The Special’s Citroen C15 Romahome hits the road

Exactly five years and three weeks since it last went to an event The Special’s Citroen C15 Romahome hit the road once more.

After that half decade (and three weeks) absent from classic and vintage shows and motor sport the C15 crossed the England/Wales border, trundled beyond Ross-on-Wye and headed to the Much Marcle Steam Rally.

A steam rally? Really? Wel, thee of doubting views, think again: for those interested in any time of old vehicle (and not solely traction engines) here was a great event, without the pretence of certain other shows, to spend a few hours.

It was a typically pleasing vintage mash-up of traction engines, tractors, trucks, cars, motorcycles plus a dash of vintage caravans to add further spice to the classic cocktail.

We started off with the trucks, whose line-up numbered a cracking Ford D-series tipper and a late-1960s Dodge, but were soon sucked into the auction. Want a classic tractor? What about some in-period equipment to go with it? And tractor spares too? It was all in the Pugh’s sale.

Resisting some bidding and moving swiftly on the showground offered many more delights: the cars were great (including two Roman Purple Escort 1300Es and our favourite, a Daimler Majestic Major). From there on it was on to the motor cycles, passing stationery engines on the way.

Proper local cider was available from the bar and the quaffing was quickened watching the tractor-pulling – a first for The Special. Monumental noise, more black smoke than a Vulcan powering up the runway and some wheel-standing was clearly a crowd-pleaser of the very best kind.

Great car parking and, more importantly, just a tenner each to get in – a fabulous great-value day out.

Mind you, we nearly didn’t make it. On the evening before setting off the C15’s recent radiator sprang two tiny leaks. Small, certainly, but enough to wonder if the long-planned trip was a no-go. Luckily C15 looker-after Lloyd (he of Lloyd’s Citroen Peugeot in Swansea, no less) checked the entire cooling system over and added some Forte Radiator Stop Leak. The result? No leaks or coolant loss, which is good because the radiator has to only last another two or three months for reasons that will soon become clear…