Motoring

with Toby Aiken

The right car at the right time

I’m often asked what my dream car would be. I know for a lot of people this is a hard question, and having been lucky enough to drive some truly amazing cars, I always struggle to answer.

There are so many strong contenders and I think it would end up as a toss-up between a Tesla Model S and a V8 Ford Mustang.

Until a recent Friday night. And then my answer changed.

My hockey team were celebrating the end of the winter league (we came eighth) and as the designated driver I was happily dropping some friends off at the end of the night, when my Mini hit a pothole or two and very rapidly developed a catastrophic flat.

‘A minor speed bump’

speed bump (see what I did there?) at most, but my Mini has a tyre re-inflation and repair system that sadly wasn’t able to deal with the situation.

At this point it was past midnight and the prospect of calling a breakdown service who wouldn’t be able to take me anywhere to fit a new tyre didn’t appeal, so my friend kindly offered me her car to get me home and then deal with the tyre in the morning.

A 13-year-old Fiesta was my dream car

Right then, in that moment, that 13-year-old Fiesta was my dream car.

Yes it had some foibles that she had to take me through. The boot open alarm will go off but don’t worry, it’s a sensor issue. Sometimes you have to lock and unlock a few times for the interior lights to go out and the front screen wash is somehow controlled by the rear screen wash, but right then, right there, it was perfect.

Comfortable, compact with lots of charm

The Fiesta has always been a great car. My wife’s first car was a late 70s model and it had so much charm. The 2009 model is still great to drive, it handles well, and is comfortable, compact and yet spacious.

So I want to thank my friend, in print, (and I know she gets this magazine) for her kindness!

Driving back the next morning, it occurred to me that your dream car is allowed to change as often as you like, and that night, in that moment, my dream car was a 13-yearold, feisty Fiesta.