Triumph World Magazine Special Delivery Vorige editie

I have recently reached a most uncomfortable stage in my life – the eldest of my three kids, Ben, turned 17 and is now learning to drive. I can well remember my own excitement when I reached that milestone, waking on my birthday at 6.30am to get the first lesson in before school. What I don’t recall, of course, is the worry and this must have caused my parents. So far, it is going OK with Ben. As well as getting him professional lessons, I’ve insured him as a learner on my own cars to get extra miles under his wheels. The first month in the family ZT was not a success and probably took a few years off my life, but once I found an insurer who would cover him in the Acclaim, things quickly got better. Now I just have the occasional moan about little details that the examiner will pick up on, I’m not grabbing for the wheel with my heart in my mouth as we wander towards the kerb or the oncoming traffic. And I think he’s going to be a better driver because of his time in the Acclaim. The last of the Triumph line may feel reasonably modern to drive, but it is 31 years old and a car that you still have to drive. There is a manual choke, decent feedback through the wheel and the brake pedal, and it will soon tell you if you haven’t balanced the clutch and throttle properly when pulling off. Contrast that with many modern cars which insulate drivers so efficiently that it is no surprise their attention wanders. I think everybody should learn in a classic!