NONE

— GERMANY —

— — Sir, Like your reader F. L. Hodgson, B.A.0.11I am not in the habit

of writing to magazines. However, his apparent sick-, weari, and tiredness over the praise and space devoted to the VW (which may in due time result in a constant hangover . . .).inspired me to change my :suit ode for once. In the MI I titian of 1954. 1 decided to buy a new car, a 1.5-litre saloon,

in the ” medium-price 1.111sti ”—acvirlittg i GVI-111811 standards. Since I had a faithful belief in the geod workinanship :Ind line finish of British ears, since I wanted a-for the German street scene.— slightly individual vehicle and not the German micro-consin of well-known Detroit dragons and the like, since the car should both serve for professional purposes. and ” sheer joy of motoring” (to borrow a well-known advertising siege’s), I. let my mind wander among the Humber Hawk, Wolseley 4/44. Standard Vanguard II and M.G. Magnette. The M.G., since it promised a slightly sporting touch and features—for my taste—a quite pleasing, appealing body styling, had to be considered tops in any choice.;

I must not forget to mention that the German representatives and sales people of all these !stakes were most concerned in my inquiries and did their best to give me. all the information I asked for, including demonstration rides, etc.

Them my mind nearly’sitade up With which kind of vehicle I wanted to purchase, I decided to get the ,ante information and demonstration On hut one German car—just for comparison. I chose the Bergward Isabella— and bought it.

The advantages : It saved me about DM 2.000 in the first place. Technical det ails were more pleasing : motor capacity, acceleration, fuel consumption, suspension. roadholding—and the most efficient brakes ever experienced in a car of this (lass. To say nothing of the body—which is .a matter of taste. I admit. and space accommodation.

The Isabella was two months iii production when I decided to buy it. Friends and strangers warned me. that I would experience many troubles with such a newly designed car, offering apocalyptical storiesAnd prophecies of the dreadful incidents that 1 would encounter in the first 5 to 10,000 kilometres of driving. I have now driven more than 25,000 kilometre,» and must suspect that the wild adventures pictured by friends and strangers will remain. fiction. Instead, Isabella has given me a feeling of security, safety and enough speed to make my way just a bit faster than other ears

in the Same Class–including even iionid of higher im wer city traffic as well as on long autobahn stretches. At i.1 I rest assured, although not the tiniest trouble has shown ,o Far, that it help or spares should be wank,’ fast under the ti tiling 50.non kilometres of driving, they can be had liii lima troublein Stm t earl ,I lainburg or Zurich, MI well as iii Capetown, Fort aim: or Simi bay a . . . Automatic transmission was introduced hy BergWard in Germany in 19511-10 answer another ;mint 01 Mr. Hodgson. Comparing

Isabella with the I:it roi,n, I -hull that while the latter is a really ” progressis ” car of 1114. fut ore (tomorrow’s car today). Borgward has all the experiences of the past three or four motoring years to produce a solid. modern, up-tool ate car of technical top value at a moderate price.. This leaves other ears in the same • class

As for the VW controversy, I earl only say that a relative of mine has by now completed about 195.000 kilometres (with but One engine). Professional reasons force the vehicle over hundreds and thousands of Bavarian roads in prehistoric condition. The good old little VW rattles and aches—but it has never been defeated by Snow, ice, mud, rain or lousy roads. It’s simply the car for the man who needs one—and wants to keep his economics straight.

I hope these lines will encourage you not to change the name of your magazine—as reader Hodgson suggests—even if Jaguar don’t care to submit their motoring products for a fair road test. Maybe they had better advertise their ears in fashion and glamour magazines instead, in that case.

In ease reader Hodgson would want to brand my statement as an outburst of patriotic enthusiasm, I hasten to add that the “car for my future” would come from one Italian stable of old tradition and high reputation, in Milan . . . I am, Yours. ete,

Stuttgart. TEDDY LE.