Faults:

Like most vehicles of that era, it was prone to corrosion if the bodywork wasn't properly maintained. It suffers greatly in cold, damp weather, but with effective care, it's not a serious problem.

The brakes weren't the best; they seized up once and I had to replace them completely. I don't remember the exact mileage, but it was around 100,000 km.

Oil leak (not frequent).

I had several problems starting it, although it never left me stranded. This happened especially in winter.

The engine was very fuel-inefficient for only having 90 hp, perhaps not much more than other 1.6 engines of those years, but it didn't stand out in this respect.

General Comments:

The car had all the characteristics of the eighties; an inefficient but extremely reliable engine (except for the occasional oil leak), and very comfortable and quite spacious inside with more than decent materials that did not wear out over time.

If I had to give my opinion on the car's handling, I'd say it performed better on the highway and on long trips (where fuel consumption wasn't too high) than in the city or on short journeys.

Despite being a comfortable car, the lack of steering made it somewhat sluggish in the city, especially when parking. Even so, after so many years you get used to it and become quite accustomed to the car.

One of the things I liked most was the very good soundproofing; at least the petrol engine was very quiet, even at high speeds, a point in favor of the car. The ventilation was optimal and always worked (it didn't have air conditioning, but that wasn't a problem for me here in Finland).

The engine is a marvel. Very flexible and runs flawlessly: oil and water consumption are practically zero, and the temperature remains consistently stable, whether it's hot or cold, on the highway or secondary roads. Only in the city does the temperature rise slightly, to the point where the fan kicks in.

It's of Simca-Chrysler origin, the same engine used in its predecessor, the 1510. I should clarify that Talbot was marketed under the Peugeot brand during those years, so for spare parts you had to contact the French manufacturer. Even so, they were relatively easy to find and inexpensive. Fuel consumption aside, it's a fairly cheap car to maintain and one that can last you for many years.

Faults:

Rust on bodywork towards the very end, but not surprising as the car was 18 years old when I finished with it.

Stereo packed up when the car was 15 years old, so I bought a high tech CD player which was in a different age to the car. When the car was made, CD players didn't exist.

Tyres and seats wore badly.

General Comments:

The car's bodywork and interior started to show their age towards the end, but its mechanicals were faultless.

I bought it in 1997 for £500 off a man who'd owned it from new, 13 years earlier. Being so old it cost next to nothing to tax and insure.

This Talbot Solara was extremely comfortable and handled well.

But its engines were slow and noisy.

At the end of 2002, I sold the car for £30 to a man on a street corner near my home. It was lent out to various motorists until it finally crashed into a lamp post and was written off after 19 long years on the road.

Faults:

We got off to a turbulent start in our 4 and a half relationship. A mounting for the power steering broke, after 2 months of owning it. This wouldn't normally be too bad, but this bracket supported the engine as well.

Soon after the car would refuse to start on cool/cold mornings and by the time the garage ever saw the car, it was working just fine. Then one morning it refused to start for anyone and required a new electronic ignition.

After 4 months the speedo cable broke.

The clutch slave cylinder went a few months later.

Then for the next 3 years and 50,000 miles nothing other than normal wear and tear tyres, brake pads, exhausts and a wheel bearing and welding.

The above may sound a lot, but for a car that cost £550 and was 7 years old when purchased I was pretty pleased.

General Comments:

My Talbot Solara was immediately called Polly. All old cars needs a name, since they run on faith as much as mechanical soundness. Treat them well and they "should" treat you likewise. She was called Polly due to her number plate B842PVC, an abreviation for polly-vinyl-chloride. Sad, I know, but there you go.

The car may not have looked a million dollars, but she had personality, a comfortable ride with acceptable 35 m.p.g. Going round corners was fun, lots of body roll, but predictable and if pushed lots of oversteer that would unsettle the uninitiated, but was a real joy for those use to it.

On a good day, with a following wind, she would oblige with 100mph.

During those 4 and 3/4 years Polly and I went all over the place and it was a sad day when I took her to the recycling center and sold her for £18.85. I couldn't bear to see her go in the crusher and so turned away with a tear in my eye. It was some 6 months later that I could bear to get another car, Beryl the Beamer, but that is another story.