Hyundai Waves Goodbye to the Rovers, Womac Waves Hello to a £750 Cheque

HIGH WYCOMBE, UNITED KINGDOM – October 26, 2009: Over the past four months the most requested cars on the Hyundai press fleet have been Rovers!

As leaders in scrappage sales, Hyundai wanted to give journalists a taste of what it's like to drive an old car day-in, day out. So we sent them a ‘snotter’ for a few days instead of a nice new press car. After a few days with the banger a driver would arrive with a nice new Hyundai. For some that day couldn’t come soon enough.

Apart from the expected trials of driving an old car, there were other ‘incidents’ that show how perilous it can be relying on bangers to get you around. One person reported the door not opening when they tried to get out and therefore had to climb out of the window of our lovely blue Metro! They were grateful it happened in the privacy of the driveway and not the car park of the Shropshire Star.

Ken Gibson from The Sun had to abandon the Maestro at Chobham when it started to rapidly overheat. It only made a further two bookings afterwards before the engine seized. The Maestro was then donated to High Wycombe-based charity Skidz who will use it to teach 13-16 year old car mechanics.

As an added incentive, for every 100 miles driven Hyundai promised a donation of £20 to WOMAC and many took up the challenge to drive a long way indeed. In second place was David Duffy in the Maestro with 454 miles. Sean O’Grady, Andrew Charman, Iain Dooley and Ken Gibson also covered some impressive distances so deserve a mention!

But the winner, adding to his collection of many awards, is Richard Aucock. He managed an impressive 502 miles in the Maestro. Richard said: “It wasn’t tortuous but it was different to a nice modern car. All the sensations were so different- the choke, the smell of petrol, needing arm muscles to turn the wheel. I kept forgetting there was no central locking so I am surprised it didn’t get nicked. I almost crashed it in the first four yards because it is so low geared and the steering was so heavy. I had forgotten what driving an old car was like.”

One journo, who shall remain nameless, didn’t drive a single yard in the Rover 214. We can only assume once he saw it he was too scared or embarrassed to drive it in public.

The Metro and 214 are shortly to go to a new home, into the loving arms of a well-known Austin-Rover enthusiast who is keen on saving Britain’s most famous bangers!