...or perhaps that should be 'secret desire'. Anyway, it's for something large, dodgy and French. It's taken several forms over the years, most notably the Renault Vel Satis, which seemed such a civilized idea when it first appeared - five doors, five good seats, some pleasing touches to the interior design - but of course it was doomed over here and is a rare sight even in France.
Or there's the Avantime - properly wacky this one, with no pillars and doors so big they need special hinges. But in blue with the off-white roof it looks amazing, and would make a fine mobile hide for spotting waders in the marshes of western France. Less useful in Sainsburys car park when there isn't room to get the door open but you can't have everything.
Even the Laguna coupé in that subtle whisper-grey evokes chilled Sancerre, crusty baguettes and a red gingham cloth in the shade of the riverside poplars - and the right kind of company, of course.
None of these would make - or would ever have made - any sense in my real world, but seeing one (someone had parked a Vel Satis at work the other day) sends me off to a happy, imaginary place. So what has that effect on you?
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I have to say I too periodically look at Vel Satis and Avantine on eBay; indeed there's a V6 Vel Satis with an LPG conversion for just £695.
And I'm still looking for a nice large V8 petrol car, of pretty much any type!
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......It's the sun.
Sit down in the shade, have a cold beer (or two) you will feel better soon.
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>>Sit down in the shade, have a cold beer (or two) you will feel better soon.>>
Nearly spluttered my coffee all over the keyboard reading that....:-)
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Which bit, Stuart? The idea that a Falkirkian knows about the sun?
(Not that we've seen it on the banks of the Thames today.)
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"something large, dodgy and French"
Presume we are talking cars?
Citroen C6 for me
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A very nice black C6 parked near me today in fact. Old couple got out of it with some small dogs.
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I'm a Vel Satis fan as well...a friend in Hull had one for a while new. he loved it. I would be happy with the Mohs Opera Sedan but there's only one so I can't have it.
I've always liked odd and eccentric things..........have you seen the wife ?
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I was rather tempted by the C6 - lovely car. A Satis passed me the other morning on a boring roundabout on Anglesey...saw another one parked up and slowly decaying at the roadside in La Boiselle on the SOmme last month.
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Big cars from non-premium margues have never taken off over here, with the possible exception of the Granada and perhaps the 1950s Citroen DS. One of my seven Renaults was a Safrane - the one before the Vel Satis. I did 120,000 miles in four years in it and it never went wrong. But it was a company car and I'd never have bought one with my own money and taken that depreciation hit.
The death-knell for that particular model was Renault's own Laguna. I had a Laguna V6 after the Safrane and it was only slightly less roomy and just as comfortable.
Last edited by: Avant on Fri 30 May 14 at 23:24
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Peugeot 406 3.0 V6 Coupe
I also like the Laguna Coupe!
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Not all my desires are big or exotic...apart from Gladys at the pub !
Bucket list Morris J type van, Nissan Pao, Wuzzley 6/110 auto, Morris Flatnose Cowley and many similar
We can all dream. I might get a Pao next, though....for a bit of unusual transport ! Don't like the Figaro......jelly mould !
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>> Wuzzley 6/110 auto
A reminder of the old days Horatio? Got to be a black one, skilled at undertaking...
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My father had a Wolseley 6/110 manual "sand and maroon" two tone.
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Facel Vega HK500.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Facel_Vega_1961_Castle_Hedingham_2008.JPG
The perfect mix of French styling and Yank muscle. A beautiful beast.
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>> Big cars from non-premium margues have never taken off over here, with the possible exception
>> of the Granada and perhaps the 1950s Citroen DS.
>>
I'm not sure about that. Apart from the Granada, the Vauxhall Carlton, Omega, Rover 800, Renault 20/30 and 25, Peugeot 504, 505, various Volvos used to sell well in the days when German marques were honestly exclusive (i.e. hardly sold any).
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First company I worked for didn't have any 'foreign' cars.
The MD had a Jaguar, the other directors had Granadas, Rover SD1s and Capris, senior managers had Carltons or Cortina Ghias, Reps had Cortina or Cavalier GLs.
Come to think of it actually there was one Fiat 128 which was used as a runabout / pool car for anyone who needed to get between sites but who didn't have transport.
I remember when one senior guy eventually got an E-Class saloon and it being seen as really very exotic.
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>> I remember when one senior guy eventually got an E-Class saloon and it being seen
>> as really very exotic.
>>
It would have been - they cost about the same then as they do now.
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I very nearly bought a Vel Satis a few years ago. Before my 7 months with the Laguna of course.
I still love the idea but I can't afford to run one given the risk of time off the road and potential cost of constant repairs.
Sad. I think we've discussed Renault 20s and 30s on here before, one of those'd be nice. Or a 25. Old now though, would have to be a luxury/hobby car, and I can think of stuff higher up that queue should time/finance allow.
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No-one does large luxury cars better than the French. Sadly, no-one buys large luxury cars that are French.
I have fond memories of a CX DTR Turbo 2 I test drove a few years ago, and a C6 more recently. I am still sorely tempted by either/both. Nothing else like them on the road.
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The Avantime is the only car that could have me tear up my "no Renaults ever, ever, ever again" rule.
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"I'm not sure about that. Apart from the Granada, the Vauxhall Carlton, Omega, Rover 800, Renault 20/30 and 25, Peugeot 504, 505, various Volvos used to sell well in the days when German marques were honestly exclusive (i.e. hardly sold any)."
Fair point, Boxsterboy. I suppose I was thinking more recently. Certainly the first four on that list sold in good numbers, especially to companies like Runfer's first with a British-only fleet policy.
But where are their equivalents now? The Mondeo is as big as the old Granada, the Insignia probably as big as the Omega - but even they don't sell in the numbers they used to. I suspect that's because they're no longer cheap, and because they lose value quickly it can be cheaper for a company to lease a BMW, Mercedes or Audi.
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>> ...or perhaps that should be 'secret desire'.
>>
An Alfa 3.0 GTV or a 166 3.0 24v or I would happily have another FIAT Coupe 20vt
>> None of these would make ... any sense
>>
Not now, but I would still happily spend a few hours scrabbling around one of the above.
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My guilty secret - PeterS
