I agree with the sentiments on test drives - it is essential to drive any
Mog - or classic come to that - before buying/ordering, A friend of mine in
the restoration business recounts how a customer was back, after picking the
newly restored car up, within hours with his Healy 3000 with heavy
steering, poor brakes, poor suspension.....not at all like the one he had
had a couple of decades ago. Took a while to remove the rose tinted specs a
remind him that is what they were like when new.
I have had no problem with test drives - quite the opposite in fact. When I
expressed an interest in buying my Mog at the Mog stand and the Bristol
Classic car show a couple of years ago, not only was I offered the loan of a
members car (!) but Andy Simm of Four Elms invited me down to try out a 4
seater with the family - to make sure it would suit us all. On a chilly but
sunny Feb morning it certainly did and we now have one which gives us all
loads of fun.
The factory are also really good about test drives - I was given one in a
4/4 and Plus 8 'back to back' which was brilliant. The difference between a
modern 4/4 and mine is most marked - the Plus 8 is light years different!
I cannot now imagine having another type of 'fun' car but a friend with a
TVR has a different view and a Mog is shall we say a little idiosyncratic -
I would have doubts about placing an order with any agent who would not
allow me to test drive one/arrange for a test drive - even if changing
between models/age brackets as they are all so different.
Mike Dixon
'71 4/4
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