Nostalgia car

A couple of properties on an elevated expanse of land near us have come onto the market, and today we drove up to investigate. The large, elegant houses are set on charmingly landscaped small acreages and have panoramic ocean views. Now, quite why we bother taking even a drive-by interest in such places I do not know, for they represent an opulence beyond our reach. But there it is. We do.

My interest was piqued, though, by what looked very much like an MG sitting on the lawns of a house that was not for sale. The property being unfenced, I pulled up and strode across. No sooner had I clicked my shutter than a spooked Lady of the House popped out from behind a shrub, to be joined soon after by her husband, who heard us talking.

They were happy to indulge me, and I learned the car was a TD2000, indeed a member of the MG family tree. This most recent reproduction of the MG's T-series is Malaysian-built and features a mix of Australian and Japanese (Toyota) mechanicals.

Purists would notice variations on the original that have been incorporated in the roadster as it has been developed over the years. But that's all right by me. As soon as we buy a house up there, I'll be getting one.