Ed Westby
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edwestby.bsky.social
Ed Westby
@edwestby.bsky.social
Talks cars. Chief Metro apologist and straight-six enjoyer. Springsteen disciple.
Pinned
The BMW Z3 is now thirty years old, and while values still remain rather low, 1995 is feeling very classic indeed. Amid a sports car renaissance, BMW built their first roadster in decades, complete with dynamism in its curves, fire in its heart, and a very lively rear end. (1/2)
Three years ago today, I bought this sonorous thing.

It still needs a Natural Brown interior, but you should definitely buy an elderly six-cylinder BMW.
November 30, 2025 at 8:30 PM
I’d still really, really like an R3 Rover 200. Preferably a 200vi, but I’m not too picky. Just a 16v K-Series engine, nice alloys, and Nightfire Red.
Someone lend me one for a video!
Factoid: Launched 30yrs ago this week, the R3 Rover 200 Series was the 1st car produced by Rover since the Montego without Honda.

On paper it made a great replacement for the Metro (as it was originally planned to be) but as a replacement for the larger, highly successful R8 200 Series not so much…
November 29, 2025 at 9:56 PM
The BMW Z3 is now thirty years old, and while values still remain rather low, 1995 is feeling very classic indeed. Amid a sports car renaissance, BMW built their first roadster in decades, complete with dynamism in its curves, fire in its heart, and a very lively rear end. (1/2)
November 29, 2025 at 8:02 AM
The Nissan Figaro is a very popular retro convertible here in the UK. But now approaching their 35th birthday, they’re hardly the ideal town car, so maybe we’re due another round of Pike Cars? If you’d like to see the full video, comment ‘FIGARO’ below.
November 28, 2025 at 5:03 PM
The Nissan Figaro’s immense desirability comes in part from its convertible roof, but it does have some downsides. I, for one, cannot see how Luke, Clyde, Maria, and K-9 managed to all fit inside. If you’d like to see the full video, comment ‘PIKE’ below.
November 27, 2025 at 4:58 PM
When it comes to variety, few car-making nations can match Japan. In the midst of the bubble economy, JDM cars became decadent, and one of the most popular to see imported to Britain is the turbocharged, art deco cutie known as the Nissan Figaro. If you’d like to see the video, comment ‘PIKE’ below.
November 26, 2025 at 5:01 PM
The world would be a much friendlier place if we all drove cute cars, and this Nissan Figaro is proof. The last to come from the ‘Pike Factory’, the Figaro and its siblings have been described as ‘the height of post-modernism’, and who am I to argue? If you’d like to see the video, comment ‘FIGARO’.
November 25, 2025 at 4:48 PM
While it was their first mass-produced roadster in decades, there is very clear evidence to support the idea that BMW Z3 is the last truly ‘classic’ Bavarian. This weekend on Twin-Cam, we’ll be figuring out exactly why that is, but for early access, comment ‘BMW’ below.
November 24, 2025 at 5:03 PM
The last of Nissan’s famous Pike cars, the Figaro must be the definitive JDM cutie. A product of Japan’s bubble economy, the Figaro and its siblings; the Be-1, Pao, and S-Cargo, are far from tarted up K10 Micras. Every interface is radically revised, exhibiting a level of care and attention…
November 22, 2025 at 8:01 AM
People say that Italian cars of the ‘70s, like the Lancia Beta, rusted due to steel from the USSR. But this is false. Instead, a concoction of design, production, and logistical issues squandered any goodwill their engineering may have mustered. If you’d like to see the video, comment ‘LANCIA’.
November 21, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Have you put your Christmas lights up yet?
November 21, 2025 at 11:15 AM
The best small car in the world.
Factoid: CAR Magazine’s long term assessment of the Rover Metro became a high-profile press & TV campaign for the car & was a stark contrast from the many unreliable BL/Austin Rovers magazines had run (or rather endure) over the yrs…(1)
November 21, 2025 at 8:06 AM
I haven’t always felt this way, but I’ve come to the view that one reason I like old cars is because they don’t often feel overwrought. Take this Fiesta Supersport. Ford’s first supermini is undoubtedly a chiselled, carefully styled thing, but it’s still very simple. Nothing overwhelms… (1/3)
November 20, 2025 at 5:09 PM
The Jensen Interceptor was brute force in motor car form, but the lesser-spotted FF was far more advanced. With its Ferguson Formula full-time four-wheel-drive, anti-lock brakes, and traction control, it preceded the Audi Quattro by 14 years. If you’d like to see the video, comment ‘JENSEN’ below.
November 19, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Back in April, some friends and I visited Reims-Gueux for the first time. Almost a cliche to visit while driving through France, the fact this place still exists is astounding. (1/3)
November 18, 2025 at 5:03 PM
13 Bannerman Road is where Sarah Jane Smith lives. It’s also home to the sweetness that is the Nissan Figaro. The last of the famous ‘Pike cars’, you cannot fail to appreciate just how much care they took in creating such an individual small car. If you’d like early access, comment ‘FIGARO’ below.
November 17, 2025 at 4:58 PM
The Triumph Stag is one of British Leyland’s few shining lights, and though it had issues, the fundamentals were perfect. Gorgeous Michelotti styling and a barking overhead cam V8 ought to have made it a world beater. If you’d like to see the full video, comment ‘STAG’ below.
November 14, 2025 at 5:07 PM
One year ago this week, I sold Melody, my little Austin Metro donated to Twin-Cam by the most generous subscriber. Back in 2021, she was very tired, yet very happy, and while I pressed her almost immediately into semi-daily use, some serious work was required. (1/4)
November 13, 2025 at 5:01 PM
The Peugeot 205 GTI is widely regarded as the greatest hot hatch of all time, but why is that? As far as I can see, it comes down to a combination of four factors: style, pedigree, driving pleasure, and dependability. If you’d like to see the full video, comment ‘PEUGEOT’ below.
November 12, 2025 at 5:34 PM
This car has cropped up in a serious number of my videos, and frankly, how couldn’t it? The Mk3 Ford Cortina is one of the most fashionable mainstream family cars ever to grace British roads, and this is just about the coolest. (1/3)
November 11, 2025 at 5:11 PM
The Mini is undoubtedly iconic, but in 1960s Britain, our favourite car was instead its big brother, the Pininfarina-styled and fluid-floating Austin-Morris 1100. If you’d like to see the full video, then comment ‘ISSIGONIS’ below.
November 10, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Radio’s jammed up with talk show stations,
Lost souls calling long distance salvation.
Hey, Mr. DJ, won’t you hear my last prayer?
Hey-ho rock and roll, deliver me from nowhere.
November 9, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Best album of all time.
On this day in 1987, Bruce Springsteen hit #1 on the Billboard 200 with 'Tunnel of Love.' The triple platinum album featured "Brilliant Disguise," one of his biggest singles, reaching #5 on the Hot 100.
November 7, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Volkswagen’s image of quality and dependability came entirely from the most popular car the world has ever seen: the beloved Beetle. And best of all, it’s the car that came to stand for personal freedom and expression. If you’d like to see the full video, then comment ‘BEETLE’ below.
November 7, 2025 at 3:59 PM
The Mk1 Golf defined the modern mid-size hatchback, and despite its novelty, Volkswagen customers lapped it up, selling over one million units within two years, a figure equating to 48 Golfs being sold every single hour. If you’d like to see the full video, then comment ‘GOLF’ below.
November 6, 2025 at 5:04 PM