The end of my PCP is coming up in the next few months and this time around I have not decided what to replace my standard 595 with.Only done 12000 miles in nearly three years as I am retired and have never replaced like with like in a car. What are the choices in a sub £15K car? Perugeot of some kind nearly new? 208GTi nearly new ,perhaps, but experiences with a couple of Peugeots a few years ago have coloured my thoughts here.A possibility.Twingo Gt's are cheap but maybe the handling is not so fun and it's a bit slower.Looks odd,too. Fords have some nice fast Fiestas but they are expensive. Vauxhalls have nothing special nor do many other manufacturers at the price .I had a look at VW Up Gti and that looks a serious alternative but long waiting lists. I think it may be that as there is a local VW dealer nearby in Redditch. Suzuki Swifts are quite good but not the excitement of an Abarth.Or I could just stump up and pay off the PCP and hang on to the excellent Abarth but  that is an expensive way of having a three year old car.Electric cars are on the way so maybe this will be the last petrol car for me (as long as I survive as I am nearly 68!!). It may very well come down to what the local Abarth dealer has on offer at the last moment. A demo Turismo sitting there on the forecourt with an offer I cannot resist.After all, there are not many small,relatively good value cars that you get into,start up and go off for a spin in and you feel great and as if you are driving something mildly exotic and different. The thought of getting into  an excellent Honda Jazz does not thrill .And I  have not yet started wearing elasticated trousers or having to wear velcro shoes.It may well be that another Abarth after all.But not the same colour.Any views on this?

The dog's bollocks. Cat's whiskers.My little red 595. One problem are the pedal positions.Walking around like John Wayne .

I am sorry but a few years ago I had never heard of this word detailing. On a Sunday I asked one of my sons to wash my car and I gave him some pocket money. Jack  was not too good on the plastic wheeltrims and Tom didn't really bend his back to do the sills but for 50p  job was a good'un. Then along came Schmee 150,Supercars of London and their mates andhere we are wrapping  motors that already have a decent paint job and paying a bloke several hundred quid to polish the back of your number plate and removed that fly that was lodged behind the radiator.Or even detail the fly .Clean his wings .Ok the rotating flails at the car wash were a bit of a paint stripper but they were for lazy folk or reps. Save your money and spend the detailing cash and wrapping  costsand upgrade the motor. My car washer costs £10 is bloody good and I may soon have the cash to buy a Competizione rather than me dear 595.  I wonder what Guy Martin would say about detailing.***********!!!!!

 Many manufacturers advertise their cars as having a soul or character or whatever but  as all things are made of matter ,atoms and molecules(here is where my science is dodgy as I do not have even CSE physics) surely some cars have the ability to inherit some spirituality. In the '60's we had Cortina we called Fred and Fred was reliable, friendly and looked after the family. We washed him, polished him ,took him on holidays and talked to him .When I hit a keep left sign I consoled Fred and fixed him up with a new headlight and paint job. I think he was made from British steel not some recycled dog food cans. Some cars have not been so soulful and an old Daewoo  of mine had no soul.I think it was made from the remains of an old container scrapped and melted down. I think it was unloved and unloveable. The seats must have  come from an old dog mats. It did not like me and tried to kill me on sharp bends and roundabouts. Its molecules were all jumbled up with no friendly genes imherited from  cans of ravioli or baked beans. Now my Abarth has a soul.I love it and she seems to get on with me. She farts along , jolts me about if I m rough with her and generally is pleased to see me in the mornings. She is not perfect , but endearing. Perhaps its just the owner who gives out love which seeps into the metalwork and plastic and like a magnet over a bit of steel aligns the fabric of the machine with the vibes of the owner. Who knows? But in my eyes my red Abarth has a personality. Is she going to heaven? No maybe eventually to a scrapyard in Birmingham where Keith will press the button and turn my dear friend into a cube that will reincarnate into a Brummie Jag. What a pleasant future perhaps|!

As I live in Redditch I am popping over to the monthly breakfast club on Sunday with my son. They have put my  red 595 in the  paddock area so that will be fun amongst all the exotica. Must give it a wash and hoover . Now where is the rest of that Greggs pizza slice?

After a few pints of Butty Bach I dozed off in front of the log fire.I went into a wonderful dream.It was Le Mans 1960 ,I think ,and Carlo came up to me and said,"Hey Bill,how about you lining up in your car number 50 for the race." So I pulled up next to the factory cars.As the flag went down I walked as quickly as my old legs would take me and got in and started the car and by the Mulsanne straight I had easily overtaken the team cars. Unfortunately I only got to lap 174 when I lost concentration and went off the road at Tertre rouge, I think.I must have woken up as the wife was nudging me as she said I was rolling on to her side of the bed and shouting,"Bene,bene,bene!" .She said," who is Benny?" It seems driving an Abarth even gets into your dreams.

I was on my way to Stoke when something silver raced past me.He must have parked up ahead as someone got out and flagged me down. I told him his crash helmet was brill and his biposto must have passed me at 150! It sounded as if he was called Gordon.I said "nice car,Gordon,your not from Stoke are you?" and he  zapped me with a ray from his visor.He muttered "Gort".Anyone seen this driver! I am sure the metallic object was a biposto.! 

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