plus parking fees, insurance, servicing etc. Plus walking between bus stop and Metro, Metro and office, keeps you fitter than blobbing out at the driving seat.

From the financial point of view, if you live within Warsaw's borders and no longer have children that need driving to school, it's hard to justify a car for day-to-day use.

Which is not to say I don't like some cars - aesthetically. Any decision as to what car I'd like to own would be primarily dictated by looks rather than performance or roadholding.

What could I consider owning?

Contemporary cars that I find attractive...

Opel (Vauxhall in the UK) Insignia. I like that retro look, harking back to the late '40s/early '50s. The four-door saloon (sedan) version, in a rich burgundy colour - nice. A bit of a rep-mobile, but a design that has the makings of a modern classic. I'd customise mine though:)

No longer in production, the Nissan Micra K12/K12C (2002-2010) is a car I've long fancied, looks-wise. Again, a retro design, which, in three-door guise, gives it the air of an American hot-rod from the 1930s, customised in the 1950s. Primer Gray and chromed steel wheels to give it that Two Lane Blacktop look...

Out of production for a few years now, the 2000-2007 Volvo XC70 is a bigger car than I'd care to own (not really having the need for all those doors and load space), but I love its looks. It's another contemporary classic, replaced by a corporate clunker with stuck-on silver plastic rhomboids applied in the mistaken assumption of making the current XC70 look more modern. Colours? Sand, navy blue, maroon - but not black.

The BMW Mini is my dream city car, especially in drop-top form with a frugal diesel engine. The Mini has a timeless charm about it, and quite honestly, there's little need for anything larger if 95% of your driving is around town. The Countryman is an obese irrelevance. If it is a mini, it's one that hangs down below the knees. The rest of the range, however, I consider quite wonderful.

Another convertible, though quite pricey, that tickles my fancy, is the Audi A4 Cabriolet (2000-2005). With a dark red soft-top. And diesel engine. More for the long-distance touring perspectives that will open up when ul. Puławska is connected to the rest of the continent via the S2 expressway...

Four-wheel drives can be useful on the few untarmacked roads between Jeziorki and the city centre, but generally I consider full off-road capability wasteful of fuel and space. Unless you have pigs to get to market. One 4x4 that I have hankered after for many years, however, is the Jeep Wrangler; again, must be with a diesel engine. A classic with a bloodline going back to the WWII Willys Jeep, a vehicle with character. Green or Sand. NOT BLOODY BLACK!

And that's about it. I can't say I care for any other contemporary vehicle. The ubiquitous Warsaw-issue black SUV with darkened rear windows driven by someone with a mobile phone clamped to their ear - makes me puke. Sign of a buc totally lacking in imagination.

Now, classic cars - don't get me started! Temat rzeka, Panie...

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This time four years ago:
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