964 + 595 = 110
Discussion
Last year I was lucky enough to be in a position to buy the car I'd always wanted since they were new, a 964 911. Fate landed one on my lap right around my 50th birthday and a good deal was done. Fast forward on a few months though and the honey moon period was wearing off. Whilst it looks fantastic and drives well, the overall package was just leaving me a bit cold, I found it lacking in character. Maybe It was too much between a classic and
modern and I was discovering that I prefer older, more analogue cars. I don't know, I couldn't quite put my finger on it but it became hard to justify that amount of money wrapped up in a car that I wasn't in love with. The cost of parts regularly left me wincing which didn't help either. A shame as it was a great example and as I say, had been my dream. Never meet your heroes.
September last year I had my Abarth 595 Competizione stolen. It was my daily driver work hack and I loved it. Great fun and easy for nipping around in. I did always think though that as a daily driver, the auto version would have been better for me, oh and a sunroof too please! So when it got stolen and after I'd agued with the insurers over values and finally got paid out, I tracked down an auto Comp with pano roof in Jan this year. Rule 1 of car buying, do your research and drive it! I stupidly hadn't driven an auto or read up on them and this quickly came home, the gear change is the worst of any car I've ever driven and ruined the whole spirit of the car for me. I've since of course read the many articles that say the auto is woeful. The Comp's days were numbered.
|https://thumbsnap.com/vQncY9nY[/url]
I mulled over swapping to a Porsche 912, which would likely give me the simplicity I wanted in the shape of a 911. Once I put my sensible head on, that was quickly discounted as I have too many old cars and I need some reliability! I've driven the old Morgan 3 wheeler and the new one and I absolutely love them. Its impossible not to smile while driving, huge fun. However, when it really came down to it, I just couldn't justify £60k on it. At that point I decided it would be a good idea to distill the Abarth and 911 into one modern, fun daily driver. The A110 has been on my mind for some time and now it seemed to tick every box. It could be a daily driver, its economical, its a fun weekend toy, light, low volume and minimal depreciation. Took one for a drive and was hooked. I tracked down a brand new one in Orpington Alpine which had most of the options I wanted and the deal was done. A week in and I couldn't be happier. Strangely not sad to see the Porsche go and definitely not the Abarth.
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modern and I was discovering that I prefer older, more analogue cars. I don't know, I couldn't quite put my finger on it but it became hard to justify that amount of money wrapped up in a car that I wasn't in love with. The cost of parts regularly left me wincing which didn't help either. A shame as it was a great example and as I say, had been my dream. Never meet your heroes.
September last year I had my Abarth 595 Competizione stolen. It was my daily driver work hack and I loved it. Great fun and easy for nipping around in. I did always think though that as a daily driver, the auto version would have been better for me, oh and a sunroof too please! So when it got stolen and after I'd agued with the insurers over values and finally got paid out, I tracked down an auto Comp with pano roof in Jan this year. Rule 1 of car buying, do your research and drive it! I stupidly hadn't driven an auto or read up on them and this quickly came home, the gear change is the worst of any car I've ever driven and ruined the whole spirit of the car for me. I've since of course read the many articles that say the auto is woeful. The Comp's days were numbered.
|https://thumbsnap.com/vQncY9nY[/url]I mulled over swapping to a Porsche 912, which would likely give me the simplicity I wanted in the shape of a 911. Once I put my sensible head on, that was quickly discounted as I have too many old cars and I need some reliability! I've driven the old Morgan 3 wheeler and the new one and I absolutely love them. Its impossible not to smile while driving, huge fun. However, when it really came down to it, I just couldn't justify £60k on it. At that point I decided it would be a good idea to distill the Abarth and 911 into one modern, fun daily driver. The A110 has been on my mind for some time and now it seemed to tick every box. It could be a daily driver, its economical, its a fun weekend toy, light, low volume and minimal depreciation. Took one for a drive and was hooked. I tracked down a brand new one in Orpington Alpine which had most of the options I wanted and the deal was done. A week in and I couldn't be happier. Strangely not sad to see the Porsche go and definitely not the Abarth.
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Shinyfings said:
It wasn’t you in the petrol station in Orpington with a spaniel in the footwell was it? Stuck in my mind as not a car you’d expect to see two people in with a dog as well!
Hahaha. Yup, the hound comes everywhere with me! I had just picked it up and Gavin from the dealership was giving me a demo and filling it up with petrol!Edited by Shinyfings on Monday 5th June 16:48
Woody.GT said:
Shinyfings said:
It wasn’t you in the petrol station in Orpington with a spaniel in the footwell was it? Stuck in my mind as not a car you’d expect to see two people in with a dog as well!
Hahaha. Yup, the hound comes everywhere with me! I had just picked it up and Gavin from the dealership was giving me a demo and filling it up with petrol!Edited by Shinyfings on Monday 5th June 16:48
Grumps. said:
Always liked Alpine, even in the early days of the A110 and i am not sure what keeps these new cars so obscure as they really do look fantastic.
Maybe the Renault (reliability) influence?
Agree, I guess its a tight market audience and then you're up against Porsche and Lotus who are big names and with a loyal following so its hard to bite into their markets. Its fine by me, I'd rather low volumes and having it a bit rarer than its rivals, its part of the appeal. Maybe the Renault (reliability) influence?
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