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Having been reading this thread I have realized just how complex the idea of trying to compare different cars can be. Thinking of those I have owned over the last thirty or so years and comparing how the Bristols rated with these is not straightforward. The cars concerned would be 2 x 408 (Mk.1 & Mk2), 412 S2, R-type Bentley, Alvis, Rover 100, Volvo 164, and several SAAB 96s & a 95.

Which did I find the 'best' car? Well, that would depend upon which criterion I had in mind at the time. I have to say that the one I found the most relaxing to drive (and could do such things as drive up from Dartmoor to London, cope with a day's work, then return in the evening and feel like going out to socialize) was the first 408. It just seemed to get on with the job, allow one to drive at an adequate speed (in those pre-Gatzometer days!) and leave one refreshed at the end of the journey. It was also astonishingly reliable, albeit not in the first flush of youth. A close-run second place would go to the R-type, but I often thought that it had been designed with the thought of finding a multitude of little tasks for the chauffeur to attend to when he was not actually chauffeuring (reliability was also only average). The build quality was not great, but the 408 seemed quite a bit superior to that of my 412, which was nowhere near as reliable and corrosion seemed to be more of a feature than it was on either 408. I suppose I should mention under the head of relaxing to drive, reliable, comfortable, and little corrosion after 40 years, the unexciting Volvo 164 — although its petrol consumption is heavier than either the 408 or the Bentley was.

In terms of appreciating the practicalities of the design, then the Bristols and SAABs were clear winners with the antiquated braking system and useless heating system of the R-type and the front suspension and lack of effective oil filtration being noticeable minus points of the 3-litre Alvis (the latter being improved on the later models).

Driving in extremely snowy conditions the SAABs won out, but the Bristols were the runners up here.

As for the best made, well that would have to go to the very much over-engineered P4 Rover — goodness knows how they could afford to devote so much metal and man-hours to a car that retailed for so much less than some of the others I have owned.

I suppose it would fail on most of the above counts (other than ability in heavy snow), but I feel I should also mention that possibly the car that was (nay, still is) the most fun to drive is the Singer Chamois (i.e., Imp with interior wood!) that has been in the family for a very long time as the spare car!

Oh yes, and I have used Apple Macs for 30 years!