Beaulieu

The National Motor Museum is 40. I first went to the rather ramshackle buildings of the former Montagu Motor Museum in the 1960s, and attended the opening of what seemed at the time a rather bizarre permanent home on 4 July 1972. (Although unaccountably missing from the picture of the Duke of Kent and Lord Montagu at the ceremony). Beaulieu has always had shortcomings. It has to pander to the cheap seats, with exhibitions of James Bond cars and “themes” that may not have much to do with motoring heritage. Yet you must allow for a certain commercial waywardness to ensure the turnstiles keep turning. There has to be sufficient income to sustain its exemplary research facilities and notable libraries. Beaulieu has a priceless collection of books and magazines, which it makes available equally to serious students and amateur researchers. It was also a favourite destination for small daughters who loved the rides and the model trains (below).

Notably Beaulieu works with exemplary grace. The library (pictured with the Duke now), under Caroline Johnson, is staffed with the politest and most patient people in the business. Stephen Vokins, the film and video archivist is a fund of knowledge, and public relations officer Margaret Rowles has the unique distinction among PROs of always seeming pleased to hear from you. I know similar libraries and collections who work on the principle that they are places for keeping things in, and not ever allowing anything out. Beaulieu, by contrast, is a triumph of communication. I have commented before on its Friends’ Newsletter, which is a modest publication, yet invariably has an enthusiastically written item containing something you didn’t know before. Happy Christmas Beaulieu, and double congratulations on being chosen as Museum or Collection of the Year, gaining a Lifetime Achievement Award for Lord Montagu.

Sex in Cars

Half Britain’s male drivers apparently have sex in cars with a third of the female. Confused.com has done a survey. Either a lot of male drivers are sharing or they’re fantasising. I am more inclined to believe another bit of poll that says nearly 55 per cent of men and 57 per cent of women argue in the car.

Wales is sexier. Fifty two per cent of drivers there do it in cars but in London it’s only 35 per cent. What’s wrong? Street lights? Traffic wardens? The survey uncovered more guilty secrets. Passengers partying in the back – 15 per cent of men and 9 per cent of women allow it. Not sure about “partying”. More than drinking and singing lewd songs surely. Racing away at the lights – 21 per cent of men and 13 per cent of women drivers do that.

Dumping boyfriend/girlfriend in the car – 10 per cent of women and 12 per cent of men broke up behind the wheel. It doesn’t say whether this was included among the arguers. Flirting with another driver sounds like more male fantasising and does not reveal how the flirting ended up. Some 22 per cent of men and 15 of women claim to have tried to attract other drivers on the road. Traffic jams where you can catch an eye perhaps. Must be more than a passing fancy.

Surprisingly 64 per cent of men and 71 of women eat snacks in the car.

Women voted Audi drivers the sexiest (21%) but, better news, BMW drivers were second (19%), followed jointly by Mercedes and Porsche drivers (6%). Men find women sexiest when they drive a Mini (19%) followed by Audi drivers (12%) and BMWs (10%).


Picture of my BMW in sylvan setting below. Other pictures - Mini publicity of the 1960s.

Gareth Kloet, Head of Car Insurance at Confused.com said:
"The results of this demonstrate that we truly are a nation of car lovers in every sense of the word.
"The number of men and women who tell us they have had sex in their cars has increased since last year's poll*: 37% of women (compared with 30% last year) and 50% of men (compared with 48% last year). Male Audi drivers are on top for the second year running, as voted for by female drivers. The men chose female Mini drivers as the sexiest on the road: overtaking Audi who came top last year."

To compare with last's year's results please see confused.com.

Passing fancy

Last Lexus LFA, Jaguar won’t make the C-X75. What’s happening? It’s the end of dreamland for supercars, that’s what. Let’s see how many Ferrari Enzos, McLaren P1s and Porsche 918s they sell if these go ahead. There’s nothing wrong with the cars and there are still people with half a million quid or so to buy them. We’ve seen it all before in difficult times, like the fuel crises of the 1970s when driving luxury gas guzzlers was embarrassing. It’s like managing directors turning up in limos to make half the workforce redundant. It’s a phase. The stupid 200mph things will come back.

