motoring supplement

Mercedes-Benznew B-Class

FEBRUARY 19, 2012

ME AND MY CARRamona Depares

interviews Marco Cremona

TEST DRIVESThe new Opel Corsa

“Colours” and theHyundai i40Wagon

EDITORIAL

2 The Sunday Times MOTORING FEBRUARY 19, 2012

Love is in the carL

ast Tuesday was St Valen-tine’s Day, the day ear-marked to celebrate thatuncontrollable and unpre-dictable emotion we call

love which we all acknowledge man-ifests itself between anything thatbreathes.

However, we seem to ignore thefact that there is a gene predomi-nantly present in the male speciesthat triggers romantic and emotionalfeelings not towards living creatures,but to that jalopy or other in thegarage.

It is a fact that there are men outthere who ‘love’ their car more thantheir partner, and can easily spendmore time caressing, fussing andtalking about it rather than abouttheir partner.

An Englishman with that commonname of Edward Smith is the king ofthe car-worshippers race who madeheadlines in the UK a few years backafter he unashamedly admitted tohaving had sex with 1,000 cars and tohaving had ‘romantic’ feelingstowards vehicles.

Smith was quoted as saying that“there have been certain cars that at-tracted me and I would wait untilnight time, creep up to them and justhug and kiss them”.

And as perverse as that maysound, a recent survey carried out inthe UK also showed that British mo-torists spend “twice as much timemaintaining their cars as they dotheir relationships”.

In fact nearly five million UK driv-ers (12.6 per cent of the driving pop-ulation) spend up to two hours perweek maintaining their cars, whilehalf that number (6.3 per cent) admitto spending the same amount of timemaintaining their relationships withloved ones.

The research also found that nearlyhalf of British male drivers value theircars above other personal posses-sions, while 14 per cent of thosepolled said they had their first kiss ina car. When it comes to women, onein nine spend one to two hours aweek maintaining their car.

Even famous rock group Queenhad released a song titled I’m inlove with my car, with the lyricsinsinuating sensual feelings towards“such a clean machine”.

These statistics are also true forMalta. I know people who wouldendlessly chatter about their car, witha passion I will never really under-stand.

My passion is not for the object it-self but for the influence thisfour-wheeled invention has had onsociety since its conception in the18th century.

I can never quite understandthose people who live and dream ofcars. I also cannot come to termswith people who appreciate a sportscar more than a blonde behind thewheel.

The beauty in the car lies not onlyin its design and outward appear-ance, but in the mobility and versa-tility it has given us.

However, putting aside pollutionfor a moment, I cannot possiblyimagine a world without cars. InMalta we have more cars than wehave mobile phones, with a total of311,947 licensed motor vehicles onour roads.

Please, like your car; but if it’s loveyou’re after, look elsewhere... eventhough cars don’t give you hell forlooking at other [email protected]

MATTHEW NAUDI

instructors are prepared toteach their students how tohandle the car to maintaintheir place within the trafficstream without causingeveryone else to slow down.

The two-second-distancerule is vital, the use of fifth or

sixth gear is vital, and thestudents’ ability to drivesafely within the parametersof our speed-restricted roadsis vital.

Never drive too slowly ifroad conditions are goodand the traffic stream wishes

to go faster, and most cer-tainly never drive faster thanthe law allows.

Instructors must remem-ber that within days of pass-ing the driving exam novicedrivers may be on Europeanroads at speeds never con-templated locally. For an in-structor, teaching shouldmean how to drive cars forlife and not simply to passthe practical driving test.

Protective barriersI was recenlty asked byfriends to use the Naxxar/San Ġwann road at night andto note the state of the pro-tective barriers and kerbs.

Frankly, as the mud-coloured barriers and kerbswere the same colour as theroad in the old Mini’s head-lamps, at times when beingdazzled we could see neither.

The regulations state thatprotective barriers should bepainted in black and whitediagonals and should havereflectors mounted on them.

It would also be a goodidea to paint the kerbs whiteand keep them and the barri-ers reasonably clean.

The fact that trafficlights are working wellin Mdina Road at theAqueduct Junction iscause for Transport

Malta to be congratulated andencouraged to do far, far more.

Perhaps the hazardous junc-tion into and out of Mrieħel In-dustrial Estate from MrieħelBypass should at last (waitingsince 2006) be made ‘Turn Left’only.

In the same way, now that thetiming of the nearby traffic lightshas been seen to, is it not timethat the junction of KennedyDrive with the Coast Road bemade ‘Turn Left’ only as well?

It may alleviate the dreadfultraffic build-up where Naxxartraffic finds it hard to join thecoast road opposite the salt pans.

We recently managed to checkthe accuracy of the Mini’sspeedometer against the superflashing speed lights on the StPaul’s bypass.

Sadly, a couple of days later, wefailed to get a proper reading withthe X/19 Fiat as the lights were al-ready in rebellious mood.

This was a great idea even if itwas the precursor to people beingbooked a couple of hundred me-tres further on for disregardingany speed infringement.

Transport Malta also had toveto, quite correctly, the mayorof Mellieħa, who wanted to makepart of the main shopping streetone way downhill. We sympa-thise with him for venting this de-sire during a public meeting.

However, if offroad parkinghad been acceded to when sug-gested to the council in 1996, thischronic mess would never havebeen allowed to take over thecouncil’s work.

When the bypass is reopened,private cars can bypass the townby turning left at the bottom ofthe hill, following across theboathouse road until they canclimb through Santa Maria Es-tate to miss the worst of thetown.

Mellieħa has a large retiredpopulation and in summer thou-sands of Maltese rent out accom-modation. Many people do nothave the physical strength toclimb up the steep hill that en-compasses the main shoppingstreet, purchases in hand. Sadbut true.

The answer, unpalatable as itis, must be to reconsider themaximum size of both deliverytrucks and public transport vehi-cles that perforce use Mellieħa’sprinciple shopping street.

This is most certainly not atown for giant bendy buses, oreven the larger Chinese imports.

Learner driversAm I the only driver being con-stantly held back on all the majorsingle-lane roads I use by slowmoving learner drivers?

Without being unduly selfishand speaking from experience,as my last six months within theADT were spent as a volunteerdriving examiner, I would sug-gest that major roads are totallyout of bounds to inexperiencedlearner drivers unless the driving

HUGH ARNETT

CAR TORQUE

FEBRUARY 19, 2012 The Sunday Times MOTORING 3

Mrieħel Bypass

This sign is a danger to traffic and liable to fall if very windy.Its outer edge can be no closer than 500 mm to the edge ofthe pavement or carriageway. St Paul’s Bay council have beenrequested to legalise its position twice.

“Never drivetoo slowlyif roadconditions aregood and thetraffic streamwishes togo faster,and neverdrive fasterthan thelaw allows”

Dear EditorIn an article in The Sunday Times Motoring(January 22), entitled ‘Car Torque Rules arethere for all’, the author, Hugh Arnett,raises an interesting point about the maxi-mum speed of vehicles allowed throughtraffic lights and pelican crossings.

However, his assertion that traffic regu-lations are not clear regarding thisissue and that 60km/h is a “stupidly” highspeed for traffic approaching a pelicancrossing is both incorrect and misleadingfor readers.

It may interest Mr Arnett to know thatspecific design standards for pedestriancrossings have been legally binding underMaltese law since 2003.

Maltese law requires that any persondesigning or building a road or carryingout maintenance or other work thereonshall comply with the ‘Design and Con-struction Standards for Road Works’.

The UK’s Design Manual for Roads andBridges (DMRB) contains the relevantstandards to be used by highway and traf-fic engineers for the design of roads,bridges, junctions and crossings.

The DMRB was, in fact, adapted to na-tional technical standards under the aus-pices of the same German professor beingreferred to in the article.

The design of pedestrian crossings is ex-tensively covered by Local Transport Note2/95, published by the UK Department forTransport.

