Goodbye R496 URD

I sold my car today. It has been an integral part of my life for the last 11 years and it seems strange to not have a car, even if this is only going to be for a short while. It is so integral, that I cannot find any photos of it to post here. (but thank you to my friend, Missus Wookie for finding one). It's funny how you use something every day for so long, but when you go back to look, there's no other record of it's existence other than out-of-date paperwork in your filing cabinet.

This car was my first company car when I joined Conchango back in 1998. There were four Golf GTIs ordered for new staff and VW were just about to releast the Mark 4 and didn't have any in stock, so they recalled one from each of four other right-hand drive vehicle countries so that we could have them. I believe mine was the New Zealand version - air con and a sun roof. Someone got the South African one - no sun roof, but air con so good you could have stored your beef next to it. There was also an Australian one - air con, no sun roof - and a Japanese one - air con, no sun roof, a great stereo system as standard.

If all four of us turned up to a company do, there'd be R495 URD, R496 URD, R497 URD and R498 URD all parked next to each other. Mine was the only purple one so I never tried to drive one of the others away by mistake after a company do.

I'll miss the car. It's been good to me. The guy I sold it to said that the clutch was going and the gearbox was making a funny noise. The clutch hasn't changed in 10 years and the gearbox makes the same noise it's always made, so I guess it just proves that Golfs are the reliable cars that every one says they are. Their reputation is intact.