The dream is dead
For the first time in my life, I was thinking of buying a new or nearly new car. A large executive saloon: Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Mercedes S-class etc. But the more research I do, the more dispirited I become.
I want hydraulic steering; a proper handbrake; physical controls for main functions such as heating; good rearward visibility; and small, light forged (not cast) wheels of no more than 17in. I would also like dark red paint and a tan leather interior.
No such car exists outside of a history book or a millionaires’ special wishes programme.
Ironically, to get the kind of driving experience I prefer in a car, I would have to buy as cheaply as possible, like a basic Dacia (which is too small for our family and too slow anyway).
I’m now considering sinking an unfeasible sum into restomodding an older car or paying a visit to Kingsley
Cars, which is doing great work with its classic Range Rover recreations.
I assume that there’s no money to be made in catering for idiots who still want large saloons that are lastcentury comfortable, authentically interactive and available in anything other than black, white or grey. Seán mac Cann
Trillick, County Tyrone