This technical guidance prescribes theuse of different pedestrian crossing types fordifferent road conditions based on trafficspeed, traffic volume, number of pedestri-ans and road geometry, among others.

As a strict rule, a zebra crossing shouldnot be installed on roads where the 85thpercentile speed of approaching traffic isless than 56km/h, whereas signal-con-trolled crossings should not be installedwhere the 85th percentile speed of ap-proaching traffic is higher than 80km/h.

In this respect, use of signal-controlledcrossings on roads that have posted speedlimits of 60km/h, such as Valletta Road,Mosta, is in full conformity with theDMRB and Maltese law.

We would be more than pleased to pro-vide Mr Arnett with a copy of Local Trans-port Note 2/95, so that he may becomebetter informed on the subject, thusavoiding the promulgation of incorrectdata to the public.

VICTOR BATTISTINO Senior manager, Customer Care and Media,Corporate Services Directorate.

FIRST DRIVE Volvo XC90 D5 AWD SE Lux


The XC90 is 10 years oldthis year and, despitenot having changed allthat much, it looksnone the worse for the

time gone by.It is Volvo’s most successful

model, responsible for £3.8 billion(€4.58 billion) of revenue worldwidein its most successful year in pro-duction. For 2012 it has been fresh-ened up ahead of a completely newreplacement scheduled for 2014, sowhat better way to test it than to takeit for a very long drive.

Active types – sailors and thelike – are more likely to own aVolvo than any other brand ofcar, according to Volvo’s ownresearch.

Over the years, sales figureshave indirectly pared the XC90range down to just one engine.More were offered for some yearsbut the vast majority of peoplenever looked past the D5 diesel sothese days that’s all you can have.Nobody seems to mind.

The latest version is smooth,quiet and refined, although sincethis one is as new to the world as atiny lamb in spring, its full per-formance and efficiency will take awhile to show. With so few milesunder its belt it’s quite obviously abit tight.

What’s most impressive aboutthe XC90 is the almost completelack of wind noise. For such a bigcar with hardly inconspicuousfrontal dimensions, it is a real sur-prise how quietly it cuts throughthe air.

But all things considered the caris really very comfortable for cruis-ing. Even on German motorwayswhere the speed limit is just a rec-ommendation, anything up to 90mph feels almost perfectly relaxed.

Only almost, though, becauseparts of the XC90 are showing theirage. The six-speed automatic gear-box simply doesn’t have a tallenough top gear, and 70 mphequates to well over 2,000 rpm. Italways feels like there should be anextra gear or two.

The handbrake is another bug-bear. You press a lever with your

foot to engage it, and then pull aseparate one with your hand to re-lease it. But when you do the latter,the loud thunk as the foot-oper-ated lever flings back to its originalposition is pretty unnecessary.

The practicality on offer is moreimpressive. The seven seats and

extremely flexible config-uration mean that theseating arrangements canbe set up just how youmost need them to be.

A split tailgate provides aperch for sitting, and the

buttons on the dashboard are allbig, chunky and robust so you canuse them even with thick gloves on.

The SE Lux model I drove had avery handy feature for driving onthe continent, which alters the di-rection of the headlights to suitdriving on the right. It sums up

how well the XC90 has beenthought out and developed overtime.

On detours through London andIngolstadt, the XC90’s relativelyslow-reacting steering is obvious,but that only encourages the kindof slower, more relaxed drivingthat suits family life. It is in no waysporty, though.

It is not as obviously stylised, asextrovert or perhaps as fashion-able as some of the other optionsout there, but it definitely makessome of its rivals look more than alittle overpriced.

The engine is generally bullet-proof after so long in existence,and I cannot think of any locationor situation where the XC90 wouldlook out of place. It has a kind ofunderstated, inoffensive class thattends to inspire respect and appre-ciation, rather than automaticallygetting people’s backs up as somany large 4x4s do.

The XC90 showed what it is allabout. It’s not as flashy as some,but it still looks great and it copeswith all aspects of life at least aswell as anything else on the road.

MATT KIMBERLEY

Still looks great

TOP SPEED127mph.

0-100km10.3 seconds.

ECONOMY34mpg.

C02219g/km.

ENGINE2.4-litre turbo-diesel producing197 bhp and 310lb.ft.

TRANSMISSIONSix-speedautomatic gearboxdriving all fourwheels.

AT AGLANCE

If BMW is feeling the pressure re-garding the launch of its latest 3-Series saloon, it is doing a goodjob of hiding it. When you makea car that forms one fifth of your

total sales profile it is important to getit right. Fortunately the German firmhas had plenty of practice, as pastgenerations of the car have been wellreceived by the media and buyingpublic.

The previous model was not per-fect, though. Rear seat occupantscould have done with more leg roomand the performance-oriented MSport models were probably a littletoo extreme for some as the ride wason the harsh side of firm.

In its new ‘F30’ guise, this latest 3-Series saloon addresses such short-comings and goes further regardingengine performance and economy.Many cars will end up in the hands ofcompany car drivers, making any fueleconomy and emissions gains key toits future sales success.

First up, this 3-Series adopts manyof the styling cues of its big brother,the 5- Series. The 3-Series is not onlydifferent on the outside, it is also big-ger on the inside. Longer in lengthand wheelbase, it is the latter that al-lows rear seat occupants to stretchout.

Overall, the car’s cabin is plenty bigenough fore and aft, with the driver-centric fascia easy to use as every-thing is close to hand. At the rearBMW has squeezed more space outof the boot, plus there’s a through-load option further enhancing itspracticality.

BMW is taking a bold decision toseparate the overtly sporting and lux-ury equipment lines. The familiarvalue-based ES and SE models re-main, and now Sport and M Sportmodels have been joined by Modernand Luxury variants offering dis-tinctly more luxurious trim materialsto signal BMW’s desire to lure Volvo,Lexus and Jaguar drivers out of theirplush cabins.

For many fans of the 3-Series it isthe way the car drives that will be themain reason for its appeal. In thisarea BMW’s ability to keep a lid onany weight gains has helped agilityand economy. Furthermore, ad-vances in the engine departmenthave seen power and efficiency gainsacross the board, while alongside thestandard fit six-speed manual gear-box there’s a new eight-speed autounit available for all engines.

The all-turbocharged line-up runsfrom an entry-level 316i to a beefy335i, with the all-important dieselunits expected to represent a consid-erable proportion of sales. In 320dguise, power output is a healthy 184

bhp, while economy is a claimed 61.4mpg. Factor in a tax-friendly 120g/kmCO2 rating and it is not hard to seethis variant as a staple on companycar user chooser lists.

In SE trim you’ll want for little interms of equipment and on-roadability. However, kick it up a notch toSport trim and the added cosmeticand comfort items of kit should makethe ownership experience that bitmore enjoyable.

Sport trim gives you the chance toexperience BMW’s range of M Sportperformance options such as adap-tive suspension. Previous M Sportcars were only really for hardcorefans, but now the proposition is moreforgiving. This translates into a sur-prisingly supple ride over poorly sur-faced roads yet body roll is kept to aminimum so you can attack cornerswith confidence and vigour.

Combine this experience with theelastic nature of the 320d’s power de-livery and you’ve got yourself an in-credibly potent machine. It will sit at

motorway speeds all day long with-out complaint, but when you want tohave some fun it will deliver a near-flawless performance with none ofthe compromises of the old car.

And if you’re not into wringingevery last drop of performance fromyour new 3-Series, there is the 320d Ef-ficient Dynamics to consider. This isBMW’s eco-champion boasting109g/km CO2 and 68.9 mpg in manualtransmission trim. There is a little lessbhp (163 not 184) but refinement andequipment levels have not been sacri-ficed in the name of tax-beating econ-omy. Even this car can be had withBMW’s eight-speed auto gearbox.

