ME AND MY CAR/MOTORCYCLE + DOG #7

This month we have a staff entry from Jude Brooks, Veloce co-founder and publisher of the Hubble & Hattie imprint, with her Audi TT. The image below is taken from the brand new book Dogs on wheels – Travelling with your canine companion by Norm Mort & published by Veloce.

Me and my TT

I love my Audi TT – really, really, love it – and you'd never expect that, when you consider that my previous car was a Fiat Seicento ...

Maybe it was something to do with turning 50 (gulp) but I decided to invest some of my hard-earned pension pot in a new car, and, as I'd always liked the look of the original TT – that sexy, voluptuous profile – I surprised everyone (and mostly me) by buying one. And I'm not alone, as, apparently, Britain is Audi's best customer for the TT, which figures.

The first day I had it (the day after my birthday), a friend and I (and my dog, Immie) took off for a drive, ending up in Lyme Regis on the south west coast. Top down, the journey there and back was glorious: I had never driven anything like this before, and how I felt was confirmation I'd made the right choice of car.

A 2001 1.8 Quattro (225) Roadster, my gorgeous girl has silver paintwork with black leather interior and black soft top – and curves that put Marilyn to shame! First shown as a concept car at the 1995 Frankfurt Motor Show, the original generation Audi TT was nominated for the 2000 North American Car of the Year Award, and featured in Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best List for 2000 and 2001. It has a wonderful, substantial feel to it – maybe that's something to do with its German engineering – even though it's quite small overall, and, of course, it goes extremely well, more than delivering on speed (thanks to a 225bhp, front-mounted, transversely-oriented engine); sure-footedness (fully independent suspension), and very precise handling. Quattro four-wheel-drive means that not even six inches of snow on a hill poses a problem. And fuel-wise it's not bad at all, helped, of course, by the fact that I drive very conservatively ...

Unless it's raining, I usually have the top down, which is the only way to drive a car like the TT. The very efficient heater and heated seats ensure that Immie and I stay warm and snug in the cockpit, even in minus temperatures, and a crisp, winter morning is just perfect for a spot of topless motoring!

Immie sits on the passenger seat next to me wherever I go; she wears a special canine harness that attaches to the seatbelt when it's in place, and keeps her safe. I know she feels quite at home in the car as often she will lay flat out across the seat and doze off, only waking when I have to move her head in order to apply the handbrake. And when she sits up, ears flying in the breeze, all you can see from the back are what appear to be two blondes in a sports car having a wonderful time!
Jude Brooks

Do you have an unusual car/motorcycle with a story to tell?
We want to see it! Send photos & description to prize@veloce.co.uk
We will pick one a month, and any we feature will win an Essential Buyer's Guide (worth £9.99 / $19.95) of your choice.
Click below to browse the whole series.
.