Jaguar said it would not build the C-X75 supercar (right) because of, “global economic pressures.” And now Lexus has made the final 4.9litre V10 (below). Last week a white LFA with what was known as a Nürburgring Package left Motomachi, marking the end of production. Chief engineer, Haruhiko Tanahashi lamented, “I’ve lived and breathed supercars for the past decade, specifically the LFA. Very few people have the opportunity we had, to create a world-class supercar from a blank sheet of paper.” Some 170 hand-picked workers made about one car per working day for two years.

Jaguar said it would build 250 C-X75s, selling at £900,000 each, but, "After a thorough re-assessment of near-term market conditions, the company's view is that the global economic landscape does not currently support the introduction of a supercar.” Common sense really. Jaguar thought it might get away with it by adding a bit of greenery. Announced as a concept at the 2010 Paris auto show with four electric in-wheel motors, it had two micro turbine engines. The turbines were dropped and the car converted to being a plug-in hybrid, with a 1.6litre petrol engine. It still claimed over 200mph with a low fuel consumption and CO2 emissions below 99g/km. Maybe not all at the same time. Jaguar formed a partnership with Williams Formula 1 to develop a carbon fibre chassis, hybrid technology and aerodynamics to keep it from flying off.

Realism will out. Lexus says, “Learning from LFA engineering will directly influence new Lexus products. Production knowledge of carbon fibre components will be applied to future Lexus vehicles.” Adrian Hallmark of Jaguar said the technology showcased in the C-X75 wouldn't be dropped. "We have achieved an incredible amount and will continue to test and develop these technologies, which are highly relevant to Jaguar Land Rover's sustainable future".

Well, they would say that, wouldn’t they.

Road users

Tractor drivers not caravanners are the most despised. Top of my list are self-righteous gadflies who admonish you for not keeping to the left on motorways. I don't like inside undertakers, gesticulating show-offs, mobile phone users, cigarette smokers, unthinking signalers, especially those who flash left to show they are about to cut-in. Yet according to the compilers aggressive business drivers, motorway tail-gaters and boy racers should be listed and aren't. They are more likely to have high insurance premiums. I can think of plenty more such as BMW drivers, so belligerent that they get other BMW drivers, like me, a bad name. Tractors. A Fordson Super Dexta and a Fergie at a tractor rally on Bute.

Tractor drivers aren’t that bad. I get behind them on country lanes where I live, and I always feel that because they are so elevated and visible they get embarrassed by long queues. There used to be a rule in California (maybe there still is) that if you built up a train of more than six, that you had to pull in and let them past. Drivers towing caravans couldn’t see you. Even with extended mirrors there were none so blind.

Only this afternoon I had an old Mazda come up behind me on the A1M. I was in the big Nissan and sticking to a strict 77mph. It’s four lanes and I was in the second. There wasn’t much on the slow lane but I didn’t want to snake in and out, preferring a disciplined straight course. You could tell from the Mazda’s body language what was going to happen. He had to pull out from close behind to lane 3 to overtake, and immediately swerved to the left pointing and gesticulating.

Yet he was the miscreant. At 85 or 90mph HE was reprimanding ME. And off he went swerving from this lane to that, flashing madly. A show-off. He slowed down later. A phone call distracted him and when I overtook he had his mobile fixed on his ear. At least he had stopped being a nuisance although he was now more dangerous. I was always taught to look in the mirror before signaling, and if there was nobody to signal to, don’t. Now you see drivers frantically signaling as a sort of gesture, an unthinking rite, which they imagine entitles them to any swerve, change of pace or manoeuvre.


Let us have done with them. For the record, according to the survey results, the Top Five Most Hated Road Users are: 1. Tractor drivers; 2. Caravan owners; 3. Sunday drivers; 4. Learner drivers; 5. Cyclists. Sunday drivers? Surely not. I was one today.

CITROEN

The French have never been good at luxury cars. Citroën is about to make its last C6. The DS of 1956 was a phenomenon, but its hydropneumatic circuitry and aircraft-quality technology didn’t work in cars. I once had a Citroën collapse embarrassingly on a Scottish press launch.

About to take off from Heathrow, my British Midland Boeing 737 taxied back to its stand. "We will not be going to Glasgow on this aircraft," the captain apologised. "We have an instrument warning light, which forbids us taking off." He said it was tiresome, probably nothing, but rules were rules and would everybody please get off.