BMW’s generosity extends to a hostof new kit for all cars, be it standard fitor optional. The car’s iDrive con-troller and colour screen fall into theformer category for all cars along withfleet-friendly Bluetooth handsfree,while a traffic-aware sat-nav system,reversing camera, the M Sport per-formance add-ons and a variety oftrim and upholstery options comeunder the latter.

Now in its sixth generation, BMW’s3-Series saloon has steadily evolvedinto a car with a wider remit to please,ensuring a broader customer baseand a healthy future in the salescharts. It is still okay to say it is the ul-timate driving machine. Evolutiondictates that it just means somethingdifferent in the 21st century.

IAIN DOOLEY

FIRST DRIVE BMW 320d Sport saloon


TOP SPEED146mph

0-100km7.5 seconds

ECONOMY61.4mpg

C02120g/km

ENGINE2.0-litre diesel unitdeveloping 184bhp.

TRANSMISSIONSix-speed manualtransmission asstandard, drivingthe rear wheels.

AT AGLANCE

Still the ultimate driving machine

“If you want tohave some fun it will deliver anear-flawlessperformance”

NEWS


Cannabis‘doubles risk of crash’

Smoking cannabis within threehours of driving could almostdouble the risk of a serious

crash, research suggests.A review of nine studies found

that drivers were more likely to beinvolved in a collision with anothercar after smoking the class B drug.

Figures show there are around amillion users of cannabis in the UKaged 16 to 24 and around two mil-lion in the 16 to 59 age group.

Research published in the BritishMedical Journal found cannabis useled to a “near doubling of risk of adriver being involved in a collisionresulting in serious injury or death”.

The researchers, from DalhousieUniversity in Canada, said, how-ever, that the impact of cannabisconsumption “on the risk of minorcrashes remains unclear”. Previousstudies suggested cannabis impairsa person’s mental abilities and the‘motor tasks’ needed for safe driv-ing, increasing the risk of a crash.

“The results also accord with re-cent data for collisions that point tothe increasing presence of drugsother than alcohol, especiallycannabis and depressants of thecentral nervous system, in injuredand fatally injured drivers.” PA

JANE KIRBY

The Mercedes-Benz new B-Class waslaunched last Friday at the Mer-cedes-Benz showroom in Lija. Sub-

stantially more agile and efficient, the newB-Class is as comfortable and spacious asever. The vehicle’s lower height and moreupright seat position provide for a first im-pression that hints at the compact sportstourer’s dynamic credentials.

With a new four-cylinder petrol engine fea-turing direct injection and turbocharging, anew diesel engine, a new dual clutch trans-mission, a new manual transmission and newassistance systems, the front-wheel-drive caralso rings in a new technological era for com-pact cars from Mercedes-Benz.

The new B-Class is a typical Mercedessports tourer, offering plenty of space com-bined with impressive dynamic performance

as a hatchback saloon. The characteristiclines of the exterior design indicate both ofthese attributes: front and rear sport a width-emphasising design, with a wide, prominentgrille and headlamps extending along thesides at the front while the rear end featuresa wide rear window, two-piece tail lights withhorizontally offset meander and a large tail-gate with low loading sill.

The new vehicle concept underscores thedynamic aspirations of the new B-Class.The most striking aspect is the reducedheight: at 1,557 mm, the new modelcrouches almost 50 mm lower on the roadthan its predecessor.

The seat height in relation to the road hasalso been reduced by 86 mm in order to fa-cilitate boarding, while maintaining a clearoverview of the vehicle’s contours.

High-quality materials and finely struc-tured surfaces, stylish details, precision work-manship and a new spaciousness – theinterior of the B-Class defines a whole newbenchmark in the compact segment.

The B-Class features new petrol and dieselengines as well as new manual and automatictransmissions. All transmissions and engineshave been developed in-house.

Common features of the new drive systemsare the use of state-of-the-art technologies formaximum efficiency, very smooth running,high tractive power right from low revs, sus-tainability in terms of impending emissionsstandards and low weight.

The new four-cylinder petrol engines markthe launch of a completely new engine series.The combustion process is based on the third-generation Mercedes-Benz direct injection

system which was introduced last year withthe Bluedirect V6 and V8 engines.

The new B-Class is initially available with adisplacement of 1.6 litres, as the B 180 rated at122 bhp and the B 200 with an output of 156bhp. Their maximum torque of 200 and 250Nm respectively is available from an enginespeed of 1,250 rpm. The B 180 CDI generates109 bhp of power, while the B 200 CDI has anoutput of 136 bhp.

The new six-speed manual transmissiondesigned along similarly compact lines as athree-shaft transmission is a close relative ofthe DCT. Very easy gear shifting, low shiftforces, low internal friction and a low weightare among its most important characteristics.

For further information visit www.media.daimler.com; www.mercedes-benz.com orwww.mercedes-benz.com.mt.

THE NEW BCLASS FROM MERCEDES

Heralding a new era in the compact class

FIRST DRIVE Peugeot 3008 2.0 HDi Hybrid4 104g


The concept of a hybridvehicle is no longer new.We have Toyota to thankfor the broad accept-ance of cars that run on

electric as well as petrol power.However, it’s the choice of en-

gine that has put some people off.Petrol power is fine if the fuel ischeap. This goes someway to ex-plaining why Toyota – and Honda– hybrids have been so successfulin North America. Sadly our ‘spe-cial relationship’ has yet to extendto convincing our cousins acrossthe water that diesel is better.

And that is why diesel hybridshave been absent from the pricelists; the American market is thebiggest and the most influential.

That is about to change, how-ever, with the introduction of Peu-geot’s 3008 Hybrid4. Based on astandard 3008, Peugeot has con-nected an electric powertrain tothe car’s rear wheels. In an instantyou’ve got an all-wheel drive familycrossover vehicle, but you’ve also

got a car that can travel for a mileor so on electric power alone. Inthe right conditions it will also pullaway from rest in electric mode, re-ducing the amount of fuel you useand boosting throttle response.

So how does it all work? In sim-ple terms the 3008 Hybrid4 packs aconventional four-cylinder dieselmotor under its bonnet. In thiscase its Peugeot’s higher output 163bhp unit.

At the back is the aforemen-tioned electric motor arrangement.This motor can deliver up to theequivalent of 37 bhp. The batterypack is automatically chargedwithout the need to plug it in some-where like with a conventionalelectric vehicle. The regenerativeprocess happens when you’re offthe throttle, and is most obviousfrom the stronger than usual en-gine braking – around town it’s no-ticeable that you need to use thebrakes less when coasting to a stop.

The two power units’ connectionwith the real world is by Peugeot’sclutchless manual gearbox.

This will be a familiar unit toPeugeot fans and, while it doeshave its quirks, with the addition ofelectric power the automated gearchanges feel smoother than in aconventional car.

Out on the road the 3008 Hy-brid4 behaves almost like a regular3008. The immediate tell-tale signis when you turn the key, as notmuch happens in the noise depart-ment. With the default start-upmode electric, it is possible to pullaway with just the distant whine ofthe electric motor. If the car detectsmore power is required, the diesel

engine fires intolife. From then on it’sjust like driving a diesel-pow-ered 3008 that is until you stop asthat’s when the engine stops. Moveoff and, if there’s enough batterycharge, you’ll power away in elec-tric mode and start the automaticpower-juggling cycle again.

If there’s one thing the hybridvariant does share with its conven-tional 3008 cousin, it is a rotarycontroller allowing you to changetransmission modes.

To counter the need for a gen-uinely costly all-wheel drive

system, Peugeot adopteda traction control sys-

tem dubbed Grip Con-trol. The Hybrid4model goes a step fur-ther; you can switchbetween all electric(EV), power, auto and

4x4 modes. Of course, ‘forcing’ the

car into EV mode will onlylast for as long as there’s suffi-

cient charge in the battery, whichmeans driving gently to achieve the‘couple of miles’ goal. The flipside isthe power mode, which unleasheseverything the 3008 has for maxi-mum acceleration and perform-ance, while the 4x4 mode

engages the rear axle for added trac-tion on slippery grass and muddytracks. Predictably, leaving the carin the auto mode seems to work wellduring general driving duties.

