Comments

Sir,

I read with much interest your article “The Diesel Background” in the January issue. I purchased, with what I care to think was much foresight, a diesel-engined LWB, hard-top, Land-Rover, last summer and have since never failed to be amazed at the capabilities of this truly versatile vehicle. The ability to travel from Bristol to London on 5 gallons of “Derv.” has more than endeared me, the change being a fairly radical one following an MG TC, and a Triumph Spitfire (both pleasant, but with too many shortcomings to be really satisfactory). Admittedly I now limit myself to a leisurely gait of 55 m.p.h., but as this exceeds our present limit by 5 m.p.h., I feel more than compensated by a feeling of stability and being intelligently put together that almost encourages one to go for a stroll around the rear, confident that with the hand-throttle set the chosen engine course has not deviated.

However, in serious vein, I do consider a vehicle capable of transporting self to work and daughter to school on an expenditure of 3 gallons a week (until recently at 34p per gallon) combined with a comprehensive insurance premium of £21.50 per year, to be approaching the commuter’s dream (longterm), provided one has lost the youthful aspirations for “setting the world alight”!

Bristol Michael Pugh