Quentin Willson's Motoring Column: HELP! YOU ASK ME: Where can I buy

Sunday Mirror, Aug 3, 2003 by Quentin Willson

Q I'M looking for a reliable late Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow or Silver Spirit. Where's the best place to find one? - Michael Connor, Harrow-on-the-Hill, London.

A ONLY buy the best Shadow you can afford. That means it must have a warranted mileage of under 80k and a mountain of old bills and MoTs. The body should be mint and the leather and wood perfect. The early '66-'69 cars have the most potential (they look wonderfully chaste), closely followed in the desirability stakes by the last of the '77-on Shadow IIs. Best colours are black, silver or pewter. Stick a Wanted Ad in the motoring Press or the RR Owner's Club magazine. pounds 7k-pounds 10k should be plenty for a really pukka example.

Q MY partner wants me to buy a convertible and is suggesting either a Mazda MX-5 or an MG TF. I don't want to pay more than pounds 15k. What's your opinion of these cars? - Steve Fitzhenry, by email

A THEY are both fine machines and the MG is heaps better than its predecessor. I have to say the MX-5 (left) has become a touch common, but for sheer reliability, ease-of-maintenance and desirability, nothing comes close. Trade Sales, of Slough, (08701 603504) are offering new 03-plate 1.8is for pounds 13,999 or 1.6s for pounds 11,999.

Q FOLLOWING comments in your column, I wondered if you could explain what you mean by "Beware the white killer Merc". We have just purchased an M-reg Mercedes EUR220 in white and were very pleased with it. Why is it a killer? Is it just the coupe model? Have we done something unforgivable? - Name and address supplied

A OH dear. I am sorry to rain on your parade, but white is the least popular colour for a Merc, unless you live in Riyadh or LA. Broadly speaking, prestige cars, be they Mercs, BMWs or Rollers, should always be the colour of precious metal - silver, gold or platinum. That's why they look horrible in white, red or brown. A white Merc or Bentley is usually worth 10 per cent less than its silver equivalent. And please don't tell me yours is a manual - that's another killer.

Q I WANT to buy a new shape Vauxhall Corsa for my daughter's 21st. What do you recommend - private, dealer or auction? I have a maximum budget of pounds 5,000. - Heather Smith by email

A I'M not a huge fan of the Corsa, so I'd rather see your daughter in a Ford Ka, but if you want a tiny mileage 52-plate Corsa 1.0 Club, look no further than any of the supermarkets. You'll probably have to find another pounds 500 or so, but will save yourself a couple of grand in depreciation by buying nearly new.

Q COULD you give me your view of the new hybrid cars that are powered by electricity and petrol? Do you think they will catch on? - Tom Stephenson by email

A THE best two hybrids are the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight, which both run on a combination of petrol and electricity. I think it'll be a while yet before they become mainstream. They'll need a lot more Government concessions and incentives behind them.