1985 Holden Gemini SL/X review from Australia and New Zealand

Rattle in the transmission and synchros starting to wear.

Various coolant hoses split.

Ball joints in front suspension.

Brake master cylinder replaced.

A much better car than most people think and better than most other small cars of its age.

The few things that have gone wrong with it have not been expensive to fix and the car has never, ever left me stranded anywhere.

Easy on petrol and insurance.

Quicker than earlier Geminis, in fact surprisingly brisk if you're prepared to work the gears.

Neat Italian styling with Japanese reliability.