S3 on the rise?

[MarkE]

I'm amazed that so many of the S3 cars have survived with very little rust compared with the S1 and S2 cars, especially considering the BL reputation. I've had a few chats with the bodywork guys at CMC and they agree that a far higher proportion of S3s have survived rot-free compared with the earlier models.

Why would this be? I can only think that the owners of the S1 and S2 used them in the 1960s as everyday cars, summer and winter, and the S3 was a second or third car used more sparingly. Maybe the oil crisis of 1973 / 74 helped!

I agree that the fuel consumption is totally irrelevant today with the miles that most of us drive in our classic cars, but it can be considerably improved if required by installing a fuel injection system.

Peter, it's not the insurance that is expensive on my aluminium body XKR, as good old Hagerty have allowed me to put it on my classic policy for about £120 a year! Enthusiastic driving of the XKR will bring the consumption down to 7 or 8 mpg, which I've never achieved in an S3, but that is regulated by the thought of a jail sentence with the speeds the car will reach in just a few seconds.

[jonhall88]

I don't care about values, cost of fuel etc, just an average bloke who loves his ser 3