On the 1st June 2006 my wife and I visited GD to have a look round and take a test ride. For me the day was really just to confirm that I was making the right decision, check that I could fit into the GD and of course to actually place the order.
We arrived as Andy was having his lunch but we were made immediately welcome and offered a cup of coffee (don’t go to GD just for the coffee not saying its bad, Im not saying its good either!). We had a good look around the workshop at the various chassis in different stages of construction and also I had a good look over a GD427 MKIV that had just been completed.
This sorted one of the questions I had, a MKIV its going to be.
After this Andy took me out for a test ride, well what can I say, it was an experience I shall not forget in a while. The car appeared to handle incredibly well, I say appeared because you can only judge so much from the passengers seat. At no point during the drive did the car feel out of shape, and it wasn’t because it was being driven slowly! Andy obviously knows his car and knows what it can do, and is not afraid to show it off. I can honestly say I’ve never been more scared or felt more secure in a vehicle.
Going up to GD had another unexpected benefit, my wife has always struggled to understand the whole Cobra thing. Quite understandably to her its just a car and she couldn’t get excited about it.
Anyway after the test ride I managed to persuade my wife to take a ride as well, all the way up to GD she had said she wasn’t interested in going out for a drive. But with a little bit of persuasion she agreed.
Its here that Andy shows he’s a salesman as well as an engineer, on my test drive it was raw power and lots of acceleration, the conversation was technical, all about power and handling etc. On my wifes drive he drove a bit more sedate and there was talk about days out, going for picnics etc. Well whatever he did it worked and she came back not only smiling but professing to finally get what it was all about. More importantly she agreed to hand over the cheque book, which had been given to her before our arrival as a kind of safe guard against impulsive buying!
So after a bit more chat I committed to an order of GD427 Jag based chassis. Delivery chosen by me to be the beginning of September.
We drove away with me a very happy man.
