This. I've had a few experiences like that. My favourite was a friend's Peugeot 205GTI that had some very strange fuel injection gremlins. It had no power at all below 3000rpm, so that the only way to take off was to wind it up and drop the clutch, making even a run to the shops an utterly hilarious (and terrifying)…

That's interesting to know about the cold-weather hydraulic issues. I'm sure that they could have formulated a new hydraulic fluid to operate under those conditions, but I can't imagine it being a priority.

I am absurdly tempted by the Citroëns that pop up occasionally on eBay here in the US. I think I've told you before about my past ownership of Xantias and BXs, and how much I miss them now that I'm living Stateside.

Damn right! I love the Traction Avant. It's easy to forget that, for its time, it was equally as advanced as the DS, with FWD and unitary construction in the 1930s, and even a hatchback body option!

I think the kids-being-embarrassed thing might be more to do with the cars just being in that limbo between being current and being classic.

I can't say much for the cold-weather behaviour of the suspension, but they certainly nailed the engines and rust-proofing from the late '80s or so, especially at the higher end - the 16 valve engine that went in the fast BXs was an utter beauty.

Oh, I know. They're even more gorgeous in person.

Gotta put my vote in for the Rover SD1. It may have been hideously badly built, and has a well-earned reputation for unreliability, but at its heart, it has a winning formula: Comfortable seating for 5 adults and luggage, rear wheel drive, a wonderful V8, excellent road manners, and gorgeous styling inspired by the…

Got one. Love it to bits. Although I'm very tempted by a 900 SPG that's for sale locally...

Seconded. It's a lovely engine, too, and ridiculously light for its day. When they put it in the MGB, it was lighter than the 1.8 litre four that it replaced!

I'd be inclined to agree. Plus, despite its GM origins, it is unusually small and rev-happy for an American V8.

I live in what I think is the best of both worlds. Sandwiched between Minneapolis and St. Paul, I have a house with a yard and a garage. My wife has pet chickens, and I have a workshop.

Triumph 2.5PI. Because exhaust note:

Here's a photo after a very enthusiastic drive down a gravel road. For a not-particularly-sporty car, it was a remarkable amount of fun to drive.

I have very fond memories of mine – it was a very early 2.0i SX in dark red. Absolutely immaculate, too – it had only had 2 owners before me. I agree, the ride in a good Xantia is absolutely magical, but I was impressed by the handling, too – for such a soft ride, the roadholding was excellent, and the rougher the…

I was just about to post the same thing! In my eyes, the Xantia is a very handsome car. Maybe not quite as 'out-there' as some of Citroën's earlier designs, but very attractive, and well-designed. I really miss mine :(

The Southward Car Museum just out of Wellington, New Zealand, has a Rover gas turbine engine on display – it's quite a fascinating thing. The story goes that the Rover P6 was originally designed with gas-turbine power in mind, although it was never to be. Some evidence is still there – it has a very unusual front…

Not to mention the fact that Citroën have been using a very similar arrangement (high pressure hydraulics with nitrogen accumulators) in their suspension and braking technologies since the 1950s. I'm very interested to see how this turns out.

I never found mixture balancing to be a big deal – I'd generally check and adjust it before the 6-monthly NZ emissions and safety test, but they certainly didn't seem to drift much until the needles and jets got worn.

That's how I think, too. The SU might not give the best top-end performance (even British manufacturers often turned to Webers and the like for motorsports), but it is an extremely elegant solution to a difficult problem. None of these silly accelerator pumps, off-idle jets and the like.