How bored are you with never-ending observations about ‘these extraordinary times’? I very much am, especially since looking back through my phone has proven that description really isn’t accurate.
Things have been very different at Autocar in 2020, but the combination of our own determination to get the magazine out (and keep the website populated) and the huge resourcefulness of the industry (who have circulated information, held interviews and provided test cars like normal for most of the year) made it busy – and for the most part enjoyable. Here are some highlights, through my lens at least.
January
I spent the last Christmas break in the company of this Bentley Mulsanne, accounting for this poor attempt to photograph it beneath a guiding star. Back then, it was still a few months from the end of production. It was terrific to drive, of course, with a very special old-school class that made it seem unkind (if correct) to observe that the latest Flying Spur is better in almost every department.
January
Land Rover design director Gerry McGovern reached what is arguably (I haven’t asked him) the pinnacle of a stellar career by launching the new Land Rover Defender in the hallowed halls of the Design Museum. Although there was widespread fear that no replacement could ever be good enough for the cognoscenti, the car has received hearty accolades from all quarters.
February
I borrowed this shiny new 1.2-litre turbo-petrol auto Citroën Berlingo, so I had to take it immediately to the dump, where our own 17-year-old version has proved useful for so many years. This is no insult; the new Berlingo rides like a Lexus (only better) and can cruise a motorway with seven upright passengers seated in spacious comfort. It’s nothing short of a secret weapon.
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