Andrew Noakes

Alvis TD21

By me for Classic Cars: reader gets behind the wheel of his dream car, an Alvis TD21 www.classiccarsmagazine.co.uk/blog/driving...

Citroën AX GT

Trying to find a Citroën AX GT for a magazine shoot in Yorkshire next week. Anyone know an owner who might be interested?

Google AI text saying William Lyons of Jaguar was 'known for his lavish lifestyle... "booze, [women], and fast cars.'

Can you trust what AI tells you?

No.

Syd Taylor, Andrew Noakes and Paul Hadley at The Danery

Great to catch up with two fellow members of the Midland Group of Motoring Writers today, Syd Taylor and Paul Hadley, at the bike/car themed The Danery near Bridgnorth. Much car talk and some good ideas hatched for future Midland Group activities.

I've been using women's names to categorise periods of history since time Emma-Muriel.

Does the AI explain how one ascertains the religion of a cow?

Just back from my first 'Learn to Speak Ultrasonically' class and I can't recommend it highly enough.

That Mercedes SL is, I believe, the car that crashed with Hancock as passenger just prior to recording The Blood Donor, leaving him unable to remember his lines and having to read from cue cards. Also interesting that it appears to have a badge on the front for the Institute of Advanced Motorists.

Two ways of doing 0-60mph in 4.0sec: Tesla and Caterham

Talking road testing today with the Automotive Journalism Masters students. Any top tips I can share?

#winereview
Amazing top 5* wine from Asda for just £7
Via Vincini Il Gran Rosso Appassimento 2023

www.wineuncorked.co.uk/wine-reviews...

My 1991 Volvo 240 GL 2.0L Auto which will be for sale as soon as I tidy it up & get it MOTd.

127,433 miles.

Rare sunroof option. Huge stack of history. Previous owner bought it new.

Full stainless exhaust. New Bilstein shocks, Lesjöfors springs. Upgraded IPD anti roll bars.

£4,500 ono

I think a sub-editor might find that seat uncomfortable. Should be 'complement', surely?

Another #AnorakFact: that sequence was shot at Silverstone.

text clipping 'twin cam, 32-valve V6'

We can argue about 'twin cam' but a 32-valve V6? Come again?

Classic Cars February 2025 cover

Contents page

Lead image

Out just ahead of Christmas, Classic Cars February (!) 2025 with my cover story on the cars of the ’70s that disrupted the market: Range Rover v Jaguar XJ6, Dolomite Sprint v MGB and Golf GTI v Ford Capri with fab pics by Peter Seabrook. www.classiccarsmagazine.co.uk/.../classic-...

Honda and Nissan to start talks on potential mega-merger Japanese car firms embark on negotiations to combat competition from bigger EV manufacturers

Amazing, if true, given how different these companies are. Demonstrates how seriously the threat from China is being taken. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

delivery photo

Out all day, and came back to find an email from Evri telling me they had delivered a parcel, "through your letterbox". Included a handy picture of said delivery.

I don't have a letterbox, and have no idea where that picture was taken.

Not enough left to stick to, I understand from my MOT man. The word 'collander' was used.

Subaru Outback

Subaru exhaust is shot, needs a full system from manifolds back. Good news – they're still available from Subaru. Bad news – six-week special order from Japan. Worse news – £5500+VAT. (Not a typo.) Anyone have any experience of custom builds?

Whoever follows Tavares will have to start as a kind of anti-Tavares and that’ll work for a bit until it doesn’t. Keeping employees, governments, suppliers, dealers, customers and stockholders happy as leader of a global car co almost an impossible job at the moment

Posts about Tavares on Twitter/X

Meanwhile on Xitter

Stellantis chief executive Carlos Tavares resigns World’s fourth-largest carmaker has suffered a sharp decline in profits this year

Tavares goes. Didn't see that coming. What next for Stellantis, and where will CT pop up next? Can't believe he's done yet.

www.ft.com/content/ffb1...

Is Bernie Ecclestone’s collection the finest assemblage of GP & #F1 cars of all time? Yes - & it’s now for sale. One of the world’s leading high-end dealers in historic sports & racing cars, Tom Hartley Jnr, is handling the sale, and I’m proud that my comms agency Diagonal Comms is doing the PR.

Just posted it for the students to see!

text clipping

Also wrong...

text clipping

Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer, based in Chemnitz. But then you don't expect the Sun to bother checking the facts, do you? www.thesun.co.uk/motors/31980...

Peugeot group’s past takeovers cast a shadow over Opel and Vauxhall The takeover of GM’s European brands has historic parallels – and implications for both Europe and the US.

The Luton news makes this piece from seven years ago relevant once again, except for 'PSA' read 'Stellantis'. theconversation.com/peugeot-grou...

BMW M535i E12. Had it 20 years ago when it was 20 years old and loved every minute.

If you’re going to use AI to make the background for the slide about your company’s excellence you might want to take a closer look at it before you present at a conference