Observer Book Of Automobiles 1984

[Richard_FM]

A selection of pages from this book: https://www.flickr.com/photos/richard16378/albums/72157713885391103

[LostnotFound]

As alluring as the metro turbo and xr4 are, as I need the extra doors these days I should stop dreaming and accept my maestro shouldn't I.

In even in fantasy land life can be a disappointment.

[Richard_FM]

I only posted the double pages but the mg maestro ive scanned as a single page was the early version with the r series engine & talking dashboard.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Look at that 205 on an A-plate. Even the very last P-reg ones still looked sharp with practically zero changes. Got to be one of the best car designs of all time surely. They just look 100% 'right'.

[HMC]

We had a space cruiser. (C804CVR) in Inca gold duo tone. I had no concept of how slow / thirsty it was (I was only 10) but 82 mph Max / 24 mpg ish on a motorway cruise. It just seemed a bit sci fi to me; not helped by the main sunroof (for there was 2) being labelled the “moon roof” on Push button control. Clearly I was totally taken in by the marketing of what was a van with seats. Also- wall to wall red velour

[Marsh]

I'm sure I had this book when I was a kid, from the book fair at school.

Is the cover white with an XR4i on the front?

Or was mine 1983..... anyway I read it to death, happy memories.

[Richard_FM]

1 hour ago, Mr_Bo11ox said:

Look at that 205 on an A-plate. Even the very last P-reg ones still looked sharp with practically zero changes. Got to be one of the best car designs of all time surely. They just look 100% 'right'.

Yes I’ve always liked the 205, unfortunately by the time I could afford to buy & run a car they were deep into banger territory.  I did get to be driven in one owned by the parents of a friend.

[Richard_FM]

30 minutes ago, Marsh said:

I'm sure I had this book when I was a kid, from the book fair at school.

Is the cover white with an XR4i on the front?

Or was mine 1983..... anyway I read it to death, happy memories.

Mine has a silver jaguar xjs on the cover so yours was probably the 1983 book.

[Richard_FM]

43 minutes ago, HMC said:

We had a space cruiser. (C804CVR) in Inca gold duo tone. I had no concept of how slow / thirsty it was (I was only 10) but 82 mph Max / 24 mpg ish on a motorway cruise. It just seemed a bit sci fi to me; not helped by the main sunroof (for there was 2) being labelled the “moon roof” on Push button control. Clearly I was totally taken in by the marketing of what was a van with seats. Also- wall to wall red velour

Sounds quite plush compared to the vinyl seats & rubber matting minibus versions of vans normally had.  

[bunglebus]

Mate at junior school's parents had a Space Cruiser. He used to get the right hump when we called it a van.

[DSdriver]

Not sure what year my book was but I remember the first car being an Abarth Fiat 500 followed by an AC Cobra,

[GeordieInExile]

5 hours ago, Mr_Bo11ox said:

Look at that 205 on an A-plate. Even the very last P-reg ones still looked sharp with practically zero changes. Got to be one of the best car designs of all time surely. They just look 100% 'right'.

I always thought they were a touch under-bumpered - another inch or so and it'd be perfect. The GTi is perfect, though.

[HMC]

I love the technical analysis of the models even with the limited space for it; it seems less common these days, when it wasn’t all that long ago that a whole page would be chock a block with power/ torque graphs and a description of the rpm/1000 revs per gear etc-  I suppose it’s just not of interest to buyers anymore.

[HMC]

Bit of a sleeper, that 305

[RayMK]

Earlier editions of the Observers Book of Automobiles did not have suspension details and were somewhat inconsistent in what was included for the engine details. They did however have a sentence or two commenting on the styling (in case their sometimes poor photograph did not show it adequately). My favourite styling comment was 'note the suggested rear wings' when referring to a Cortina MK3 for example. None of this 'coke bottle' phraseology that came in not long afterwards. I think my earliest edition is from 1963.

Edit: Just been upstairs to check in my bookcase. The earliest edition that I bought new was indeed 1963, but I had forgotten that I'd bought a 1955 edition at a jumble sale about 25 years ago. It has a very tatty cover featuring a Sunbeam Talbot. Something to read later ?. 

[Timewaster]

Yesterday I found my own copy of this book, 

Flicking through I struck me that some cars like the 205 look almost current and familiar whereas others like that Starlet look absolutely ancient. 

[Wack]

16 hours ago, Richard_FM said:

Yes I’ve always liked the 205, unfortunately by the time I could afford to buy & run a car they were deep into banger territory.  I did get to be driven in one owned by the parents of a friend.

I had a 205 GTi 1.6 in 1987 on a D , it was 6 months old when I bought it , what a revelation , the first hot hatch I'd ever driven and I loved it , only it was that good it turned me into a nutter, I overtook everything just because I could , until on a country road I went over the brow of a hill like I was on the Lombard RAC Rally to be confronted by a main road right in front of me , all the brakes on hard, including the panic handbrake , I did manage to stop on the white line but sideways as a truck went past 2ft away, calmed down a bit after that, had it for about a year then sold it to my then brother in law who was only 20 and wrote it off within a month.

[St.Jude]

No one at the Observer ever owned a Lada it seems.

Calamity, in my opinion. But look at that Toyota Celica! Phwoarrrrrr

[Mr_Bo11ox]

1 hour ago, Wack said:

I had a 205 GTi 1.6 in 1987 on a D , it was 6 months old when I bought it , what a revelation , the first hot hatch I'd ever driven and I loved it , only it was that good it turned me into a nutter, I overtook everything just because I could , until on a country road I went over the brow of a hill like I was on the Lombard RAC Rally to be confronted by a main road right in front of me , all the brakes on hard, including the panic handbrake , I did manage to stop on the white line but sideways as a truck went past 2ft away, calmed down a bit after that, had it for about a year then sold it to my then brother in law who was only 20 and wrote it off within a month.

I too had one of these when i was in my early 20's, bought cheap off eBay with a busted gearbox. With that fixed I found it impossible to drive it normally, i was only able to drive it like an absolute beller. I was always spinning it on roundabouts and walloping kerbs and whatnot. Sold it fairly quickly after one too many brown trouser moments. These things require a driver of a higher skill level than me!!!! 

[PiperCub]

Got the same book but the 1978 (or thereabouts) version with a Rover SD1 on the cover. Think I still have it somewhere!