The technical competencedemonstrated by the 3008 Hybrid4is but one element of its appeal.Peugeot readily admits that itsfocus is on company car drivers as,with the base specification car out-putting 99g/km CO2, the tax bene-fits will be attractive. Also, there’sthe ability offset the full cost of thecar against company profits in thefirst year of ownership.

Not bad for a five-seat, 200 bhphigh-rise hatchback with the samekit as a regular 3008 plus Peugeot’srecently improved build qualityand premium cabin ambience.

Sure, the hybrid model won’t suiteveryone’s needs, but it’s a boldfirst step in the realm of diesel-elec-tric hybrids and shows plenty ofpromise.

IAIN DOOLEY

A bold step indiesel hybrids

TOP SPEED118mph

0-100km8.5 seconds

ECONOMY70.5mpg

C02104g/km when on 17-inchwheels. 99g/km CO₂ when on16-inch wheels.

ENGINE2.0-litre diesel unit develop-ing 163 bhp. Electric motordevelops 37 bhp.

TRANSMISSIONSix-speed automated manualtransmission as standard,driving the front wheels. Electricmotor drives rear wheels.

AT A GLANCE

“In an instantyou’ve got anall-wheel drivefamilycrossovervehicle”

NEWS


CLASSIC CARS


As the eldest son of one of the first panel beatersin Gozo, you could say that Brian Farrugia hadno choice. While other boys grew up playingwith model Matchbox cars, Farrugia used tohang out at his father’s garage, surrounded by a

variety of vehicles. Today, the smell of the thinner in the carspray mixtures takes him back to his childhood days.

“To make matters worse, my first house was a three-roomed apartment with an inter-connecting garage, so it waspractically impossible for me to get away from cars. I was con-stantly bombarded by cars, to the point that I didn’t knowwhich were my father’s and which were the clients,” he saidwith a smile.

The first car he remembers tinkering with was a blue andchrome Silvercross “buggie”. Eventually this was upgraded toa red pedal model by Ferrari, which was a gift from his grand-father. But he had yet to do any real restoration work. Aged14, the breakthrough happened.

“I wanted my parents to get me a computer, which was quiteexpensive then. My father promised me that if I earned someof the money he would top up the remainder. At the time hewas restoring an old Ford Prefect and I suddenly found myselftaking on the role of official ‘sander’. I doubt my work was anygood but hey, it was a start. And I got my computer.”

A couple of years later Farrugia bought a Triumph 1360 forthe princely sum of Lm92 (worth €214 today) and decided tohave a go at restoring it. Although he had been warned thatthe car needed “some work” before it could go back on theroad, Farrugia figured it would just be a matter of unscrewingthis and replacing that. However, further inspection of theTriumph revealed some interesting details.

“The back seat was smaller than it should have been. Aftershowing it to my dad he told me it was an original convertiblethat was definitely worth saving and restoring. And so I spentthe summer toiling on it.”

Suddenly, what started off as a job to pay for his computerdeveloped into a passion. A short time later Farrugia boughta VW Beetle 1302. The car cost a mere couple of hundred oldMaltese liri. Three months later, also thanks to his father’sinput, it was as good as new.

Fast forward to 2000 and Farrugia was living in Hamburg,Germany. With cars still very much on his mind, all the carshe ever wanted to own were available in Germany, and at rea-sonable prices. While searching online, he found a Jaguar XJSfor sale at an incredible price and decided that the 100 kmtrain journey from Hamburg to view it was worth the effort.

“The lady who owned the Jaguar drove me to a barn whereshe had been storing the car for a couple of years. Sitting thereI found the Jaguar XJS, a Mercedes Ponton, a Mercedes380SL, two Spitfires, six Fiat 500, a model T Ford, a Chevy Im-pala and Christine.”

Christine was an MGB. Farrugia said that the name-givingritual is quite common among vintage car lovers and that,once you find the right car and you “christen” her, then she isyours forever.

“When I first saw her she was lying on four piles of bricksand yet I decided she was to be part of the deal. I took the XJSfor a test drive, went back to the barn and promptly informedthe owner that I wanted to take the MG instead.

“Her reply was far from encouraging; apparently the carhad been stored in the barn for the past couple of decadesand she had no idea if it would even start”.

This didn’t deter Farrugia one bit. He promptly signed thetransfer and got the MGB towed to Hamburg.

He got the car inspected by a British sports car mechanicand finally got Christine running for a mere 300 GermanDeutsche Marks (worth €153 today) and proceeded to use thecar for about 10 years until he brought it back to Malta.

“When I first got Christine she had been stored away for 18years, so there was the usual rust problem, a worn-out softtop, a couple of chewed cables, a rotten radiator and an oldwater pump.

“In reality there was no serious damage. Obviously thepaint needed retouching and a good polish but other thanthat, it was in surprisingly decent condition.”

But upon returning to Malta, Farrugia – egged on by his fa-ther – decided that he wanted to carry out a more thoroughrestoration job. The next six months were spent hunting forall the “missing bits and bobs” needed to make this restora-tion unique.

As soon as he was satisfied, restoration work started inearnest. The job was to take a full year.

“The process practically involved a complete rebuild. Westarted by removing the body parts one by one and sandingthem to bare metal. I don’t like sand-blasting and the glasspearl basting or soda blasting was too new to the market.

“After that we removed the tub from the chassis and sandedthe chassis. Luckily, it needed no repairs at all. My father andI then prepared the chassis for spraying and filled all the cav-ities with a rust proofing compound. Where we found no ac-cess points we ended up having to drill and reseal once thejob was done,” Farrugia said.

After that it was time to take care of the many little rustpatches. Some panels had to be replaced, so new ones weremoulded and all imperfections filed away.

“My father is a puritan so we decided to use the old leadand file method. This means you hammer the bumps almostto perfection and then you fill in the remaining imperfectionswith lead. Finally you get a metal file and file the lead downto get a smooth and perfect surface. With this method you arereally putting metal on metal and no compound materials

such as “stokk” – as we know it in Malta – is used. It is a te-dious job but a very rewarding one as well.”

After the two managed to get the car back in shape, it wastime to take a good look at the 1800cc engine. Valves, pistonsand gaskets were replaced. The engine was repainted.

Once it was running, Farrugia mounted it onto the chassisand to the gearbox and eventually the tub was lowered in itsplace. The car was then prepared for painting and a coupleof coats later, Christine was sparkling black again.

The whole restoration cost €2,000 and some 400 labour hours.Farrugia estimates the car to be worth €15,000, but in reality, forhim, it is priceless and Christine is definitely not for sale.

“Next I have six different projects in line for the next coupleof years. I am working on a Morris Traveller, an Esquire van,a Ford Prefect, a Mercedes 220D and... this week I also got mysecond Suzuki LJ80 and a 1970 Ural old Russian motorbikewith a sidecar.”

Things are set to look busy at the Farrugia garage.

Back to its original gloryWhen classic car enthusiast Brian Farrugia set eyes upon an MGB thathad been stranded in a barn for two decades, it was love at first sight.He tells RAMONA DEPARES how 12 months of restoration workbrought the sought-after model back to its original condition.

“The wholerestoration cost €2,000 and some 400labour hours.Farrugia esti-mates the car is worth€15,000, but in reality ‘she’ is priceless”

A nother special edition Mini has beenreleased, following the Baker Streetand Bayswater limited runs an-

nounced last month.The convertible Highgate continues the

theme of naming the cars after fashionableareas of London. It comes in a metallic brown– ‘iced chocolate’ – colour with a roof andmatching bonnet stripes in ‘silvertouchedtruffle’, another sort of brown.

