Disposable motor

Taken by Toby – with whom it was wonderful to catch up – just before he's off again. I'd just taken the pic of him with the first vehicle he'd ever driven on a motorway, so he decided we should complete the set of "boys and their vehicles" pictures! Not one of my usual older-than-me cars, but it's been an interesting experiment.

This is my second "disposable car". It cost me £200, has cost little more since (although I invested in a brake caliper and a new set of nice wheels and tyres, which keep it straight, literally - it used to have three different sizes!) — and for that, it's been with me, almost trouble-free, since February 2006!

And the disposable part? Well, when it finally gives up and becomes uneconomic to repair, it's no great financial hit.

But actually I'm really into keeping old cars alive, since (a) they're nostalgic — not that this one is old enough to be so. But also (b) because it saves the energy which goes into producing new ones or even recycling the old components.

There's also the fact that at such low purchase prices, it's ultra-cheap motoring, if you choose well and are a little bit lucky. This (diesel) car is so economical I can get from Edinburgh to London at high speed for £40, even with passengers and luggage. And that's after it's done 180,000 miles. It's basically the same engine as my Landie (which I don't drive on the road in the UK) but in an aerodynamic, lighter body.

It's even got Recaros! ;)