Whatever happened to…the Invacar
For many of the cars featured in this section of PetrolBlog, the spiral into oblivion has been a long and drawn out process. A story of rust and mellow uselessness as the body becomes tatty and the engine grows tired. Not so for this week’s entry. This little car, (and it was a little car), had to endure an ending rivalled only by a second-rate horror movie. Read more 
Whatever happened to…the Sao Penza
Can you remember what you were doing in 1991? Go on, cast your mind back nearly 20 years and have a think about what you did in the year the Soviet Union collapsed, the Gulf War started and Freddie Mercury passed away.
You would have blinked around 5.5 million times in 1991, so the chances are you might have missed a few events. Maybe you didn’t see Sweden winning the Eurovision song contest. Perhaps you missed out on Nirvana’s debut album, Nevermind. But there’s a very good chance that during one of those 5.5 million blinks, you missed the arrival and departure of the Sao Penza. Read more
Yesterday’s Specials…VW Polo Harlequin
Decisions, decisions. There you are in the dealer showroom, one hand clasping the brochure, the other hand clasping a cup of coffee so hot that it must have been brewed using molten lava. You enjoyed the test drive, you’ve accepted the finance deal and have ticked all the options. There’s only one thing left to do – decide on the colour. Read more
Avanzato – Modern life in fun size
It is fair to say that when I picked up my Avanzato a month ago, I was pretty much like a child on Christmas morning. You remember the days when you hurriedly unwrapped the biggest present under the tree and whooped in delight at what you found? I’m not ashamed to admit that I did unleash a couple of unprompted hoots of glee as I made way back along the A303 that evening. The problem with even the best Christmas presents though is the novelty factor. Novelty has a habit of wearing off, with presents so gratefully received, pushed to the back of the cupboard when something new arrives on the scene. So four weeks in, is the Avanzato still top of the tree? Read more
The Ferrari you always promised yourself?
The Ford Capri was launched in 1969 with one of the most famous advertising straplines in automotive history. Yep, the Ford Capri was ‘the car you always promised yourself‘.
It is fair to say that the Capri has divided opinion over the past four decades. In the years following launch it held a vast degree of coolness, earning the tag of the ‘European Mustang’. By the mid 80s, it was growing old disgracefully, failing to keep up with the new hatchbacks on the block. The late 80s and 90s saw it pass into a period of parody, not helped by Del Boy’s ‘Capri Ghia‘ tag. But the new Millennium’s obsession with retro-cool helped the Capri to become acceptable and somewhat collectable. Read more
Dunlop Tyres press ad – Sept ’86
A mid 80s press ad for Dunlop Tyres featuring six very red cars of the period. So the colour of the car and the boots they wear is not in question. But what are the six cars? Read more
