This weeks Pistonheads SOTW!

[trigger]

 

Yep, This week it's the Princess and Ambassador!

 

http://pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=24074

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

The discussion thread on that has been painful. Lots of the usual fifth hand uninformed anti-BL bullshit.

[trigger]

And did you expect anything less coming from Pistonheads?

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

I shouldn't have, but sometimes a beam of sensible opinion shines through the clouds of BMW masturbation.

[Pete-M]

I'm not a fan of the Princess or Ambastardsore.

 

Mainly because as an 18 year old whippersnapper I was awarded the use of a Ambassador as 'company wheels' to do all sorts of running about in. It may have been a HLS, or possibly even a VdP thinking about it. Anyway, I hated it, and as I think they're bloody ugly I'm not in a mad rush to ever try one again.

[Amazo]

Bit of a mixed (if uninformed) reaction on PH TBH, but then that site is lacking a few ideas these days. I do have a soft spot for the Princess/Ambassador and any survivors deserve to live, rather than being a cheap gag on Top Gear.

[ashmicro]

I've seen quite a few owners heaps on Pistonsheds

[Futuramic]

I can't be bothered to read the Pistonheads thingy. I'd presume a load of detritus along the lines of either "It's SHIT I HAt it" or "U R RONG AND WANK OVA THATCHER BL IS THE BEST" from ill-informde types who have never been in one.

 

I'd happily drive either. Hydragas is benefiting from a revisionist renaissance in that it is now considered to be a good idea. On the subject of the Ambassador, in particular, I reckon it wouldn't be too hard to fit a Perkins Prima from a Montego Turbo Diesel. Imagine that.

[garethj]

At times I like Pistonheads, but after a while I want to grab one of their posters by the throat and say "context is everything". They do tend to judge everything by today's standards which is wearing a bit thin now.

 

I secretly like the Princess, although there's a lot of other chod I'd own before one.

[Amazo]

At times I like Pistonheads, but after a while I want to grab one of their posters by the throat and say "context is everything". They do tend to judge everything by today's standards which is wearing a bit thin now.

It always makes me laugh when people judge stuff retrospectively based on word of mouth and hearsay; so in the interests of accuracy (and that it contains a ton of old shite) heres a scan of the 'Car Of The Year' sum-up from the April '81 issue of What Car?. So much for a SOTW, more FSOTY...

 

[RobT]

Any car that was good enough for Terry Medford is good enough for me

[Cavcraft]

Can't say I've looked at PistonHeads forum. Fair to assume it's ram full of snobs, Clarkson wannabes and pub bores twatting on about how ace their German car is?

[warren t claim]

Can't say I've looked at PistonHeads forum. Fair to assume it's ram full of snobs, Clarkson wannabes and pub bores twatting on about how ace their German car is?

Yes. And it's owned by Michael Heseltine's Haymarket organisation.

[Amazo]

Can't say I've looked at PistonHeads forum. Fair to assume it's ram full of snobs, Clarkson wannabes and pub bores twatting on about how ace their German car is?

Yes. And it's owned by Michael Heseltine's Haymarket organisation.

The very same Haymarket that owns What Car? magazine.

[Cavcraft]

The very fact Michael Heseltine has anything to do with it is all I need to read.

[Amazo]

The very fact Michael Heseltine has anything to do with it is all I need to read.

His judgement regarding helicopters is very suspect.

[trigger]

Wasn't he in London's Burning?

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

I have actually read the thread on PistonHeads (a novel idea I know) and whilst there are quite a few idiotic remarks about the Princess and Ambassador (I suspect form people too young to remember them) there are also many posters defending the cars.

[Negative Creep]

I can't be bothered to read the Pistonheads thingy. I'd presume a load of detritus along the lines of either "It's SHIT I HAt it" or "U R RONG AND WANK OVA THATCHER BL IS THE BEST" from ill-informde types who have never been in one.

 

In the same way any mention of PH here is always followed by OMG THEY R RETARDS EVERY1 IN DAT THRED HAYTES OLD CARS comments

[oldford]

Wasn't he in London's Burning?

 

That was James Hazeldine (Bayleaf), who I believe was my brother in laws cousin.

 

Pistonheads, where they judge everything by todays standards, and as someone drove a rusty, ropey, 100,000 mile version of a car once, they think that they were all like that even from new. Quite a few company car drivers on there, who have probably never owned a car in their life and don't even know how to change a spark plug.

[Amazo]

Wasn't he in Tottenham's Burning?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[Wilko220]

I now want a Mazda Montrose GLS...

[garethj]

I can't be bothered to read the Pistonheads thingy. I'd presume a load of detritus along the lines of either "It's SHIT I HAt it" or "U R RONG AND WANK OVA THATCHER BL IS THE BEST" from ill-informde types who have never been in one.

