Particularly capable (Lancia) cars

[chriswgawne]

These days, after > 50 years of cars and motorcycles of varying reliability and drivability I find my own personal 'Holy Grail'  is how capable the vehicle is for all of everyday driving, long journeys and driving trips/holidays where more than 2 people are in the vehicle for a number of consecutive days.

I am fortunate enough to have driven quick 2+2 or 2 seater cars as 'daily drivers' for all my working life ( approaching 1m miles in Porsche 911's in the 80's and 90's preceded by Lancia, Lotus and Alfa Romeos of various models ) and I have only driven 4 door saloon cars regularly recently.

The longer we own our 1954 Aurelia B12 - its 5 years now - the more capable I find it to be which is remarkable considering its age. Its safe, rigid, comfortable, quiet and  reliable and keeps up with modern traffic conditions as well as braking well in all circumstances. I know from chatting to other B12 owners in the UK and abroad that we all seem to agree and for Jacky and I who have owned B20s since 1978, if we want to drive an Aurelia and have any distance to cover and its just the 2 of us we often opt for the B12.

As an aside, apart from 911's ( I am biased I am afraid and we still both have 993's) the other very capable car I bought recently is a 2018 315bhp VW Golf R. 4WD, 160 mph with old school manual 6 speed shift  but compliant suspension and quiet when you want it as well as being very understated from the outside.
Its really great for covering long distances at high speed economically but speed cameras need to be watched out for.
Chris
 

[brian]

Lancia saloons have long been underestimated.
In the 1980s Paul Atkinson and I used my B10 in 3 Alpine winter Rallies. Paul was a B20 man and was a bit equivocal about the "underpowered" B10 but after the drive down to Monte Carlo he admitted that it was a better long-distance car.
I had a 2000 saloon and it was nicer to drive than the coupe and even the Flavia Sport. It is also said, but I have no experience, that the Fulvia saloons are better than the coupes.
Welcome to The Club!!

[DavidLaver]

Brian - Lancias are quite difficult to explain, as the raw figures rarely impress, the saloons all the more so.  Able to put your finger on the differences or does it just come down to "nicer place to be" and "longer run between stops" and "takes less out of you over a day"?