1969 ROVER P5B
The occasion was a Classic Motor Show at the NEC, and of course I decided to go in one of my classics. At that time, I was running a pair of Rover P5Bs, one saloon and one coupé, both of course with 3.5-litre V8 engines. I must have been earning more in those days…
One of the things that seems to characterise classics is their tendency to mist up. You can’t always blame failings of the original design; it’s more to do with deterioration of the rubber seals over time. It’s something you learn to live with; as long as the heater blower and the heated rear window work, a bit of cloth will sort out the rest.
It was one of those misty, moisty days that Britain is so good at. I’d taken the saloon, parked up in a corner, got the shuttle bus into the exhibition halls and enjoyed myself. By the time I emerged with armfuls of goodies, it was getting dark and there was ice on the ground.
V8 purring nicely, and heater blower pumping air onto the windscreen, I wiped the side window so that I could see through the mirror and engaged reverse to tackle the 90-degree turn out of the parking spot. I took it gently, but suddenly encountered a reluctance to proceed. A few more revs didn’t make any difference, and I could hear the tyres scrabbling on fresh ice. Getting out, I saw that my rear bumper was right up against a, erm... very large truck. Fortunately, there was no damage to the truck and only minor scarring on the rubber faces of my over-riders. Phew!