It can be had in white or black as well, buticed chocolate is unique to the Highgate. Alsounique are the 17-inch ‘double cross turned’alloy wheels, the design of which is appar-ently inspired by the Union Jack.

More brown awaits inside, with ‘dark truf-fle’ leather seats, although they do have bluepiping.

Mini’s ‘chili pack’ is standard, bringing cli-mate control, a multi-function steeringwheel, USB and Bluetooth connectivity and,for the style conscious, multi-coloured inte-rior lighting.

Brushed alloy detailing features on thedashboard and the chrome line packageshave been added inside and out.

A finishing touch comes in the shape of‘Highgate’ lettering on the side indicator sur-rounds, door sills and seat tags.

Further options can be added at the would-be owner’s behest.

Four engine options are being offeredwith the Highgate, borrowed from the reg-ular Cooper, Cooper S, Cooper D andCooper SD. (PA)

Mini Highgate announced

Brian Farrugia and 'Christine' the classic MGB.

NEWS


Described as the world’smost glamorous supercarrally, the winter edition of

the Dodgeball rally is being heldon March 1, seeing billionairesand eccentrics racing expensivetoys across Europe.

Speaking to The SundayTimes Motoring, Johnny Dodge,the man behind the rally, saidthat the name for the rally was aspin on his surname, the iconic‘Cannon Ball Run’ and diehardadventurer Erwin G. ‘Cannon-ball’ Baker, who had set 143American distance records, in-cluding a 53½ hour coast-to-coast solo drive averaging over50 mph in 1933.

The rally is held twice a yearin summer and winter andleaves Mayfair in London withthe first stop in Paris for dinnerand some fun on a closed run-way, onto the Magny Coursracetrack where the exclusiveunveiling of the Furtive eGT,one of the world’s most power-ful electric cars, will be held.

The day comes to an end witha night stop in Burgundy.

The following morning thedrivers will go on a private touraround the small workshops ofLoiseau, makers of the world’smost expensive watches.

The final leg of the rally is astraight shot to an ice table inVerbier, in the Swiss moun-tains.

The rally is open to an exclu-sive group of 30 lucky and richparticipants and is limited to 15cars.

This will allow participants tomeet each other and to fullyenjoy the seven-star servicesthey swear by.

However, not any car is al-lowed in. “It’s all about the wowfactor,” Dodge said.

Among the most exotic carsto be entered were a gold-plated Bugatti Veyron, achrome Mercedes McLarenSLRs, and a unique Lamborgh-ini Performante drivenby Spencer Matthews from hitBritish TV show Made inChelsea.

No Maltese has ever enteredthe rally, but Dodge assured mehe was always looking for newentrants from around the worldto join in the fun.

NIKOLAI ATTARD

Supercar Rally

L ewis Hamilton and JensonButton adopted a differentapproach to their winter

regime in a bid to become For-mula One world champion again.

For Hamilton, it was a case ofbecoming mentally leaner afterthe very public issues thatblighted him on and off track lastseason.

For Button, approaching his13th season in the sport, the 32-year-old has suddenly cottonedon to employing specialist nutri-tional advice to give him thatextra edge.

Hamilton certainly appearedliberated on his first day back inthe spotlight since the end of lastseason as McLaren unveiled theirnew challenger for the comingcampaign, the MP4-27.

The genuine article was onshow at the McLaren TechnologyCentre in Woking, a far cry fromthe tormented soul that sufferedover the closing stages of lastseason.

Numerous on-track incidentsand accidents were compoundedwhen he split from long-term girl-friend Nicole Scherzinger, pro-fessing at the final race weekendin Brazil he still loved her.

Just over two months on andthe 27-year-old has now wrestledwith the demons in his mind fol-lowing a winter in Colorado’sRocky Mountains.

Speaking to Press AssociationSport, Hamilton said: “I feel fresh.I had a really good winter. The

team gave me a good bit of timeoff after such a long season, andobviously we went through a lot.

“But it was just a fantastic win-ter where I got to spend time withfriends and family and was able towind down and let loose.Then Igot into quite an intense training

regime, sitting down inbetween times where I analysedthe year and certain things in mypersonal life which weren’t asgood as they could be.

“I went about correcting thosethings, and today I just feel veryfresh in my mind and very free of

any of the burdens I had on melast year.”

Button admitted that on amental level “nothing hadchanged” as he was “prettyhappy at the end of last year”.

Instead, to gain the slender ad-vantage this year, Button willturn to a great British staple – acooked breakfast.

In tandem with Befit Monaco,an exclusive specialist training

and dietary centre for eliteperformers, Button said:“We’ve been working onnutrition and things likethat.

“It sounds crazy, butwhen you are at the top of

any sport you’ve got to lookfor anything, to run through

different things.“It can keep you positive

and in the right frame ofmind for the time you need

it within the car, and also outof it.

“You’d think it’s easy, not tohave fat and things like that, butthat doesn’t work for certainpeople.

“So a full English is not a badthing for me actually. Steak andeggs is the best thing for me forbreakfast.

“It’s all going really well. I’menjoying it. It’s been a lot of fun.”

IAN PARKES

McLaren drivers’ new approach

ON TEST Opel Corsa Colour Edition


After pulling up at theOpel showroom on agloomy day lastweek, the three-doorOpel Corsa shone out

at me with its Casablanca whiteand contrasting black paint job,powder-coated alloy wheels andblack roof that really distinguishedit from the rest in the showroom.

After walking around the car afew times, I was drawn towards itfrom all angles. From the front,looking straight on, the car sitsslightly lower due to its sports sus-pension which offers a firm, sportyride.

Fog lights with chrome accentspop out of the bumpers and catchyour vision. At its rear, I was metby smoked lights and a chromeexhaust. Every bit of the car accen-tuated its sportiness.

The car is equipped with a 1.2-litre, 16v engine, outputting 85bhp. It is only available as a three-door for the special edition model.

I would have thought Opelwould have given their colour edi-tion a slightly bigger engine withmore power to suit its sportylooks.

Sitting in the driver’s seat, I wasthrilled. The cabin was verybright as the car I was driving wasfitted with the optional

panoramic sunroof. Shame I gotto use it on a rainy day.

Sporty, semi-bucket seatshugged me while I drove whichkept me seated in the right posi-tion. The leather steering wheelfelt well weighted and thick.

When I got stuck in traffic Iwas able to look around thecabin in more detail. The airvents were the same colour asthe exterior paint, adding asplash of colour to the cabin.Alloy pedals threw some moresportiness to the foot well.

I really liked the gear change in-dicator when driving. This littlepiece of technology shows driverswhen it is best to change up ordown a gear.

Another thing that intrigued mewas the indicator stalk. It can beflicked up or down and the indica-tor will blink a few times to alertyou when you intend to overtake.But then when you actually use it,the indicator remains on till youcomplete the turn.

I was a little sceptical aboutdriving the Corsa with its sportssuspension and 17-inch alloys

along most of Malta’s roads.Every time I hit a bump I thoughtit would rattle my spine, but I waspleasantly surprised.

The car absorbed the bumpsvery well and I was amazed at itsroad holding. Don’t get mewrong, you will feel the bumps,but the car handled them verysmoothly.

If you were planning on park-ing this car without damaging thelovely alloys, I would highly rec-ommend digging a little deeper into the pocket and opting for rear

parking sensors, which unfortu-nately are not standard.

In today’s world of ever increas-ing fuel prices, the look and driveof a car are not the only winningfactors. Drivers are more aware ofemissions and engine economy.

The Corsa’s impressive 94g/km and 3.4l/100 km mean thissuper mini can pull 69.2 milesper gallon for those using the im-perial system.

The car is available inCasablanca white, yellow (sunnymelon), magma red, oriental blueand black sapphire.

