In my early practice, it’s not wonderfully clear where one of those functions begins, or when the other does.
I’m worried that downhill one could try to downshift to first for some engine braking, but find oneself in a box of neutrals, with two overwhelmed brakes, and steering that feels nervy at 18mph on the flat.
Cropley tells me that the red flag act had a real effect on the advances of British car makers. Given more freedom, the French, Germans and Americans in particular started bounding ahead. And of cars ‘our’ age on the run that come past us, most are foreign-manufactured.
By contrast, the Albion really backs up its equine vibe by basically having defined speeds.
You can feather the throttle but most likely you will be driving at full whack in second, which eventually brings 18mph, or in first, which gives it the pace of a quick stroll, on the flat at least. They are like a horse’s canter or its walk.
London is where the Albion’s modest top speed is least problematic, because limits are 20mph and the city’s mostly flat.
It’s also a great buzz: leaving from Hyde Park, driving under Wellington Arch, past Buckingham Palace and along The Mall to emerge onto the public road at Trafalgar Square is the kind of thrill you can only get on the Veteran Car Run.
Past Downing Street, left across Westminster Bridge. What a hoot.
It doesn’t get any less enjoyable, even if, as you get further south, it gets hillier and hillier. Cropley’s prepped to jump out and walk if needs be.