JAMES CARTWRIGHT’S CAR CV

James clearly prefers his cars naturally aspirated – even his ‘Esprit Turbo’ was a free-breather MINI COOPER MKII 1275 S 2002-03. My first car at 17. It set very high expectations in terms of speed and handling. VOLVO 240 ESTATE 2004-05. The build quality of Volvo’s 240s makes them great everyday classics. VOLVO AMAZON 121 FAVORIT 2005-07. Imported from Sweden and one of the last home-market right-hand drive cars. I drove it to the Sahara. VW GOLF GTI MKI 2008-2012. In excellent condition these cars still have that RAF Weekender vibe. FORD CORTINA 1600E 2010-12. Bought in ‘rat-rod’ condition for £200, I restored/ruined it further with a roller and Rustoleum paint. LAND ROVER SERIES 3 110 2013. The only car I’ve ever made money on. Bought for £2000, sold for £3000. RENAULT CLIO 182 TROPHY 2014-15. Tweaked for an extra 10bhp and with rose-jointed suspension it drove like it was on rails. I’ve never smiled so much. A future classic. NISSAN MICRA MKI ‘ESPRIT TURBO’ 2015. My Mongol Rally entry – £250 gets you across the world. The engine’s durability was astonishing – we thrashed this car. MERCEDES-BENZ W124 300TE-24 2016-present. Bought as a nostalgic childhood reference. As a daily runaround it feels special.