NIKOLAI ATTARD

Adding colourto life

COMFORTHandled bumps inthe road well withsports suspension.

PERFORMANCENeeded a morepowerful engine tomatch sporty looks.

COOLVery cool with con-trasting wheels androof.

QUALITYWell built cabin feltmore expensivethan it is.

TOP SPEED172km/h.

0-100km14.9 seconds.

ECONOMY3.5 l/100 km.

C0294g/km.

ENGINE1.2l 16v.

POWER85bhp.

MAXIMUMTORQUE115 Nm.

STARTINGPRICE€15,050.

VERDICT

AT AGLANCE

“Every time I hit a bump I thoughtit would rattle my spine, but Iwas pleasantly surprised”

H ere is a sneak peek of thefirst full hybrid superminion the market, the new

Toyota Yaris Hybrid, which willhave its world premiere at theGeneva Motor Show in March.

With the ability to run solely onelectric power, with zero exhaustemissions, it also acts as a closedsystem and never needs to berecharged. The system is similar tothat seen in the Auris Hybrid, butredeveloped in key areas to makeit 20% lighter.

The Yaris Hybrid’s 1.5-litre petrol engine is new, while the motor, battery pack and associatedcomponents are smaller.

The result is a Yaris just like any other with the fam-ily face to match, but combining 98bhp with whatToyota is calling “segment-leading CO2 emissions.”Its key rival is the Honda Jazz Hybrid, which doesn’trun a full hybrid system and emits 104g/km, so expect sub-100g/km from the Yaris.

Toyota is staying tight-lipped about final numbersuntil official tests have been run and the data confirmed.

What’s particularly impressive is that Toyota hasbeen able to package all the hybrid technology with-out compromising interior or boot space at all, leav-ing it with the same 286-litre luggage capacity as anyother version.

Modifications have been made, however, to theaerodynamics of the hybrid model to make sure it’sas efficient as it can be.

There will be driving modes available for using theelectric motor as much as possible, creating a zero-emission, super-quiet car for in-town driving. Whenthe batteries’ energy is depleted the petrol engine willcut back in and help to recharge them.

Final specifications are yet to be confirmed, but all models will come with continuously variable automatic transmissions and climate control. (PA)

NEWS


New Kia Cee’d hasdesigns on the future K orean car maker Kia is to launch an all-new version of its popular

Cee’d at the Geneva Motor Show next month. The all-new Cee’dfive-door hatchback is longer, wider and lower than its predeces-

sor, with the same long wheelbase to ensure plenty of space for passen-gers. The car’s coupe-like proportions are emphasised by a steeply rakedA-pillar, a low belt-line at the front and lengthened side windows.

At the front, new Cee’d is dominated by the latest interpretation ofKia’s trademark ‘tiger-nose’ grille and aggressive, wraparound headlampclusters housing signature LED daytime running lights. Inside, there isa new interior boasting higher quality materials.

Skoda trials electricOctavia T ests have begun on a zero-

emission version ofSkoda’s family

hatchback, whichwill see 10 all-elec-tric Green E LineOctavias rollingaround the streetsof Mlada Boleslav inthe Czech Republic.

The real-world evalua-tions mark Skoda’s first use of an electric powertrain on the public road.The technology, which is being developed in tandem with other Volk-swagen Group companies, will give engineers an insight as to whetherplug-in cars of the Octavia’s size are viable yet.

It will also show the companies those aspects of the systems that needto be improved or could be developed further prior to production.

Using a 60kW (80bhp) motor that can run at up to 114bhp for one-minute bursts, the Octavia Green E Line can hit 62 mph in 12 seconds,with a top speed of 84 mph. The motor’s 199lb.ft of torque is availablefrom zero revs, making it very quick from stationary up to urban speeds.

A total of 180 battery cells make up the energy storage, providing upto 93 miles of range – more than enough for most commuters, saysSkoda. The batteries weigh a total of 315kg and are installed under themiddle and rear of the car in such a way that it can still seat five people.

Dr Eckhard Scholz, board member in charge of research and devel-opment, said: “ŠKODA and the entire Volkswagen Group have a long-time aim, and that is sustainable mobility based on renewable energysources.

“There is no doubt electric propulsion is becoming more and moreimportant for mobility with as low emissions as possible. Working as weare with our Group partners, we think we are making very goodprogress.” (PA)

Subaru’s double debutat Geneva Motor ShowJ apanese car maker Subaru is preparing to wow the crowd at the in-

fluential Geneva Motor Show next month with two new models.First up is the firm’s hotly anticipated new sports coupe, the BRZ.

Developed in co-operation with Toyota, this front-engine, rear-wheeldrive coupe promises affordable performance motoring for keen drivers.Powered by Subaru’s trademark horizontally-opposed 2.0-litre Boxer engine, this car is expected to deliver impressive levels of grip and handling thanks to the lowest centre of gravity of any production car.

Of equal importance will be the unveiling of Subaru’s fourth-genera-tion Impreza. According to its maker, the car will boast superior relia-bility, handling and safety features, while its signature SymmetricalAll-Wheel-Drive system and Boxer engine remain its core features. (PA)

Full hybridYaris set forGeneva

ON TEST The new Hyundai i40 Wagon


At 4,770 mm, the sheerlength combined with anew concept in ratherspecial motoring, marksthe i40 Wagon as a most

intriguing vehicle. It is the modernequivalent of the old station wagon.You know the concept... woodenstruts outside to give it a rural look.

However, the emphasis remainson carrying capacity with both seatsand luggage room.

The unframed question lurking inthe recesses of this driver’s mind areall to do with the darkened rear sidewindows, the ‘rear privacy glass’, thefact that very important executivesor others engaged in a need for con-fidentiality can be wafted aroundour road system, at high averagespeeds, in a great deal of comfort,without the hoi-polloi being re-motely aware of the importance ofthe drive, marks the i40 Wagon asvery special indeed.

On opening the rear lid the sheersize of the hold reveals that this ve-hicle is designed for five people and

a lot of luggage. However, the reallyinteresting fact is that in two-seatmode with the entire rear forming aluggage platform, the load capacitygoes from an entertaining 553 litres,to a mind-bending 1,719 litres, with-out the use of a roof rack.

Initially there was some concernthat the car, taking up 1,815 mm ofroad, without taking into accountthe door mirrors would, combinedwith its length, be a bit of a liabilityon lesser roads. In fact, the car is sowell balanced and she handles soprecisely that bulk fails to reallyenter into the equation.

However, going backwards with-out the rear view camera working aswell as it does would en-tail slow progress usingthe door mirrors contin-uously. The parking as-sist was used extensively,given the fact that thesteering parks the car,twirling away merrily.

Speed and braking arestill under the control ofthe pilot’s feet, and be-lieve me, the rear viewcamera then comes into

its own as the parking sensors bleattheir merry tune, while a degree ofapprehension creeps into the con-trollers’ mind.

The 1,685cc CRDi diesel developsa reasonable 114 bhp at 4,000 rpm,and combined with a great amountof torque, 260Nm from 1,250-2,750revs per minute, the car is well ableto maintain high average speedseven when fully laden.

She’s a pleasantly responsive carto drive with a great many electronicwizardries, including cruise controlfor those owners engaged on long orlazy travel. Of more immediate rele-vance to drivers in Malta we obvi-ously used on test the ABS, BAS

(Brake Assist System), HAC (Hill As-sist Control), ESS (Emergency StopControl) and importantly, VSM (Ve-hicle Stability Management) andESC (Electric Stability Control).

This has its own on/off switch, andon a dry day driving in Malta it wasimpossible to tell the difference whenthe switch was off. This says a lot forthe car’s inherent stability.

The power steering was light andsurprisingly positive, and eventhough the vehicle had only twopeople on board, the brakes weresuperbly responsive, never tried to‘grab’ and were progressive ratherthan sudden and immediate.

