Citroën GS
Keith has resolved to make the most of the summer with his Citroën, but before he can do that he needs to retrieve if from Cumbria
After a quiet winter and spring resting up in Cumbria, I decided it was time to ready the car for a summer of classic shows – and its fi rst appearance at the Hagerty Insurance Festival of the Unexceptional. That’s easier said than done, when the car is at one end of the country, and you’re at the other – but in any opportunity for a long drive in one of my classics is an opportunity to be relished.
I’d had the car MoT’d the week before by my classic-friendly tester (Mill Garage, Frizington) and it passed without advisories.
My plan was simple – to get up before sunrise, jump into the GS, and drive it so I could then do a full day’s work. I would be helped by the fact the drive would be taking place on the summer solstice, and that a 260-mile commute from my home in West Cumbria to Peterborough in a Citroën GS should be a joy from start to finish.
At 4.30am I climbed in, belted up, turned the key, and psyched myself up for the drive south. A couple of minutes later, the fi rst sliver of sun crested the horizon, I waved goodbye to the barn, and headed towards the A66. Settling into a 60mph cruise in the GS, what struck me is why on earth I don’t do this more often – getting up early to drive your favourite car on quiet roads is something every petrolhead should do on a regular basis. The roads were empty, and as the sun brightened, I got on with the business of enjoying myself. The GS was in its element – singing away at 4000-5000rpm, and wafting in a way that no car this small has any right to. The problem with this as a drive is that there’s no bad story to tell. GS and I managed to avoid the usual A1 traffi c delays – and for once, Traffi c England managed to keep all of it open. By the time I rolled into C’sCW Peterborough offi ce at 9am, I was fresh, happy, and ready for work. I’m not sure any other comparable 1970s saloon could have managed that feat as well. I love my GS, and in my ever-changing fleet, it feels like this one is the keeper. Downsides? None really, other than the fuel consumption, which averaged 25mpg. But it’s a small price to pay. It’s now at my place near work, sharing the drive with another Citroën – a gorgeous CX 20 Pallas.
Did we make it to the Hagerty Insurance Festival of The Unexceptional? Of course it did – and as I drove through the gates of Stowe School, I was honoured to be directed to display it right at the front of the pack.
Even better news was that I met with Chris Salter, the guy I bought the GS from. I’d picked it up sight unseen, and even more unusually, I’d never met Chris face-to-face, concluding the deal via email. He was delighted to see his car again, his enthusiasm reinforcing what it is so magical about my GS… it’s going to be a great summer!
’I love my GS, and in my ever-changing fleet, it feels like this one is the keeper’