General Panda bullies
- Thread starter Big gerry
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General Panda bullies
Had a lovely horn-tooting incident, with a learner, in Swindon a few years ago. There's a 40mph dual-carriageway, with sets of lights, and short bus lanes at the approach to each set of lights, which end, allowing left-turning vehicles to use the left lane. Otherwise, this puts all traffic into the right lane, but some impatient people will use the left lane to make an overtake as the lights change.
We were approaching some lights, and they went red, so we were the leading vehicle. A taxi behind had been trying to bully, and was making gestures at us. As the lights went red & amber, he tooted his horn. My learner stalled. Great result. Taxi angrily went around us.
200yds, next lights, there we are behind the taxi. All that was said was that it hadn't got him anywhere. As teh lights went red/amber, my learner tooted. Taxi stalled, and my learner, with a cheeky laugh, drove around him. All her own doing, although appreciated by me.
We were approaching some lights, and they went red, so we were the leading vehicle. A taxi behind had been trying to bully, and was making gestures at us. As the lights went red & amber, he tooted his horn. My learner stalled. Great result. Taxi angrily went around us.
200yds, next lights, there we are behind the taxi. All that was said was that it hadn't got him anywhere. As teh lights went red/amber, my learner tooted. Taxi stalled, and my learner, with a cheeky laugh, drove around him. All her own doing, although appreciated by me.
Most of the Jukes we remember on the road, are dithering. There is likely to be a sub-conscious need to be ahead of it. There are probably lots that drive OK, but we do not remember them, in the same way we do not remember cyclists, motorcyclists or Land Rover drivers that do OK. We only remember the bad ones, then categorise them all the same.
Most Pandas seem to be driven slowly, so I have to make allowances, as many drivers will pull out in front of me, having misjudged my approach speed. I have a similar issue with the Fabia, as most of those seem to be driven by retired people, with no sense of purpose, so mine takes people by surprise.
I used to get the problem when driving my Fiat Unos, only 1 litre, but shall we say the carpet under the go pedal was well worn
We has a 1.0 Fire. Proper willing little chap was Puno the Uno - in fact I was talking to my wife about it only yesterday and saying the the Panda was very similar in feel.I used to get the problem when driving my Fiat Unos, only 1 litre, but shall we say the carpet under the go pedal was well worn
I washed my grandmothers 2015 Panda Pop today. And quite a few times as I did, I thought how remarkable it is that I’d trade my Avensis for one. Reversing it down, I forgot just how manoeuvrable and great the turning circle was. Visibility. The thing is seldom driven.. I think one of the tires is original from 2015… the thing has a high pitched, punch of a start. Comically tiny square battery packing a punch too.
Nothing about these little cars is anything anybody else can point and laugh at and it’s apparent when you speak to every single owner. Even non car people like my grandmother. She went from a salmon pink Cinqecento that everybody recognised on the street. To my old 05 Panda dynamic, to a then latest brand new highest spec i10 …. YET back to the most basic, brand new Panda at the time. £6,995 on offer. That’s none car person who couldn’t care a less about the speed, performance, steering feel, equipment … but still knew the difference in a quality car over a cheap facade try hard car. There are two types of car people on our roads though. The idiots who spend a fortune on old sooted up German diesels that look down on everything. And then the comfortable in his own shirt car fan who does or has done DIY jobs on a variety of cars over their lifetime of driving who has a respect for everything and its place. These people tend to have a spot of respect for the Panda and even the modern 500 as being basic yet dependable and characterful little machines. These people have wisdom.
I can’t really get rid of my Avensis. Nobody wants to buy it. Then a bit of the child occupancy rating for the Panda is scaring me off now too sadly. But that aside I’d trade mine tomorrow for a new Panda.
In a couple of years this one might well be for sale or handed down. It would be my pleasure to have this as a second car and drive it during the week to and from work any anytime I need a smile put on my face.
Funny that, how as simple as washing this and moving it down and up the street re-ignited the spark and admiration for the Panda and my memories with my two models.
As a Buddhist as well, it’s such the perfect minimalist, down to earth, unassuming and un-materialistic car on the road. Especially in Pop trim, in basic white, wheel trims and all. I love it. Sad that it won’t have a true ‘biological’ successor.
Nothing about these little cars is anything anybody else can point and laugh at and it’s apparent when you speak to every single owner. Even non car people like my grandmother. She went from a salmon pink Cinqecento that everybody recognised on the street. To my old 05 Panda dynamic, to a then latest brand new highest spec i10 …. YET back to the most basic, brand new Panda at the time. £6,995 on offer. That’s none car person who couldn’t care a less about the speed, performance, steering feel, equipment … but still knew the difference in a quality car over a cheap facade try hard car. There are two types of car people on our roads though. The idiots who spend a fortune on old sooted up German diesels that look down on everything. And then the comfortable in his own shirt car fan who does or has done DIY jobs on a variety of cars over their lifetime of driving who has a respect for everything and its place. These people tend to have a spot of respect for the Panda and even the modern 500 as being basic yet dependable and characterful little machines. These people have wisdom.
I can’t really get rid of my Avensis. Nobody wants to buy it. Then a bit of the child occupancy rating for the Panda is scaring me off now too sadly. But that aside I’d trade mine tomorrow for a new Panda.
In a couple of years this one might well be for sale or handed down. It would be my pleasure to have this as a second car and drive it during the week to and from work any anytime I need a smile put on my face.
Funny that, how as simple as washing this and moving it down and up the street re-ignited the spark and admiration for the Panda and my memories with my two models.
As a Buddhist as well, it’s such the perfect minimalist, down to earth, unassuming and un-materialistic car on the road. Especially in Pop trim, in basic white, wheel trims and all. I love it. Sad that it won’t have a true ‘biological’ successor.
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The salesman who sold me mine has worked in loads of dealerships over the years selling all the popular brands. He told me he'd never encountered loyalty to a single model like the loyalty his customers have for the Panda. Of course, that has worked against him in the last couple of years because he has a list as long as your arm of customers wanting one, and he can't get them—all Fiat want him to sell is electric 500s.
I stand by the theory that all EU based manufacturers will suffer and some won’t survive as they are forced to only deliver EVs by the EU and consumers reject it.
They will lose out to other global manufacturers who take a common sense multi-strategy approach with ICE, Hybrids and EVs.
I think without Stellantis group rebadge cars to come, Fiat would have been screwed if it only had the electric 500. I think we’d already have a Panda on the platform though if they didn’t have PSA to rely on like they do now.
Aye. The current Panda will enter the history books as the last real Fiat. Small, two cylinder, made in Italy—we'll never see the like again.
Wish the Italian government could do something. Didn’t they step in and stop the potential GM merger years ago?
By stopping the GM merger, Fiat got a big payout from GM as compensation. No idea how that contract was created.
This time, the deal is long since done. We're destined to just get badge engineered clones of soft and soggy Peugeots, like the Vauxhalls have become. Adequate transport, but zero flair or emotion. There must be italian engineers in tears.
When I was washing the Panda yesterday I got the usual rush of emotions making me want to buy one again. But more and more, those flames are dampened by the reality of the future PSA Fiats :-( How to kill a brand alright...
Such a waste of all of its engineers, design know-how and engineering accomplishments over its lifetime as a company. Anything from this point on will be French-badge first accomplishments (and I don't blame PSA, why not be proud of your own accomplishments and all that).. but Vauxhall and Fiat (and the group brands) have truly been lost to the world.
Sad to say, but no Italian engineer wants to waste his career working on Motability boxes!
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I'm inclined to agree with you.
