The inevitable rise of the robots

‘In the corner of the workshop, Olli Ragbin sits watching events unfold before him’

OK, who stole the time?

Do you remember as a child that Sundays had a tendency to drag? By the time the evening came, I used to be so bored I’d look for anything to watch on the telly.

I remember a 50’s American sci-fi programme called ‘The Outer Limits’. Whilst obviously many years old by that point, the then ‘futuristic’ robot would give me the absolute Heebie-jeebies.

Crazed black and white robots aside, the boredom of a long Sunday lingered. What on earth was I going to do? I never considered the future, didn’t think about the past, I was just stuck in the slowly moving present.

An intolerable amount of time separates the 'now' from the 'then'.

And I’ve noticed something. Time itself seems to be moving more rapidly.

Children grow in what to me feels the blink of an eye. When I look in the mirror, my 27-year-old inner-self sees a man in his 50’s…. Who the hell is he and why is he in my bathroom?

Hang on, he appears to have my mother’s eyes (not literally I might add). Dammit. Must be me.

This week saw a lovely ‘pastel yellow’ original Boxster from 1997, which is only the following year from first launch.

The Boxster arguably saved Porsche, who were in financial trouble at that time.

The model shared development, and indeed a good many parts with the newly water-cooled 911 of that generation, the 996.

This efficiency play and the fact that both cars were a sales success, set the foundations for Porsche to move from strength-to-strength.

The importance the Boxster had in Porsche’s history can’t be underplayed.

On the ramp, this pastel yellow beauty looks fresh and modern. Indeed, I even think of it as a modern car. But in reality…. It isn’t. This one is now 24 years old. I’ve got a flip-flops that are older.

The impact the car made can’t be understated either. A beautifully balanced chassis with a lovely 2.5 mid-engined flat 6. Poise and purpose. Even today it’s a beautiful car to thread through the country lanes on an early spring morning.

The cheapest in the classifieds are around £5k which sounds wayyy too cheap. But German engineering comes at a cost. Maintaining a Porsche…any Porsche is expensive. And like the Boxster we had in last week, specialists and main dealers will not bat an eye at a routine maintenance bill which easily eclipses the value of the car.

And so many of these Boxsters now fall into less than good repair. Which is a crying shame, because a well-cared for example is still a legitimately engaging and genuinely sporty drive.

CCM are seeing more and more of these ‘modern’ cars and whilst Eric & Dr Ray get misty-eyed over some of the older Classics, I can’t help love the cars (and bikes) of the late 80’s and 90’s. To me they are true useable brilliantly engineered machines to be loved and enjoyed.

A blink of an eye separates my memories of the Boxster ‘back in the day’ and seeing one here nearly 25 years later. I have to pinch myself. It’s not a modern car. It’s a genuine classic.

The entry price is relatively cheap, and with the right love and attention (cue outrageous plug for CCM) can be kept in super shape to be enjoyed for many happy years to come.

A long pause and a misty-eyed final look at the yellow Boxster and I turned gently away to go back into my quiet corner of the workshop.

I nearly jumped right out of my skin. I even let out a little squeak. The sound a hamster might make if it were to be trodden on by a heavy foot shod in a flip-flop.

There in front of me, stalking me from my past, is the ‘Outer limits’ robot.

‘Do you like the new parts washer’ said Eric in his usual cheery tone.

‘Parts washer?’

‘Er….yes….parts washer’

‘Are you sure it’s not a robot sent from the past to kill me for having wasted too many Sundays?’

‘….. It may be. But it also heats and cleans parts as well. We’re going to call it Gerald.’

Cosmic. I now share a workshop with a crazed robot called Gerald who has got himself a job at CCM on account of some mysterious and highly suspect “parts washing” story.

If I ever go missing I am expecting you all to round up Gerald and give him a proper grilling. I don’t care how clean and shiny he makes stuff… I don’t like him, I don’t trust him.

Siobhan takes a couple of well-earned days off and the workshop is overtaken by malevolent mechanical creatures from the 50’s.

Crazed new-fangled robots aside, we’ve had some lovely stuff in this week. A rover 12, a mk 2 Jag, a couple of MGBs and a Jensen Healey.

The end of lock-down looms and customers are getting ready to get back out on the roads and as of Monday, we can trouble the pub garden again!

So hopefully this is that last blog from lock-down and we can all get back to a bit of normality.

So from Eric, Siobhan, Dr Ray, Shrimp-eye Justin, Young Chris, and Gerald our evil robot overlord, we wish you all a safe and happy week ahead.

Ollie