Passengers agreed warning lights were not to be ignored, and we set off in another aircraft to try Citroën's reply to the BMW 5-Series, a 24valve XM. The warning light was apparently connected to the aircraft’s hydraulics. It was not going to be a good day for hydraulics.

Oily fluid in pipes conveying pressure, pumping up air springs, gave the XM a floaty, matchless ride. Electronic sensors puffed up air bags working in conjunction with the hydraulics, keeping the car on an even keel the way Citroën invented in the 1950s. You barely gave hydraulic brakes and hydraulically-assisted steering a thought; they had been with us so long and there were always mechanical alternatives on which to fall back - steering by rack and pinion, a rod-and-cable handbrake.

The flagship Car of the Year XM had a V6 24-valve engine of 200 horse power, did 145mph, and reached 60mph in 7.5sec. It was well-proportioned, had alloy wheels, colour-matched bumpers, and luxury appointments such as electric seat adjustment, air conditioning and wood door cappings.

Half way through the test the power steering stiffened. On a couple of corners hydraulic assistance left off assisting, and the light feel grew leaden. When it gave up altogether it was just like driving a Citroën with very heavy steering; the car went where it was pointed and it was satisfying to know that when steering hydraulics failed, there was a mechanical system to take its place.

However, a Citroën's hydraulics failure was problematical. They were central its operation, and some 30 miles further on, the suspension sagged. A warning light came on and a buzzer sounded. The facia said STOP! With an exclamation mark. Citroën's hydraulics had stopped hydraulicking. This warning light, unlike the Boeing’s, meant what it said.

A drive belt, the Citroën PR man claimed, had come off. The pump for the hydraulic pressure was pumping no more and the car decided that, although most things were still functioning, pressing on with the suspension in a state of collapse was not an option. Citroën found me a replacement; we were air-and-fluid-borne once more, completing the journey through the Highlands in the serene comfort of a top Mercedes-Benz or Rolls-Royce.

The 1956 DS had tempted buyers away from Mercedes-Benz, but in the 21st century Citroën finds itself unable to make the C6 compete with premium brands, principally German. Only 556 were sold in Europe in the first 10 months of this year, so it has stopped. Peugeot also has quit the large luxury market so French consumers looking for premium saloons will need to buy BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz or, quelle horreur, a Jaguar. Renault makes the Latitude, but buyers in France are not buying it because it is a rebadge of the Samsung SM5, imported from South Korea. Up to October, Renault sold 3,792 Latitudes, a decline of almost 60 percent from last year.

Renault might develop a new flagship with the underpinnings of a Mercedes E-class, selling as the Initiale Paris sub-brand. Automotive News Europe is not alone in wondering whether Renault should follow Peugeot and Citroën and leave the big luxury segment to the BMW 5-series (101,600 sales in Europe after 10 months); the Audi A6 (89,300); and the Mercedes-Benz E-class (86,400). In Europe, this market segment speaks principally German. The end of the rainbow for the C6.

Aston Martin to downgrade?

It is hardly surprising that Moody's Investors Service has things under review as Aston runs through cash reserves. Moody's analyst Falk Frey: "The review was prompted by a significant deterioration in Aston Martin's liquidity profile as per end September 2012, caused by a much weaker cash generation and operating performance in the third quarter."

Aston has been on the brink of failure before. Its founders of 1914, Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford set up in 1922, yet were forced to wind it up in 1925. It was only Aston’s racing that sustained it under AC Bertelli and then RG Sutherland, until 1948 when it was taken over by David Brown. He had just bought Lagonda, which made available a twin overhead cam 2.5litre engine designed by WO Bentley.

Once again racing was a key and the Claud Hill-designed, essentially pre-war 2litre, driven by St John Horsfall won its class in the 1946 Belgian Grand Prix. A new car with independent front suspension and open bodywork with separate wings was built quickly for Horsfall and Leslie Johnson to win the Spa 24 hours’ race. Encouraged, the new owner embarked on a programme of racing and a range of great sports and GT cars.

In 1972 the David Brown Group sold Aston Martin to Company Developments Ltd., a Birmingham-based consortium, under accountant William Willson MBE, but following another bankruptcy the receiver sold Aston in 1975 to American Peter Sprague and George Minden for £1.05 million. They returned it to a trading profit in 1977, and William Towns styled a Lagonda saloon with advanced and extremely complicated electronic systems, which turned out to be a mistake. The firm was hit by the economic slowdown of the 1980s, sales collapsing to three cars a week and chairman Alan Curtis nearly closed it. In the nick of time he attended a Stirling Moss benefit day at Brands Hatch sponsored by Pace Petroleum, and met its proprietor Victor Gauntlett.
Curtis had plans to buy MG, and a prototype Aston-MG was built, but MG Rover would not relinquish the title.

