Well, as one who lived the terrible years and one who lived not far from Jaguar, plus one who suffered those absolutely awful cars as a company rep, I well remember the first time I bought a Golf in 1978. It was a revelation, a car that had a silky gear change, that was well built, would never let you down, and so I continued buying German until, for my 50th, I bought a new X300 Jaguar. Two new sets of wheels in the first year due to the lacquer falling off, a suspension that collapsed, a window that went down and refused to go up, and a gearbox that forever went into "limp home" mode. In the last 20 years I've had two cars, both Mercs, both doing over 150,000 before changing and indeed the last now kept as an everyday smoker. I just hope the 2012 CDi200 will be just as reliable, but somehow with all the technology in it I doubt it. But of the 70's I remember the first Marina, drum brakes and no servo, wipers set up for LHD and a dangerous car. The second was delivered with a seized gearbox. A Toledo that wouldn't go over 30mph and which the dealer said "was due to a tight engine that needs running in". Needed a new carb, that's what. and please don't get me going on the Maxi that preceded the Golf.
