A past love rekindled
Something had been bothering me since showing the Peugeot at Prescott, but it only slapped me in the face eleven weeks later when roaming the halls at the Manchester Classic Car Show. I was admiring the lines of a Fiat 130 Coupé, when something caught my eye in the Pride of Ownership concours. It was low, sleek, bright red, had pop-up headlights, and meant a lot to me. It was a Toyota MR2.
And then I spotted the numberplate. Because of a shortage of Uk-market rear bumpers its owner had fitted a Japanese import item and with it a square numberplate, but sure enough, the digits on it read K641 HMV.
The last time you saw that MR2 in Our Cars, it was in a wet, dark layby having been rammed by a lorry on the A1M. It was later salvaged and sold to an MR2 specialist who told me he’d restore it, but apparently he stripped it for parts and put what was left in a barn. The current owner has spent the past few years restoring it and as you can see, it’s now in jaw-dropping show condition.
Meanwhile, I’ve spent the past few years looking for my perfect classic. I’ve kept a list in a notebook of every car I’ve driven and not wanted to give the keys back, then tried to find similar but more affordable cars only to find them wanting in some way that undermined the ownership experience. The 405 SRI, being mechanically the same to a 205 GTI 1.9, came very close, but ultimately it’s a front-drive saloon, and no matter how sublime to drive, it just wasn’t as special as that mid-engined, 6600rpm-redlining MR2 was. I used to drive that car for the hell of it. I used to take it on holidays. I’d usually end up phoning my insurer and requesting a mileage extension a few months before renewal. I haven’t done that with the Quantum, the BMW or the Peugeot.
And as I’ve improved it, the Peugeot has become, of all things, a show pony. Much as I like owning something old and rare that people warmly comment on, I’d far rather have something designed for clipping apexes. My original intention was to rally that Peugeot. It’s just too rare to be subjected to that, and I’ve since decided to get back into karting to get my motor sport fix, but even so, the special car in my life needs to be more, well ‘special’.
The good news is, the work I’ve had done to the Peugeot has added value to it, and as the auction prices for Eighties hot hatches rise, I can’t help but think that it needs to ride that particular wave if I’m ever going to get a decent amount for it, fingers crossed.
And so it’s going to be auctioned at ACA in Kings Lynn, Norfolk on November 3. If you’re interested in bidding, go to angliacarauctions.co.uk.
What will I replace it with? Well, that ultimately depends on what it fetches at auction, but don’t be surprised if it’s along the lines of another MR2...