My 1990 Rover 420 just passed its MOT, with only minor faults recorded. There are 98460 miles on the clock. Another two years, and I won't really have to worry about depreciation any more ... <g> It is still a very sprightly machine, and remarkably economical, as it will just about do 30mph (the legal limit in built-up areas) on tickoever in third gear.

However, major spare parts for such machines will soon come from scrapyards only. It is rather heavy, so stop-go traffic jams ruin the previously boasted economy, as it takes a lot of petrol to heave itself into motion from a standing start, only to stop again ten yards later.

Above all, it is British, tainted with '70s industrial unrest, '80s management incompetence and '90s shameless profit-taking.

...

I recently visited my little brother, who does various architectural and building contract work. He proudly showed me a slightly foxed Toyota Land Cruiser. He told me he had to pick the vehicle carefully. He needs a 4x4 to go on site, but if he turned up in a wreck of a Land Rover, the clients would think he was a cowboy, whereas if he turned up in a "Chelsea Tractor", they would think he was ripping them off.