Cars I have Owned

Cars I Own or Have Owned

Tragically I've had to give up many of the gems you see before you. I'll be fleshing out the details on each of these as I find the time. They are in order of manufacture.
If you have parking somewhere within 150km of Toronto, Southern Ontario and don't know what to do with it, please contact me!

1970 Citroën DS 21 Pallas (170,000 km)

The most recent (2005) addition to the fleet, this car was mostly restored by the late Jack Andrews, long-time member of the Citroën Autoclub Canada. It is finished in Swan White (Blanc Cygne) with a black leather interior.

1971 Citroën DS 21 Pallas (137,000 km)

Originally bought as a parts car, this little runner turned out to be a reasonably solid car and it too was given away for restoration.

1972 Citroën DS 21 Pallas (502,000 km)

It has long been a dream of mine to own a "Big Citroën". They are, to this day, the most elegantly crafted, outrageously appointed, and unbelievably overcomplicated vehicle ever built. With over 34 metres of hydraulic tubing, the DS model is a triumph of automotive complexity and a nightmare to work on. I acquired five of these cars, three for parts. I owned this 1972 model, with a remarkable half-million kilometres on the original engine, for about six years before giving it away for restoration.

1976 Citroën 2CV6 (140,000 km)

More images

Having disposed of the two "Big Citroëns", I was in withdrawal and needed a French car to console myself. I was all set to buy a Peugeot 405 to replace the venerable Camry when Ross said "Why don't you just buy another 2CV; it's what you really want anyway". So I did. What a gem!

1978 Mercedes-Benz 300D (1,200,000 km) and 1979 300TD (270,000 km)

As much as I love Citroëns, I think the W123 Mercedes-Benz models are the most solid, dependable vehicles I have ever experienced. No, it's not a typo: the sedan logged more than a million kilometers. They are absolutely indestructible and have a level of refinement and elegance that no other vehicle can match.

If you have a diesel MB, you need to know about the Mercedes-Benz Diesel list, which you will find at http://striplin.net/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_striplin.net

1981 Citroën 2CV6 Charleston (120,000 km)

Bought for DM700 and driven relentlessly for about six months while I was overseas, this 2CV was one of the first Charleston models. Only 400 Charlestons were made with drum brakes. Click here for more details.

1981 Peugeot 505 GRD (350,000 km) - image below from the Peugeot web site

I have always loved diesels, so I couldn't control myself when the opportunity came up to own this gem. Unfortunately, I had to sell the car almost immediately due to a lack of space and abundantly angry parents.

1984 Mercedes-Benz 300TD Turbodiesel (375,000 km)

After wandering into the soulless world of a modern car (see VW Golf below) I came to my senses and decided that life wasn't worth living without a W123. This car, in beautiful thistle green with palomino interior, had previously been owned by friends, so when it became available I couldn't say no. Pictures coming soon...

1985 Toyota Camry (330,000 km)

My faithful companion, the "Slamry" never let me down in all the years of minus 20°C cold-starts and endless to and fro trips all over Hell's half-acre. It was great for carrying Citroën parts. I gave the car away in the winter of 1999.

1986 Renault Alliance (130,000 km)

Recent addition (2005) to the fleet, I'm really starting to like this little car. I find it exhilarating switching between the Mercedes -- the heaviest car imaginable -- to the Renault "Appliance", which makes the 2CV seem like a bank vault. Still, it's great to drive and very comfortable. And the household light switches I'm currently using to bypass the automatic transmission computer make the driving experience that much more of a hoot.

1988 Merkur XR4Ti (205,000 km)

As someone with a soft spot for obscure cars, I can relate to the reasons why some people like Merkurs: they are peculiar (in Canada), they are temperamental, and they have been largely abandoned by their manufacturer. There are some great web resources for these cars, namely MerkurTech and for those in Southern Ontario, the SOMO group meets every month.

This car was my sister-in-law's highway commuter until November 98, when my brother decided she needed AWD, so he bought an Audi A4. I was always sort of interested in the Merkur, but I now realise that I'm not what you might call an "enthusiast" (at least not the way I am about Citroëns). I sold the car in the summer of 1999.

2002 Volkswagen Golf TDI (75,000 km)

In the summer of 2002 I became impatient and decided that I didn't like spending so much time working on cars. I also wanted to bring order to my operating costs. These factors led to the unfortunate decision to buy a TDI. The car is OK, but it has none of the soul of the Mercedes-Benz(es) that it replaced. And ultimately, the depreciation and insurance costs far exceeded any fuel savings over the three years I owned it. Lesson learned. I sold the car in 2005 and replaced it with the Renault (see above) for the winter. The 1984 300TD, the 1970 DS, and the 1976 2CV fight for my time in the summer.

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