 

In the same way any mention of PH here is always followed by OMG THEY R RETARDS EVERY1 IN DAT THRED HAYTES OLD CARS comments

I've read it too, and there are a few posts praising the car (I think from owners and non-owners) plus a few saying it's not for them. The wind up is the DESTROY EVERYTHING BL comments, it really does them no favours.

 

There's even one or two people there who say the Mk1 and Mk2 Escorts were more advanced. I'm stretching my memory here, and they were more lively to drive but advanced?

 

There's one good post which says in 30 years time everyone will look back in pity at those who had to drive 2011 cars with their crap handling, rubbish engines and terrible interiors. Sadly I could hear the wooshing noise as it went over most people's heads

[Rocket88]

I have never understood the reverence that Mk1 / Mk2 Escorts [or, indeed, most Fords] are held in. I've had a few [admittedley none were in "pristine condition"] but in almost all of them the overwhelming feeling was a car that was designed by Ford's accountancy division. Penny pinching, build down to a cost, and generally miserable. Even that great icon, the Mustang, was distinctly lacking in quality materials.

The old saying "tin and board, that's a Ford" was pretty accurate.

Discounting the Marina / Ital range, most BL stuff of the era was badly built, but with fairly advanced ideas. Your average Ford was better built, but on fairly ancient mechanical principles. If the Ford work force had built BL cars..............

[Amazo]

I now want a Mazda Montrose GLS...

I will be scanning that particular issue as it is a great time capsule for the sort of cars 'we' like.

Stay tuned.

[scooters]

I have had a stiffy for a 6 cylinder princess in diarrhoea yellow, po brown vinyl roof and a be beige crushed velour interior for ages

[Pete-M]

There's even one or two people there who say the Mk1 and Mk2 Escorts were more advanced. I'm stretching my memory here, and they were more lively to drive but advanced?

 

Even I, an Escort apologist, would never claim that the RWD Escorts were advanced. That's one thing they were not. Simple but effective, which is why I love 'em.

 

The Princess / Ambastardor had Hydragas suspension - which was basically a twist on the Hydrolastic theme which had been around for 15 years in BL stuff anyway. Other than that, what was so advanced about the Princess? New style of velour?

[Tayne]

Other than that, what was so advanced about the Princess?

 

Concealed windscreen wipers.

[Wilko220]

There's even one or two people there who say the Mk1 and Mk2 Escorts were more advanced. I'm stretching my memory here, and they were more lively to drive but advanced?

 

Even I, an Escort apologist, would never claim that the RWD Escorts were advanced. That's one thing they were not. Simple but effective, which is why I love 'em.

 

The Princess / Ambastardor had Hydragas suspension - which was basically a twist on the Hydrolastic theme which had been around for 15 years in BL stuff anyway. Other than that, what was so advanced about the Princess? New style of velour?

 

Technology aside, I suppose it's shape was quite striking at launch.

 

If they had built this version though...

 

[Pete-M]

I have never understood the reverence that Mk1 / Mk2 Escorts [or, indeed, most Fords] are held in. I've had a few [admittedley none were in "pristine condition"] but in almost all of them the overwhelming feeling was a car that was designed by Ford's accountancy division. Penny pinching, build down to a cost, and generally miserable. Even that great icon, the Mustang, was distinctly lacking in quality materials.

The old saying "tin and board, that's a Ford" was pretty accurate.

Discounting the Marina / Ital range, most BL stuff of the era was badly built, but with fairly advanced ideas. Your average Ford was better built, but on fairly ancient mechanical principles. If the Ford work force had built BL cars..............

 

BL went backwards with advanced ideas. The Marina was a giant leap backwards from the Moggie minor. The SD1 was inferior to the P6. etc etc.

 

The Mk2 Escort is still the most fun vehicle I've ever owned, and quite possibly ever driven. Yeah, sure, 1.1 base models are miserable things, but they still have better inherent qualities than the alternatives that were about at the time. I'd always choose the Escort over a Viva / Chevette / Allegro / Avenger etc, simply because the Escort is better to drive. The RS2000 Mk2 makes me grin more than driving any modern car.

 

The Capri is only any good with a bit of poke. The 1.6 isn't worth the hassle, the 2.0 is bearable but not fast.

 

Cortinas need to be decent spec to be competitive a 2.0 Ghia is still a reasonably nice thing. 1.3 Base jobs are just plain nasty. Same with Granadas, if they're not the 2.8 injection or 3.0 then they're not worth wasting time with.

 

Concealed windscreen wipers.

 

Heh. Ground breaking stuff! Rover P5s had little chrome plinths the wipers rested on when not in use as they were lifted off the screen to park. In the '50s.