For those who are interested in such matters her are the Commer stats for 2006:
429 miles travelled
22.45 mpg
Oil consumed - Nil
Water consumed - 1 pint
Gross weight on return 2.2 tonnes. (as checked at our local Ministry of Transport weighbridge, which we have to drive right by) Gross Max Plated Weight - 2.1 tonnes (so we were 100 kg over the legal max weight!)
Vmax -indicated 75mph chasing Robbo and the SPS van on the motorway into Ouistreham
Usually it is at this point I go into a rant about the unreliability of the vehicle and what a heap of crap it is; eg. last year when it overheated in 40c+ cos we'd blocked off the radiator air intake with a big flag, or perhaps the interior light had packed up or other major problem. Unfortunately this year's journey was completed with absolute 100% reliability. Nothing went wrong. Nadda.
As I think I may have mentioned before,
SHE'S A BEAUTY!
Just for comparative purposes with 2006, I've quoted last year's stats above.
So the Commer stats for 2007 are as follows:
405 miles travelled (BTW Newhaven-Le havre is closer overall for us than Pompey-Caen)
20.5 mpg (a mystery why worse than '06, as she was a bit lighter this year)
Oil consumed - 1/2 pint (nil last year)
Water consumed - Nil (1 pint last year)
V-max -indicated 65mph but never really bothered pushing her as it burnt out an exhaust valve last time.
Reliablity this year once again was completely faultless. Ok, she let in a little rain on the way home in the running torrents on the motorway, her rubber seals aren't as tight as they were in her youth. But which of us can honestly say we haven't sagged and perished a little over the years? I for one leak a bit these days and I noticed over the weekend that however much I shook my equipment during a big drinking session, there was always another little drop heading south to run down my leg ten seconds later. Thus I'm more than prepared to forgive her that one. And anyway, she later had a lovely time in Honfleur, sunning herself dry in the pretty old harbour and watching the fishing boats, before promenading along the beach and then onto our Golf Club at Deauville, her Union Jack fluttering proudly on her stern.
So it was a proud and moving moment when Steve, Chris and myself rolled up on the crunching gravel drive of Zarse Towers late on Monday. We patted her dashboard, congratulated her on another successful "mission accomplished" and then I sent a message to the engine room to shut down the power. She gave a little sigh and closed down with just a hint of over-run, the silence punctuated only by the ticking of British steel cooling in the night air.
We've kind of discovered over the last seven years that if you give her a little of yourself and look after her and be nice to her, then the Grand Old Lady of Le Mans will give it all back to you in spades; a comfy bed, decent cooking and washing facilities, load carrying capacity and a loyal companion on any journey. She finds goodwill wherever she goes, other drivers let you pull out of junctions and the amount of people who came up to us over the weekend to recall their own "Commer moment" was staggering. There's no doubt in my mind, she's the Queen of the Highway.
So as Chris said- "Permission to speak Sir?" "Three cheers for the Commer!"
GOD SHE'S A BEAUTY!
