Old News

I really like Wheeler Dealers.

And on Facebook, I have really liked Wheeler Dealers.

But most of their posts point at a website called musclecarszone.com

And, while I think it does have some interesting articles on there, it is really very rarely that I will click on one.  Mainly because the website itself can only be described (by me at least) as very tacky due to the awful clickbait advertising you get on there:

And if you're using a geriatric laptop like mine, the page takes forever to come up.

I  guess this advertising must have some effect because while I am never tempted to watch the video that billionaires in my locality don't want me to watch or to find out which celebrity I wouldn't expect to be dead is actually dead while a picture of a non-dead celebrity is luring me in - there must be enough people out there who do click on them to justify their presence.

Any road up, the musclecarszone article that Wheeler Dealers on Facebook pointed me at today didn't seem to add up - so I clicked on it.

Apparently, "This Lady Has Been Driving The Same 1957 Chevrolet Car For 53 Years! 116,000 Miles On The Odometer"  - which is the article in the Screenshot above.

However, it doesn't take a Degree in Statistics (sad but true - I have a degree in Statistics) to realise that a 1957-bought car 53 years later only takes us to 2010.

For some reason, musclecarszone.com have taken a YouTube Posting from six-ish years ago, taken the commentary to be the text, and published it as a new story.

It is an interesting story.  I watched and enjoyed an old lady talking about her old car.  It's a Bel Air - not that the article tells you that - presumably because the YouTube Posting doesn't tell you that.

But it ain't new news.

I suppose that at least it also isn't fake news.

But either way, come on Mike, give us some real news (and without the dodgy ads - I don't care that at least 12 celebrities don't wear panties - honest!)

Expanding Peugeot

Last week, a brilliant young car blogger stated this:

"It looks like Peugeot are involved in negotiations to take over Vauxhall and Opel.

This would given them Peugeot, Citroen, DS, Vauxhall, Opel & Ambassador - and probably too many factories - not good news - especially since they have had financial problems over the last few years while Vauxhall & Opel have been losing money."

It appeared in this article by me.

Now, this other article, by Autocar, says they also want Proton.  It also says that their financial worries seem to have subsided - which will hopefully be good news for the workers of Peugeot, Citroen, DS, Vauxhall, Opel, Ambassador, Proton & Lotus.

Did you spot the way I stuck Lotus in at the end?

That's because Proton effectively own Lotus.

Now, that could mean some nice modern takes on collaborations from the past such as when Lotus got together with PSA (Peugeot Citroen Group) to produce the Lotus Sunbeam:

...or when they got into bed with Vauxhall/Opel for the Lotus Carlton (or Omega for the Opel badged version):

If Peugeot really do splash the cash, then why not a Lotus DS4 and a Lotus Insignia?

Of course, this could all be speculation - or even some of this fake news that the POTUS keeps warning us about (perhaps he should start by fact-checking Fox & Breitbart?)  Maybe we should swap the word "president" with "liar" and call him the LOTUS?

Anyway I'm pretty confident with reliability of the sources for the Hindustan and Vauxhall/Opel stories.

And as for Proton, I'm positive.

Peugeot Splashing The Cash

At the weekend, it emerged that Peugeot were buying the Ambassador brand - that is the Hindustan Ambassador -

 - not the Austin Ambassador -

The BBC story is here.

It doesn't say whether or not they are taking on the whole Hindustan Company, factories etc.  I suspect they are not which is a shame because they could restart manufacture and maybe restyle it on a more modern car than its original base which was the 1950s Morris Oxford:

 

A Peugeot 404 perhaps?

I imagine labour is a bit cheaper in India than Europe - they may wish to start building the other ranges they've just purchased there too.  Check out this story that has been building all week.

It looks like Peugeot are involved in negotiations to take over Vauxhall and Opel.

This would given them Peugeot, Citroen, DS, Vauxhall, Opel & Ambassador - and probably too many factories - not good news - especially since they have had financial problems over the last few years while Vauxhall & Opel have been losing money.

Although, allegedly, Peugeot shares are doing quite well at the moment.  They may be hoping to do a Fiat who had their own problems not that long ago.

In any case, I would be worried by that sudden Indian connection.  I'll just stick with my Jaguar in the meantime.

Tata for now.

Bad Couple of Days for Corsa Owners

Although this picture is a red herring because it is from an old 2014 BBC News item.

The poor Corsa owners I am referring to here are from more recent BBC News stories.

This elderly gent has had his Corsa vandalised because of its colour:

The story is here.  He parks his car outside his cottage in a very picturesque Gloucestershire village where it has come under criticism for spoiling the view with its "ugly" bright yellow paintwork.  I say some people ought to get a life. 

Defiant 84-year-old Peter Maddox said if the car was too expensive to repair, he would buy a replacement - in lime green.  Good on him, although I would add the proviso that the replacement was a particularly tatty old car in lime green - just so that it would further infuriate those concerned about the aesthetics and also so that further vandalism would have little effect.

The article does not mention whether or not the Police were involved but maybe he wouldn't want them involved after what happened to an unfortunate Corsa driver who was taken ill in Workington, Cumbria.

That BBC story is here.

The bomb squad were called after concerns about an unattended Vauxhall Corsa at Workington police station.  The building was evacuated, a 100m cordon put in place and the vehicle blown up.

They had carried out a controlled explosion on the vehicle that had been left there by a some of their own officers who had earlier come to the aid of its poorly driver.

They apologised to the owner.