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Huge Vanguard Comparison Article in French - language Classic Magazine Marc Bartells in Belgium has sent me this comprehensive review and comparison of a Vanguard I and a Vanguard III that has recently been published in the French language Classic magazine "Gasoline". I have highlighted this magazine on our Website previously since the quality and thoroughness of their articles are both excellent, wish we could get so much good coverage in the UK national Classic press. My thanks to "Gasoline" for their permission to publish their work here. Click on each page to see a larger version though the text is still a bit illegible. I still thought it very worthwhile to publish this however.....................
I have just received a link to a site that provides a translation into English ( of sorts): So
much, my driving style is incomprehensible, "smiles Thomas Detzner
like to apologize to treat your car like a common sport. "In
the rallies, the other drivers must think I'm a little crazy when I
burst into their mirrors. It's
quite normal, so it looks like a placid middle-class. "The
raging mounted 4-cylinder of the Vanguard Phase III of 1956, however,
speak for themselves. A
beautiful temperament and likes nothing better than to see the needle
jump eagerly on the right of the tachometer, a VDO probably installed in
the 70's. In contrast,
Phase I of 1951 Jürgen Burrasch plays utilities. All
curves, massive, it is rather the kind of vehicle grandpa we prefer to
drive the elbow to the door in his shirtsleeves.Sébastien Loeb Dugenoux
against Maurice. The
contrast is striking between the two cars that have yet a lot of common
elements.
Phase
I provides a profile of balance by too small wheelbase
International
car (its slogan speaks for itself: "Made in Britain, designed for
the world"), it was mainly imposed on contracts associated with the
British Empire, import duties and local production making it totally
non-competitive. In
Germany as in France. The
1951 copy of which you can see is also recently arrived. "I
wanted to offer me something exotic, explains Jürgen.Surfing the Net, I
found this model that I did not know and by the merest chance, it was
for sale in Scotland, in the village where I spend my holidays on a
regular basis. The car
had belonged to an elderly gentleman who had worked in his youth as a
seasonal English farm.There he fell in love with the Vanguard of his
boss. It symbolized for
him the success and prosperity. When
he retired, he bought one in a wreck, and with his son he has
rehabilitated.Once it was over, he declared he would be the only one who
can lead it and suddenly, her son lost interest in it, is finding other
hobbies to share more calmly. When
he died in tragic circumstances, they have met the word of their father
forbade them to take the wheel and they then put up for sale. That's
how I learned and since I regularly back and forth between Germany and
Scotland. It's really
nice, especially since it does not consume that much, from 11 to 12
l/100 km. " We can not say that the style invented by Walter Belgrove is of great elegance. It has a fleshy profile and unbalanced, the fault of a short wheelbase and large door rear overhang generated by the downslope of the butterfly that ends with a round back, but tortured by pursuing a form AR wings. To make matters worse, the sides are extended below the waistline, an extension wing AV marrying barely cover crocodile. At the time of its release, it came with arrows on the amount of medium, but for safety, turn signals were added later."I've fitted with LEDs. This is a departure from the original, but it is not visible from the outside and at least the modern drivers notice when you indicate a change of direction! " The VA is facing more sympathetic with its narrow chrome strips that resemble a large mustache and aristocratic stamped central AV transforming the wings in big jowls. All highlighted by a massive bumper chrome-clad he better not tu harshness. It gives a little fun side that is not displease me. Especially since it comes with a windscreen in two parts referring to a pair of eyes wide open, how comic books.
The
movement of the gear lever is large and the grid rather vague
The
interior is also typed 50 years, with its large hoop three branches
flexible shifted his cerclo chrome-horn in the center of the hub, a
rocker to control the ... flashing. Behind
the instrument panel in painted sheet receives a multitude of small
chrome accents, including the table to emphasize his speedometer to 90
mph horizontal graduated with a double counter, framed by the oil
pressure gauge gasoline (in gallons!), water temperature and the watch. Symmetry
with the glove is imposed by the requirement to switch to driving on the
left on some export markets. But
to simplify work and reduce costs, Standard grouped on the central part
of all control buttons, including the ignition and the car radio. This
speeds the steering wheel is to allow the installation of a bench, like
the AR, and make it as a six-seat, a seat soft, thick as a big fat bun,
with a removable center armrest which is literally dominates the
situation. Once the
heavy door closed in a "klong" Norman cabinet, the interior is
wrapped like a cottage in southern England. And
just as dark. By cons,
despite the weakness of the wheelbase, it is surprisingly spacious
feeling accentuated by the headroom, but rear seat access is more
limited, the wheel is very present. In this version 100% pure british, the driver is installed right and the gear lever to the left.Disturbing, especially if the grid is altogether traditional for the year 1951 (the first down by pulling itself up by pushing the second to the third panel and in the same axis but at the bottom), the deflections are impressive and the reverse gear (top and towards you) is in line with the first, without any delay or block grid. "You get used very quickly, explains Jürgen. And you will quickly make you realize that you stay mostly in the third. You take it from 30 mph and the engine torque does the rest, the maximum speed somewhere around 80 mph (125 to 130 km / h). "The steering is heavy like a truck and transmits faithfully the response of the AV train, live and forcing roller. Exit the parking wonder a superhuman effort and I sweat profusely, under the gaze of outright mocking Jürgen. "Come on, he encourages me, you're almost there.And remember, I set up a slightly more powerful engine that originally because they could not find the same. I must have the 90 hp under the hood, and it is felt at the pedal. "I raised an eyebrow, unconvinced, but I must say very quickly that he is right. Despite his rotund and heavy air, the Phase I behave with force, taking advantage of its torque to propel themselves to a good cruising speed. By cons, agility is not really his thing and the first roundabout gives me a sacred fear. These are not the brakes are concerned, their effectiveness is difficult to find fault, but the suspension and steering. Self waddles, looks, slides (as I do on the leather of the seat, lack of maintenance) and eventually understeer. It looks like an American shod balloons. And cons-support is downright brutal. By cons in a straight line or in curves more traditional, tranquility is assured. "It's a real good at everything, make sure Jürgen, and I love driving on long trips. It is more incredible strength and is a bit so that today it is also rare.People have often threadbare before resolving to change . (September 2011) See many more Vanguard Features here |
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