On this day 15 years ago...
Discussion
I had waited impatiently for months since speccing my brand new Noble M12 GTO-3R: Titanium silver (the best colour), 6-speed box, custom two-tone leather from Bridge of Weir, steel brake pipes, adjusted pedals, no rear wing and more. Those who know me know what happened to that last order item (damn Sarf Afrikkans can’t read spec sheets!).
In those days 4-6 months was normal and absolutely no one was giving up their build slot. I, as did others at the time, felt like a child waiting for Santa again and I’m not sure I slept the night before.
During those all-too-brief 15 years we’ve done 21,000-odd miles (approx. 1,500 a year), a handful of track days and dozens of road runs. Notably these include the many superb Northants Runs organised by Owen (Obes), Goodwood Brekkie Club runs, the London Tunnel Runs (including the Boxing Day tunnel run) and many others.
R077 starts and runs as he did when I first saw him (come on, Noble’s aren’t girls!), everything works and interestingly he’s now as rare as he was that day I turned up at Mole Valley’s old Chessington site on the cold and sunny February morning back in 2004.
That Noble grin, although perhaps becoming a bit more grizzled and Victor Meldrew over time, remains to this day – as you all know.
In another 15 years I may not be able to get into the Noble but he’s unlikely to be for sale. “From my cold dead hands” as Mr Heston once said!
Here he is as new.
(post also on FB)
In those days 4-6 months was normal and absolutely no one was giving up their build slot. I, as did others at the time, felt like a child waiting for Santa again and I’m not sure I slept the night before.
During those all-too-brief 15 years we’ve done 21,000-odd miles (approx. 1,500 a year), a handful of track days and dozens of road runs. Notably these include the many superb Northants Runs organised by Owen (Obes), Goodwood Brekkie Club runs, the London Tunnel Runs (including the Boxing Day tunnel run) and many others.
R077 starts and runs as he did when I first saw him (come on, Noble’s aren’t girls!), everything works and interestingly he’s now as rare as he was that day I turned up at Mole Valley’s old Chessington site on the cold and sunny February morning back in 2004.
That Noble grin, although perhaps becoming a bit more grizzled and Victor Meldrew over time, remains to this day – as you all know.
In another 15 years I may not be able to get into the Noble but he’s unlikely to be for sale. “From my cold dead hands” as Mr Heston once said!
Here he is as new.
(post also on FB)
Gassing Station | Noble | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff