412 virtues

[Jervaulx]

I think it's also worthwhile remembering that, other people may not have
been as well educated as yourself and deserve to be treated just the same as
everybody else. Petty comments which remind me of telling naughty school
children they have done wrong, is just plain ignorant.

Andrew

[Rubbond]

Ouch! No offense intended, but I do think this is important for the future
of the english language. The BBC can't even get it right!
And as for plain ignorance, no, I don't think so.
I certainly don't want to continue this discussion further, so let's leave
it at this.
I just wanted to correct the grammer, which I found a little irritating..
And yes, I do think this is important!
Am I wrong in thinking this?
Andrew Knox.

[Peter Grace]

There's a very good story in yesterday's Financial Times Weekend, harking back to CP Snow's comments in the late 40s on the 'two cultures' - the literary intellectual and the scientist - and how little they understood each other's ground breaking discoveries. Snow more or less said that a scientist that didn't understand the Joyce was bad, but a critic that didn't understand quantum theory was even worse. Should the divide grow to great, Snow argued, where one side didn't understand 'the finer things' and the other 'how things worked', it would result not just in two clashing cultures, but perhaps the downfall of western civilisation as we know it. Stirring stuff.

Andrew's comments about grammar may seem pedantic, but after all, this is a forum of pedants, and none moreso than Kevin, Our Glorious Founder, who has got into trouble with this kind of tenacious bone-chewing before.

I have to say I enjoy it. Bristol owners are supposed to be eccentric, heretical and hole-picking. I am disappointed when they are not.

In the old days, Hugo used to cheer us all up with his anti-EU rants. The counter-culturalists, who were only interested in 'how things work' chased him away. Or maybe he was taken away. We never really learned the answer.

Andrew's pedantry is welcome. So is Paul's and so is Kevin's. I would like to think this is a forum of 'Bristol culture', which includes not only your musings on the Bristol you are restoring, but also those times when, glancing up from your great project, you stare out the dusty windows of your garage, and see fairies dancing at the bottom of the garden.

The trouble with the old BOC forum, as I understood it, was they didn't like dissent or heresy.

P

PS. Grammer, or grammar?

[Jervaulx]

That's fine Andrew, I was just worried if anybody with grammer issues which
I am sure I do, will feel pressured to the point that they stop posting.

I'm glad you have also noticed that the BBC are poor. The BBC website has
appalling grammar to such a degree, some stories don't actually make sense.
Proof reading and good research would help in their case. They have even
just won an award for best website LOL.

Regards

Andrew

[Jervaulx]

I do understand what you mean Peter. I was just concerned of anyone who has
poor grammar through a poorer education, shouldn't feel bullied to the point
they may feel they shouldn't contribute. Of course I am not saying Andrew
was bullying anybody and is entitled to his view as much as anybody else is.
It just gives me concern for anyone whose grammar is not perfect through
ability rather than laziness.

I don't have any issues with Andrew and if he was referring to individuals
who do have good grammar, but have become lazy then that is fine. I
apologise if my grammar is questionable, as my education was far from
perfect or priviledged as some say. I do try my best though.

Andrew

[412usa]

I have a letter sent in December 1980 from the fabled Eric Storey, of Bristol Cars, to Guy Drummond, the original owner of the 412USA. I will scan and post the letter when I replace the dead

computer my scanner is connected to.


Eric States “There is something about the driving qualities of the 412 which has always appealed greatly to me."


Peter McGough

[lansdownplace]

I find posting from my mobile is the biggest bar to good grammar (It
is spelt with an A, my english teacher literally beat that spelling
lesson into me during prep in my first week at senior school!) and
spelling. Personally I don't care how people write so long as they
write something. I am dyslexic and I never ever hand write anything
as a result, if I have to write something on flipcharts in a meeting
for example I ask someone to do it for me, it never causes me the
slightest embarrassment. One thing I have learned though, is that a
lack of formal education is absolutely no bar to success in life,
academia included (story for another place).

One of the big attractions of the Bristol brand, as they put it
themselves, is that they are cars for individuals. That is pretty
inclusive I think and it is a passion that can be indulged on pretty
much any budget. I find that wherever I turn up at in a Bristol I make
new friends. My Landie doesn't seem to offend anyone which is why I
drive that as a backup. Other than that I have found that pretty much
every other premium brand car I have driven has caused someone a
problem somewhere. I wouldn't even consider something with a prancing
dobbin on the bonnet as it is the quickest possible way of getting up
everyones' nose.

Anyway, back to the virtues of the 412. I was at the Haynes Motor
museum today enjoying the huge array of cars they have there. What I
did find very striking was that some of the most iconic cars which
photograph really well don't look that good in real life from many
angles. I was quite gutted when I saw a real Corvette Stingray for the
first time. It looks absolutely stunning in pictures, but quite odd
when viewed at the front three quarters angle from eye level. It quite
put me off the car. The american muscle cars were the same. The
Countach lacked the presence it has in photos. On the other hand, I
have always wondered what the fuss was about the Gordon Keeble, but
having seen a real on today I get it now. The Jenson CV-8 headlights
look marginally less awful than their pictures.

The 412 doesn't always photograph very well from the conventional
shooting angles, which is a shame as it has great presence and scale,
it looks fantastic from other angles particularly with the roof off or
with the hard top on. Because there are so few of them most people
won't get to see a real one. Morgan estimated that you need 3000 cars
on the road in UK to ensure that everyone will have seen one at some
point. On that basis there is probably less than a 50:1 chance
somebody will have seen a real 412 at some point.

regards

Paul