The appeal of an electrified classic
WITH THE BASIC petrol ration having recently been withdrawn (see below), British drivers were left forlornly looking at their cars - but not one Victor Bruce, who had had his pre-war Opel Kadett converted into an electric car by his company Silent Transport.
The engine, clutch and gearbox were removed and sold to defray the cost of the conversion. Then the prop shaft was modified and an electric motor fitted at its head, wired up to batteries in the nose (along with the control) and tail. A socket was added so these could be refilled in his garage by a charger drawing from the mains.
Range, as indicated by a "most ingenious" dial on the dash, was just 40 miles - but this didn't fuss Bruce, as he lived most of his life within 20 of Cobham, Surrey.
"The driver is at first a little disconcerted by the absolute silence and the fact that nothing obvious is working while the car is at a standstill," our man said.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der February 08, 2023-Ausgabe von Autocar UK.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der February 08, 2023-Ausgabe von Autocar UK.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
"I'm not surprised that EVs haven't taken off, because most of them suck"
Peter Rawlinson's uniquely dissenting views helped turn Lucid into a major force. As he steps back from the front line, he tells MARK TISSHAW how
Matt Prior
I've bought an Audi A2. It’s a 2003 74bhp 1.4-litre diesel and, because it didn’t have an MOT, it cost me £500.
HYUNDAI IONIQ 9
Here comes another upmarket seven-seat SUV with a calm and cosseting ambience and a long-range electric powertrain
Damien Smith
The most tiresome catchphrase in motorsport? 'It's not as good as it used to be.' Inevitably true in some respects, it's also false in at least as many and always utterly pointless to dwell on. The world keeps spinning, and while it's both enjoyable and important to reflect on and indulge in the past (I admit that I'm as guilty as anyone), it's also vital to live for today and squeeze every drop from the here and now.
Cheap skates
Electric cars, and new cars in general, are expensive. You know it, we know it, and even though they prefer to draw your attention to attractive-looking finance deals and the potential savings of electric driving, car makers know it.
LEXUS RX
Life will be a lot less comfortable now this luxury SUV has left us
THE CLASS-TOPPING ASTON WITH OLD-SCHOOL CHARM
Mk2 Vantage was our top pick when it arrived in 2018 – and now it's £60k
A Q-car classic for the 21st century
Registered in 1970, Jules Cranwell's 'woody' was one of the last Morris Minor Travellers to be built. It left the Adderley Park production line with a 1098cc A-series engine - fine in its day but, according to Jules, a liability in the 21st century. \"In standard trim, the Morris Minor is very slow so I've modified mine a little so that it can keep up with today's traffic,\" he says.
NEW AUDI A6 AVANT KEEPS THE DIESEL FLAME BURNING
Sporty-looking next-gen estate arrives in diesel-hybrid and petrol guise
CUPRA TAVASCAN
Can a big family EV capture this brand's young, sporty ethos? Let's see
