European Cars (I wish we had in North America)

I have always preferred European cars to North American or Asian cars. My very first car was a Simca 1000....not one of the world's great cars, but certainly better than the Vauxhall that I thought I was buying. My next car was a Peugeot 404, with a sunroof...that had the most comfortable seats...in fact, when the car no longer was functioning, I removed the seats and used them in my living room in Ottawa.

When I moved to UK in 1968, one of my flatmates helped me buy a Ford Anglia for 35 pounds (I couldn't test drive it, since I couldn't drive a gear shift). But the cars that I truly remember were my Jaguar Mark 1, that I bought in 1968 in Manchester since my Anglia was too small to sleep in, and I was heading off on a long trip to Cornwall. Before you get the wrong idea, it was not a new car...in fact, it was quite an old car. The Mark 1 was made between 1955 and 1959. Mine was a 1956...I can't remember whether it was a 2.4 or 3.4 engine...but I do remember that my good friend Eli Harari with whom I lived wanted me to wear a chauffeur's cap whenever I drove him to the university...I also remember that every time it hit a bump in the road, YOU COULD LITERALLY HEAR THE RUST FALL OFF!Eli and I didn't take the Jag when we decided to tour Europe together in 1969. Instead, we purchased a used NSU Prinz 30 for $100 which was notable for the fact that the front and back were virtually indistinguishable and it was so mechanically simple, that even I could repair the clutch.I mention this since now that I am back in Europe, I can't help but notice all of the cars we can't buy in North America. There are some wonderful small cars and compact 'hard top' convertibles made by Peugeot, Ford and GM (Opel)...perhaps if they had sold them in North America they would have fared better. There are also some very nice Citroens (always one of my favourite manufacturers) and others that I have never heard of. So for any of my blog readers who like unusual cars not found in US, here are some photos...I hope they will remind you of your favourite European car stories...And finally, the little Renault that has been my car away from home for the past three weeks...