I have a personal preference for a‘normal’ handbrake rather than thecontemporary trend towards havingto use the brake pedal to engage,and disengage the hand brake, for Ifeel that most drivers will forget whatthey were taught as learners, andsimply sit with the foot brake in use,using the hand brake only as a park-ing brake. Please prove me wrong.

The interior has been properly setup and finished to a veryhigh standard. The electri-cally operated seats pro-vided all the movementsrequired, including a liftfunction. The steering col-umn is also adjustable, tiltand telescopic modes beingavailable. There are sevenair bags, very good seat beltsand reactive head restraints.

The feeling of safetywithin the passenger area isreally most extraordinarilyreassuring.

The 17-inch wheels rodethe undulations well, andwith MacPherson strutsand coil springs up front

with a multi-link type rear suspen-sion with stabiliser bar the wholepackage seems ‘glued’ to the road,and the six-speed gearbox with itsdelightful manual change allowedthe most to be made of every op-portunity.

It almost goes without sayingthese days that the air-conditioningpackage and the various mediafunctions are fantastic with manycontrols being conveniently placedon the steering wheel, and of course,the i40 is no different.

All-in-all this wagon not only looksgreat, is beautifully finished to veryhigh standards with all the comfortsrequired for happy travelling, butwith its enormous potential for cart-ing things, or people, the i40 fills thebill, and she is also available insedan version to fill a market niche.

HUGH ARNETT

An unexpected drive COMFORT

No hesitation at all.

PERFORMANCESatisfactory for asmall diesel. Bear inmind the fastestpetrol version getsto 100 km/h in only9.7 seconds.

COOL‘Cool’ is the wrongword to use. I wouldgive it five stars formulti-functionality.

QUALITYIn class, this car isright up there withthe very best.

TOP SPEED184km/h

0-100km12.9 seconds

ECONOMY4.3 l/100 kmtravelled.

C02122g/km

ENGINE1,685cc commonrail injected diesel.Euro 5 rating.Four cylinders,double overheadcamshaft, 16 valves.Gear change –six-speed manual

POWER114bhp at 4,000rpm.

MAXIMUMTORQUE260Nm from 1,250to 2,750rpm.

STARTINGPRICE€28,850

VERDICT

AT AGLANCE

“Looks great, isbeautifullyfinished, withenormouspotential forcarting people”

NEWS


Paris classic car auction makes history

Harleyunveilsstunningnew 72 A stunning new retro

custom bike has beenrevealed by Harley-David-

son – the Sportster 72.The 72 is based on the Sport-

ster XL1200 series, but with moreof an emphasis on styling fromyesteryear, including spectacularflaked paintwork and slim, white-wall tyres.

It harks back to the glory daysof the 1970s ‘custom chop’ stylethat originated from WhittierBoulevard, a street in East LosAngeles otherwise known asRoute 72.

The paint, called Hard CandyBig Red Flake, is created by ap-plying a black base coat, followedby a polyurethane system thatcarries hexagon-shaped flakesthat are more than seven timesthe diameter of metal flake usedin typical production paint.

Each flake is coated with a thinaluminium film and thentinted red. Four applications ofclear coat, combined with hand-sanding, create a smooth finishover the flakes for an amazingfinish.

“In creating the 72, we werevery much inspired by the vibe ofthe early chopper era,” FrankSavage, Harley-Davidson man-ager of Industrial Design, said.

“Those bikes were colourfuland chromed, but also narrowand stripped down to the essen-tials. You look at period examplesand they are almost as simple asa bicycle. The 72 reflects the cre-ative urge of riders from yester-year in a thoroughly modernpackage.

The 1200cc, fuel-injected V-twin engine is familiar from exist-ing Sportster bikes.

The two staggered, chromedexhausts are beautiful, adding toan extremely well-proportionedbike. The fuel tank is as small asit looks, however, measuring just7.9 litres. That means fill-ups costlittle over €15. (PA)

H istory was made last Friday week as the biggest-ever sale of collectors’ cars in France tookplace.

In a five-hour auction that saw €14.5 million of clas-sic cars change hands, the star attraction was the Fer-rari 250 GT California bought new by Roger Vadim. Thefamous French filmmaker’s old car sold for its top esti-mate of €4 million before fees and taxes were added,making a final sale price of just over €4.5 million.

Also under the hammer at the Artcurial auction wasa 1913 Delauney Belleville Type 06 8-litre, dismantledand hidden during World War II and only rediscovereddecades later. It sold for €471,800.

Ninety per cent of more than 100 cars offered weresold in front of a crowd of over 1,000 people. Amongthe stranger of the lots was a Citroen 2CV from 1965,with just 116 miles from new. Its new owner paid amildly shocking €59,600 for it.

The auction is further proof that classic cars are avery sound investment in economically challengingtimes. While banks can print more money, cars likethese can never be made again and the double-whammy of scarcity and heritage makes these cars verytempting to investors.

BEHIND THE WHEEL WITH


What car do you drive?I actually drive a scooter. It is onlyon very rainy days and/or when Ihave items to transport that I drivemy trusty old Fiat Punto – whichalso doubles up as a van (with theback seat lowered) which I use totake our two dogs for a run in thecountryside.

What do you usually look for in acar?Fuel efficiency, reliability, andpracticality.

Style?Not really, and the less gadgets thebetter.

Were you scared when you firststarted driving or were you anatural?My first means of transport was amotorbike, which I got when Iturned 18. I also got to drive mymother’s car a number of times.

Exams always make me verynervous and it was no differentwhen it came to my driving test.Back then, the motorbike drivingtest involved setting off, switch-ing on the indicator while stillwithin the examiner’s sight and

going round the block on yourown. If you came back in onepiece you passed the test.

My first car was a red and whiteCitroen 2CV (commonly known asa Dolly) which, apart from theSkoda, was the least expensive caron the market. Loved it! Pity theydon’t make them anymore.

What was your worst/best car?I have owned three cars – theDolly, a Fiat Punto and currently,a Honda Fit (which is the familycar). They all suited my style andrequirements at the time, so I re-ally cannot trash any of them.

The Dolly is a fun car; but I wasdisappointed that its chassis col-lapsed after only seven years –which seems to be an inherent de-fect. Considering that Citroencontinued to churn this model outfor over four decades one wouldhave expected such a defect tohave been ironed out by then!

What is your dream car?A Jaguar E-Type. But I’m toomuch of an environmental activistto enjoy long, fuel-guzzling rides ifI ever owned one. I think I’ll stickwith the scale model.

Do you consider yourself to be agood driver?I think I drive well when I’m be-hind a steering wheel, not least

because I’m usually on the scooterand am very apprehensive ofother motorists’ bad driving.

What do you keep in your glovebox?The car’s manuals, log book, apen, some small change – essen-tially things that are related to thecar. Nothing terribly exciting orworth stealing.

Do you suffer from road rage atall? And what drives you mad be-hind the wheel? I think road rage is a waste of en-ergy so I sensibly avoid getting allworked up and spoiling my day ormood. However, having said that,if it weren’t for the radio I’d prob-ably get worked up in traffic. It’s agood thing that I do not often ex-perience traffic jams as I’m gener-ally on the scooter and I canchoose when to start and leavework and thus avoid peak hours.

What’s the best music to driveto?Anything that happens to be play-ing on the radio. There is an ele-ment of spontaneity/surprise inradio that you don’t get from a CD.

Have you ever had a crash?Whose fault was it and how didyou deal with it?The only crashes that come tomind are those I had with mymotorbike/scooter, for obviousreasons.

Do you know how to change aflat wheel? Do you actually do ityourself?Of course I do. How can an engineernot change a flat wheel himself?

Who would be your perfectpassenger?A silent one.