Victor Gauntlett bought a 12.5 per cent stake in Aston Martin for £500,000. Tim Hearley of CH Industrials did he same, and Pace and CHI became joint owners in 1981. Robust, patriotic Gauntlett was executive chairman and effectively head of sales. Pace Petroleum sponsored racing and the Nimrod Group C car, owned by Aston Martin Owners’ Club president Viscount Downe, came third in the Manufacturers Championship in 1982 and 1983, finishing seventh at Le Mans. Once again, however, annual sales collapsed to an all time low of 30.

Gauntlett had to sell out to the Kuwait Investment Office in September 1983. Then, as Aston Martin needed cash, he also agreed to sell his share to American importer and Greek shipping tycoon Peter Livanos, who invested via his joint venture company ALL Inc, with Nick and John Papanicalou. Gauntlett remained chairman with 55 per cent owned by ALL, with Tickford a 50/50 venture between ALL and CHI. This ended when ALL exercised options to buy a larger share. CHI's residual shares were exchanged for CHI's complete ownership of Tickford.

In 1984 Titan, the Papanicolaou’s shipping company was in trouble, so Livanos's father George bought their shares in ALL, leaving Gauntlett once again a shareholder in Aston with 25 per cent. The company was valued at £2 million the year it built its 10,000th car.

The irrepressible Gauntlett bought a stake in Zagato, resurrecting its collaboration with Aston Martin while negotiating a return to the James Bond films. Producer Cubby Broccoli had recast Bond with actor Timothy Dalton, intending to bring Bond back closer to the original of Sean Connery. The great Gauntlett narrowly turned down the role of a KGB colonel in the film.

Sales prospered until a pressing need for investment in new models. It was time for another of the chance meetings of minds that punctuated Aston Martin history. In May 1987, Gauntlett and Prince Michael of Kent were guests of Contessa Maggi, wife of the founder of the Mille Miglia, revived as a classic event. Walter Hayes, vice-President of Ford of Europe was also a guest and although still smarting over Ford’s aborted negotiations to take over Brian Angliss’s AC Cars, Hayes knew the potential in a premium brand.

Ford took a shareholding in September 1987. After producing 5,000 cars in 20 years, the economy was improving, sales of limited edition Vantage, and £86,000 Volante Zagato coupes rose, the venerable V8 ceased and the Virage was introduced. Gauntlett remained chairman for two years while Hayes took stock, contriving an engineering rationale for a new, smaller Aston Martin. Ford took full control, Gauntlett handing over the chairmanship in 1991.

Ford put Aston into the Premier Automotive Group, opened a new factory in 1994 at Banbury Road in Bloxham. There was investment in manufacturing, production quickly increased to a record 700 in 1995; the 2,000th DB7 came in 1998 and in 2002 the 6,000th. Aston Martin now made more cars in a year than it had made in all its history. The DB7 was enhanced by the V12 Vantage in 1999, and in 2001 the V12 Vanquish.

In 2003 Aston Martin moved to Gaydon and in 2004, set up a 12,500 sq m (135,000 sq ft) AMEP engine production plant within Ford Germany at Niehl, Cologne. This could produce 5000 engines a year but under pressure from America, Ford divested itself of the Premier Automotive Group, selling first Aston Martin, then Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo. UBS AG was appointed in August 2006 to sell Aston Martin by auction and on 12 March 2007 a consortium led by Prodrive chairman David Richards and co-owned by Investment Dar and businessman John Sinders, purchased it for £475m ($848m). Prodrive had no financial involvement and Ford kept a stake, valued at £40 million ($70 million).

Now there have been bids from Investindustrial and Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. Investindustrial, a European private-equity fund based in London, offered just under £250 million, Indian Mahindra then making a higher bid. The winner would get 50 percent of voting rights and a 40 percent equity stake. Investindustrial plans to use technology and car parts from AMG Mercedes-Benz. Aston Martin still gets engines from Ford but lost access to other resources after Ford sold it.