@davidwilkins@mastodon.online
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davidwilkins

@davidwilkins@mastodon.online

Slow-living cardiologically challenged Fenlander trying to cram less and less into each day. I write about cars but not as much as before. Electric is my thing (EV-ing since 2013). Life-long Labour member of a centrist persuasion. English of Welsh extraction. Interested in Germany (lived there twice). US politics/CNN fan. Like cats but I don’t have one myself. Studied at Oxford and Bayes. Live in the beautiful cathedral city of Ely. Background pic: North Shore beach at Skegness. #davidsdailycar

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davidwilkins, to Jeep
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We tend to think of vehicles such as yesterday’s Audi A6 Allroad that blur the boundaries between off-road vehicles and road cars as a recent development. But softroaders and crossovers, as we call them today, have a much longer history. This is the 1948 Jeepster, produced by Willys-Overland in order to sustain production levels after the Second World War. The Jeepster was RWD rather than 4WD. Snapped: Rétromobile Paris, 2014.

davidwilkins,
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@MarSolRivas Probably of necessity! BTW Ford was responsible for a large proportion of Jeep production to the Willys design in the Second World War because of its mass production expertise acquired in part via the T. Apparently the distinctive Jeep grille with nine sausage shaped cutouts was devised by Ford because it was easier and cheaper to stamp this part rather than fabricate the slatted Willys version. At least according to a random YouTube video I was watching the other day.

davidwilkins,
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@MarSolRivas It's an amazing machine. Ford let me drive one of theirs many years ago, although strictly speaking I think it may have been a replica.

davidwilkins,
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@MarSolRivas @niavy Now I'm really envious (there doesn't appear to be an emoji for that!). The oldest Peugeot I've driven was a 504 - although that was brilliant for its age.

davidwilkins,
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@MarSolRivas @niavy My dad had one when back in the seventies but I didn't get the chance to drive one until a few years ago. I love those things!

davidwilkins,
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@MarSolRivas @niavy This is the closest I’ve got to owning one - 1:18!

image/jpeg

davidwilkins,
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@MarSolRivas @niavy The 204 is a lovely design - also, the diesel version was years ahead of the competition.

davidwilkins,
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@MarSolRivas @niavy It must have been older than you?

davidwilkins,
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@MarSolRivas @niavy After his 504, my dad got one of the first 305s. The engine etc. were evolved from the 204. I partly learnt to drive on that car - it was very good.

davidwilkins,
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@MarSolRivas @niavy You wouldn’t get away with that on a modern car - BMWs are so fussy that you get clogged windscreen washer jets if you don’t use BMW’s own special washer fluid…

davidwilkins, to random
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After yesterday’s powerful RS 6, today we’re looking at another slightly exotic off-shoot of the Audi A6 Avant estate in the form of the Quattro Allroad version, seen here at the UK press launch of the last-generation model in Devon and Cornwall in 2012. Whereas the RS 6 uses its Quattro all-wheel drive system for the original purpose of improving on-road handling, the Allroad is a crossover/softroader, designed to cope with (occasional) contact with mud.

Black C7 Audi A6 Quattro Allroad Avant, rear quarter view
Black C7 Audi A6 Quattro Allroad Avant, rear badge detail
Black C7 Audi A6 Quattro Allroad Avant, 3.0-litre V6 TDI engine

davidwilkins,
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A small bonus. Some bold horses and sheep from the 2012 A6 Allroad press drive. I don’t remember the exact test route but I think this is probably Dartmoor or nearby. 🐴 🐑

Some sheep

davidwilkins,
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@MarSolRivas That sounds like a French sheep to me - British sheep go baa-baa! 🇬🇧 🐑

davidwilkins,
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@MarSolRivas Not sure. Welsh sheep can do or say anything they like - they are far more numerous than Welsh people so they are in the majority! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🐑

BTW it occurs to me that there is a single person in whom the elements of ‘Audi’, ‘French’ and ‘sheep’ are united…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michèle_Mouton

davidwilkins,
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@MarSolRivas Interesting - not familiar with that. Must read up about it. Pre-satellite, my late father used to have an enormous antenna on my parents’ house in Gloucestershire in order to receive S4C from over the border. I think S4C’s previous main children’s export was SuperTed.

davidwilkins,
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@MarSolRivas Very good! 🧸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

MarSolRivas, to random French
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📅 Aujourd'hui 24 février, journée mondiale des barmaids et barmen. On fête Modeste.

davidwilkins,
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@MarSolRivas One cup of tea please.

davidwilkins,
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@MarSolRivas I had something a bit more brown and milky in mind but green tea is fine!

davidwilkins,
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@MarSolRivas This is the approximate shade to aim for with British customers. Here’s some Tetley to keep behind the bar for my next visit!

MarSolRivas, to random French
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📅 Aujourd'hui 23 février, journée mondiale du biscuit pour chien. On fête Alexandre.

davidwilkins,
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@MarSolRivas I hope there’s going to be a World Cat Food Day as well to balance things out! 😸

MarSolRivas, to random French
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Première fleur 😊🌺

davidwilkins,
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@MarSolRivas Is this a new regular series?

davidwilkins,
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@MarSolRivas That's a pity! I know almost nothing about flowers but they always make me feel positive - a bit like any photo of a cat will make me smile. 🌷 😸

davidwilkins,
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@MarSolRivas Of course, any pictures featuring both cats and flowers...

davidwilkins,
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@MarSolRivas Deservedly so. 😺

davidwilkins, to random
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Today, we’re sticking with the first-generation B1 Volkswagen Passat in the form of the ‘Variant’ estate/station wagon model. I snapped this 1974 example at Techno Classica Essen last year. This particular B1 is lovely but slow - 1.3 litres, 55 horsepower, 0-100 Km/h in 18 seconds. Top speed 145 Km. I’d still have one though. Going fast is so over-rated. Nine generations later, the current Passat is estate-only.

White B1 Volkswagen Passat Variant estate car/station wagon, side view
White B1 Volkswagen Passat Variant estate car/station wagon, rear quarter view

davidwilkins,
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@MarSolRivas Yes, that one was slow but lively.

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