What’s the craziest thing you’veever done in a car? This is a family paper, right? So I’llsay that it was when I took theDolly off-roading on the Selmunclay slopes. It trudged along wherefour-wheel drives got terriblybogged down and stuck.

Who cleans your car and howoften?Cleaning the car is a waste of timeand water. As long as I can see outof the car windows and the head-lamps emit enough light, I’m fine.

Have you ever messed up badlywhile driving? Any funny storiesto tell?I was once followed by a crazy guy

all the way from Mosta to Mġarrbecause the guy got all worked upwhen I flashed my lights at him fordriving in the middle of the road.

I was driving the Dolly then; hewas driving an old Triumph. I tookadvantage of the slope of the arterialroad leading to Mġarr to overtake

him, but when I did I could hearhim changing gear and acceleratingto ram his car into mine.

We raced all the way to theMġarr police station where Istopped and ran in shouting “Qedjiġri warajja, qed jiġri warajja” (he’schasing me, he’s chasing me).

Of course, he had disappearedby the time the police came out.

What do you think of Maltesedrivers in general? Now that I am a father of two kids,I am contemplating life insurance.Need I say more?

Water technology expert MarcoCremona tells RAMONA DEPARESthat he prefers getting around on twowheels, rather than four.

Me andmy car

Marco’s trusty old Fiat Punto doubles up as a van used to take his dogs for a run. Photo: Jason Borg

“Cleaning the car is a waste of timeand water. As long as I can see outof the car windows and the head-lamps emit enough light, I’m fine”

OLD MOTORS ENCOUNTERS – JOHN PULLICINO


John Pullicino grew up in a house onthe outskirts of Attard facing the dis-used Ta’ Qali airstrip, which servedas an unofficial racing track for thespeed-loving motoring enthusiasts.

His earliest recollections feature handfulsof Minis, Mini Coopers, Triumph Spitfires,Alfa Romeos, MGBs and Midgets noisilygoing through their paces in strong competi-tive spirit at various times of the day, as wellas night, largely undisturbed by the police.

“I was only eight at the time, but the sight ofthese racing cars left an indelible impressionon me. The Triumph Spitfires always caughtmy eye. I was determined to buy one when Igrew up,” he said.

“Other early classic car influences were the1958 Hillman Minx which my father Josephand my brother Edgar, used to run. I remem-ber Edgar getting to grips with any mechanicalproblems in the family car or motorcycleswhich he had – and still has.”

“He would not let me touch anything in thegarage; but although I did not take part in thetechnical work, I stood beside him, absorbed,observing and learning.”

While still at university Pullicino workedpart-time and saved every penny to realise hisdream. In 1979, the opportunity presented it-self: the owner of a 1964 Triumph SpitfireMark I was emigrating, and wanted to sell.Pullicino was soon behind the wheel of theTriumph, one of the first to roll off the MaltaCar Assembly line in Marsa.

“But it was a case of buy in haste, and relentat leisure,” he admitted. While the body wasin a very good condition, the same could notbe said of the engine. Strange noises were fre-quently emitted from under the bonnet, andthe car was working only on one carburetor.

Pullicino took it to a friend’s garage in Paola,where he gave the engine a full overhaul andrestored it to good running order. He used itfor two years prior to selling it. “It had becometoo expensive to run, and my father offeredme the use of his Mini, which by contrast wasvery economical.”

Before getting married, Pullicino was build-ing a house in Attard, and he wanted a practi-cal and strong car to carry constructionmaterials. His eyes fell on a 1968 TriumphHerald 13/60 convertible.

“The body of the blue vehicle was in a faircondition, while the engine was still good. Thevehicle was robust enough for the tasks that Iwanted it to do, and moreover, the Triumphsare easy to work on mechanically.”

After the house was finished, John wantedto show his appreciation for the now tiredclassic car by giving it a face lift. The rubber

bumpers were restored, a proper hood wasfitted, and the vehicle was sprayed again, thistime in red.

The Herald was introduced in 1959 by theStandard Triumph Company of Coventry inEngland. It was designed by the well knownItalian Giovanni Michelotti, who incidentallyalso designed the Spitfire.

Some time later, a chance conversationwith a colleague revealed that there was aVolkswagen Beetle available for free. The onlysnag was that its owner, a doctor, had garagedit for six years, and there were back-dated li-cences to be paid.

“When I saw it, I realised why the ownerwanted to give it away,” Pullicino said as heflipped through a wad of photos showing theBeetle in its cobwebbed condition. However,even in that state, he could see that the 1964

grey vehicle had great potential. It only knewone owner, who had left everything in it as itwas, not even bothering to ever wash it. Thecarpets as well as the roof lining were in im-peccable condition.

John subsequently embarked on a labourof love project that took one year to complete.

The vehicle was dismantled, and therunning boards and the mudguards re-placed. The main body shell needed verylittle attention.

The spray was left in the hands of his friend,Lino Grima, who came up with the originalanthracite grey for most of the body, with theside panels sprayed ruby red.

Known as the People’s Car, the Volkswagensaw the light of day in Germany in 1937. It re-ally took off after WWII, when, after Americanand British car companies wanted nothing todo with it, it was taken over by the West Ger-man government, and became part of thecountry’s economic revival.

The finished VW gave Pullicino a sense ofeuphoria, and having gained so much expe-rience working on it, he went back to the Tri-umph Herald to restore it from scratch.

The project involved dismantling it piece bypiece at home in Attard, taking the parts forstorage in a Balzan garage, and bringing theitems back to Attard one by one to work oneach individual part. The nut and bolt restora-tion was lengthy and arduous, and took fiveyears to complete, with Grima also chippingin with assistance at times. One of the biggest

headaches was the reinstallation of one of thedoors, which would just not fit in again.

Another hiccup was the new colour. Pulli-cino wanted it yellow. But when the paint ar-rived, it was green. The agent would notchange it, but at least came up with a formulato change the green to yellow. “It is a uniqueyellow, made in Malta, and only I have thecombination for it,” Pullicino said.

Over the moon with the ship-shaped con-dition of his two restored classics, Pullicinonow wanted to keep them in that state, andwas reluctant to use them daily. For such taskshe sought a 1968 Ford Escort Mark I Estate.One of the features that attracted him to it was

an unusual sunroof. The vehicle was soon thesubject of a rolling rebuilt. The original1,300cc engine needed very little attention, al-though the clutch, mountings, and shock ab-sorbers were replaced.

The body required some panel beating, aswell as rust removal, and repainted in erminewhite. The white roof was replaced with amore contrasting black vinyl top.

The Escort was manufactured by the FordEuropean Division between 1968 and 2003,and the early models have become muchsought-after classics, with a number of Britishenthusiasts coming to Malta to look for them.

Pullicino is full of praise for the workman-ship, style and practicality of classic cars, andhas second thoughts about modern cars. “Forme, car production as we knew it, stopped in1995 with the advent of such techniques asfuel injection and computerisation. Today thenew car buyer is a victim, at the mercy of theagent, the computer, and depreciation. Thesame cannot be said of old vehicles”.

Pullicino is lucky in that all the members ofhis family – wife Liz and sons Jonathan andBenjamin – are ardent classic car lovers.

He sees the local old motoring environ-ment as growing significantly, with a nucleusof professional people involved in the restora-tion of classic vehicles. He also considers aspositive official steps taken to encourage andassist old car owners, like the multiple own-ership registration.

He has strong views about the argumentthat old cars pollute. “When one considershow much energy goes into transporting allthe parts needed to assemble a new car, thenthe argument does not hold much water”. www.oldmotorsclub.com

JOSEPH BUSUTTIL

Labours of love

“For me, car production stopped in 1995with the advent of computerisation”

John Pullicino with his 1964 VW Beetle (above) and (top right) with his 1964 Triumph Spitfire Mk1. (Right, below) The 1968 TriumphHerald 19/60 Convertible. Photos: Jonathan Pullicino

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