THE 1982 MOTOR SHOW REMEMBERED

It is Friday the 22^nd October 1982, and Do You Really Want To Hurt Me by that new group Culture Club is playing on the radio as you head along the A34. Your destination is the NEC for the Motor Show, and your first port of call is to the British Leyland stand; the Austin-Rover division brand name has yet to take hold entirely. Obviously, the SD1 Vitesse is a star of the NEC, but there is also a 2.4-litre turbo-diesel and, of course, the MG Metro Turbo. Besides, Avon Coachwork of Warwick even offers a turbocharged version of the Triumph Acclaim - £6,750 and is available for special orders via BL dealers.

It is difficult to tear oneself away from the Vitesse, but the Ford stand features the new Sierra. There is even the flagship XR4, with a fuel-injected 2.8-litre V6 engine, five-speed transmission and, best of all, a double-deck rear spoiler to induce envy in all Opel Manta B drivers. Alternatively, the Aston Martin Tickford-bodied Capri Injection looks fit for the Savoy car park just as the Escort XR3i looks a 'must' for any driver who regards pale grey loafers as the height of fashion.

Moving to the Vauxhall display, the Cavalier Mk. II is now available in fuel-injected form as the SRi. Toyota's Tercel is their first FWD offering in its market sector, while the Audi stand is a 'must'. If the Coupe and the RHD version of the Quattro were not sufficiently impressive, the new 100 C3 has flush-fitting windows and a drag factor of 0.30. Its Volvo 760 rival is the diametric opposite of styling, but its cuboid lines are rather appealing.

Moving to the Datsun line-up, the highlight is the Prairie, with its rather remarkable seat layout, while Mitsubishi offers the not-dissimilar Colt Pajero. There is also a new import from Australia wearing the 'Lonsdale' badge but essentially a version of the Galant attempting to circumvent the Japanese import quota.

No visit to the NEC would be complete without an appreciation of some unattainable exotic machinery. The Panther Kallista is highly tempting, as is the Lotus Eclat Excel, the Porsche 911SC Cabriolet and, in Hall 3, the Bristol Britannia and Brigand. However, mindful of budgeting, the Fiat 126 is the cheapest car of the Show at £2,245, and the Hyundai Pony seems to be an agreeable Ford Escort alternative from South Korea.

Finally, for those more concerned with value for money than the vagaries of fashion, there is the new Zastava Yugo and the Romanian-built Renault 12, aka the "Very Acceptable Dacia Denim". But the car you might place an order for is the Citroën 2CV Charleston – affordable, decidedly eye-catching, and the subject of Alexei Sayle jokes. Who could ask for more?