A salient reminder
Discussion
I'm in France and have just been out at the car checking fluids etc. before a rally on Sunday.
An old chap, 80 at least, just came up and said hello. He said he'd seen me around town with my family (2 yound girls, one 3 and the other 2 months.)
Out of his wallet he pulled two photos taken in 1963. After getting over the shock of the wreckage I saw some familiar things. Same steering wheel as mine but snapped in two. Same wheels but one bent in half, another cracked into 3 pieces. The front of the car on its roof, the back of the car right way up - 25 feet away.
He'd been competing in a small autoclub rally, had a blow out and hit a tree. The car was cut in two and he was in hospital for 6 months, blinded in one eye and lost a foot.
Made me realise just how things have moved on in terms of safety and that our nice old motors don't really survive if you get it wrong. I'll be taking it steady on the rally, especially as the wife and kids are doing it with me.
He told me it was the last time he'd been in a DS until just now when he sat in mine. Top old fella.
An old chap, 80 at least, just came up and said hello. He said he'd seen me around town with my family (2 yound girls, one 3 and the other 2 months.)
Out of his wallet he pulled two photos taken in 1963. After getting over the shock of the wreckage I saw some familiar things. Same steering wheel as mine but snapped in two. Same wheels but one bent in half, another cracked into 3 pieces. The front of the car on its roof, the back of the car right way up - 25 feet away.
He'd been competing in a small autoclub rally, had a blow out and hit a tree. The car was cut in two and he was in hospital for 6 months, blinded in one eye and lost a foot.
Made me realise just how things have moved on in terms of safety and that our nice old motors don't really survive if you get it wrong. I'll be taking it steady on the rally, especially as the wife and kids are doing it with me.
He told me it was the last time he'd been in a DS until just now when he sat in mine. Top old fella.
A sobering tale indeed. Reminds me of the time when I lost my Triumph 650 coming off a roundabout when the rear wheel span on gravel. I had crash bars which saved me, but I will have always the memory of the sparks from the crash bar going straight into the bellmouth of the Amal GP carburettor. I shut the throttle very quickly!
Edited by lowdrag on Saturday 14th April 07:35
I thought, surely the DS was built stronger than that?
But then I found this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VdZaI9zbUs
Nah. They wouldn't have stripped out the Citroens insides and unbolted the panels, would they?
John
But then I found this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VdZaI9zbUs
Nah. They wouldn't have stripped out the Citroens insides and unbolted the panels, would they?
John
By contrast, if you fly around in an old and apparently flimsy aeroplane, you may be amazed by how tough they are, despite the looks. Land a Tiger Moth at a grass airfield somewhere in England, and a pleasant old cove will saunter over and and say "Ah, good old Baker Fox. I pranged her at Nairobi in '54. My fault; spot of finger trouble. Broke my best goggles. She fixed up pretty well."
They have all been crashed and rebuilt fifty times. Piper Cubs even more so.
Ralph Nader was mostly right, but some old cars are strong. Jensen Interceptors are said to be good old heaps to have crashes in, but I wouldn't want to crash my old Alfa, as it does more or less have a spike pointing out of the steering wheel. Lotus made big claims for safety, but Chapman was a fearful fibber, and plastic is still plastic. Frontal impact, OK, but you wouldn't want to be hit sideways in an Elan or a Europa.
I once put a Triumph Vitesse into a ditch at more than somewhat leptonitrons, and pranged only the radiator and one mirror, plus my pride. Strong chassis.
They have all been crashed and rebuilt fifty times. Piper Cubs even more so.
Ralph Nader was mostly right, but some old cars are strong. Jensen Interceptors are said to be good old heaps to have crashes in, but I wouldn't want to crash my old Alfa, as it does more or less have a spike pointing out of the steering wheel. Lotus made big claims for safety, but Chapman was a fearful fibber, and plastic is still plastic. Frontal impact, OK, but you wouldn't want to be hit sideways in an Elan or a Europa.
I once put a Triumph Vitesse into a ditch at more than somewhat leptonitrons, and pranged only the radiator and one mirror, plus my pride. Strong chassis.
Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 13th April 22:41
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